SUBMITTED BY Timbo

February 17, 2004 — "50 First Dates", if estimates are correct, will break the box office record for the President's Day weekend with $46 million.

According to studio estimates issued on Monday, the Sony Pictures release chalked up about $40 million in ticket sales in its first three days since opening on Feb. 13, with an additional $6 million estimated for Monday, the Presidents Day holiday in the United States.

The three-day sum for "50 First Dates" surpassed the $35.7 million opening for "Sweet Home Alabama" in September 2002 to set a new benchmark for a romantic comedy. Sony erroneously reported on Sunday the old record was held by "Runaway Bride."

Exit polling indicated the audience was 57 percent female, and viewers were evenly split either side of 25 years, indicating the movie played broadly, said Rory Bruer, president of domestic theatrical distribution at the Sony Corp-owned studio. Additionally, 90 percent of respondents called the film "excellent" or "very good," he said.