A lagging box office got a much-needed boost from two men most comedians would suggest need daily boosts themselves. Don’t Say A Word, starring Michael Douglas, and Hearts in Atlantis, starring Anthony Hopkins, were number one and three, respectively, on the box-office charts. Word raked in $18 million over the weekend; Atlantis made $9.5 million.

Word stars Douglas as a psychologist who must get information from a mental patient lest his daughter be killed, also stars Famke Janssen. Don’t Say a Word was the biggest debut ever for a movie starring Douglas; his previous best had been A Perfect Murder. Critics seemed indifferent towards the film, saying that it was perfectly acceptable but nothing more.

Keeping the psychological theme alive, Hopkins plays a psychic, this time one on the run who befriends a young boy in a small town. Steven King wrote Atlantis. Its audience was strongly skewed towards female viewers.

Wedging in between Douglas and Hopkins was Zoolander, a Ben Stiller starring vehicle. Telling the story of a male supermodel that must save the world, Zoolander was as critically adored as a movie about an aging supermodel brainwashed to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia could be. Most seemed to think that movie, while being unbelievably stupid, was entertaining if taken as nothing more than fluff. The movie, which cost $28 million to make, took in $15.7 million and would likely be profitable. Joining Stiller on the runway are Owen Wilson and Stiller’s father, Jerry. Numerous other Hollywood personalities make appearances.

The openings were seen as a good sign in Hollywood which had suffering an economic downturn even before the Sept. 11 attacks in New York City and Washington DC. With fewer and fewer quality movies coming out – along with early spring, early fall is a very slow period for big movies – Hollywood had watched profits plunge precipitously. After the attacks, few returned to the movies.

If this weekend was going to be decent, Hollywood was apparently excited for the possibility that next weekend holds. With four new movies opening – Serendipity, with Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack, Training Day, with Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke, Max Keeble’s Big Move, a Disney family film, and Joy Ride, a horror film – insiders are expecting a profitable few weeks. At least by the low standards most have for the autumn season.

Meanwhile, old standbys were still holding on.

-Hardball, which stars Keanu Reeves as a down-on-his luck baseball coach in the inner city, earned $5.2 million, falling to number four. It has earned $26.3 million thus far.

-The Others, starring Nicole Kidman, continued to earn decent money, slipped to number five but still earned $5.1 million. It has earned almost $80 million to date.

-Rounding out the bottom five were Rush Hour 2, The Glass House, Rat Race, The Musketeer, and Two Can Play at That Game. Rush Hour 2 has made more than $200 million this year.

Mariah Carrey’s Glitter disappeared completely. Or perhaps, it never appeared. Either way, it was a horrid flop.