Thanks to our pal, Ziyad for making this:
Isn’t it pretty? The numbers to pay attention to are the BFCA and the IMDb. Metacritic is too hard-lined for anything except “what the critics think.” The critics are part of the whole, but not all of it. Conversely, Rotten Tomatoes is too inclusive to be very reliable – the reason being that each tomato reading is based on a review attached to it. A public opinion must be formed.
When public opinions are out there for everyone to see there is tendency to not reveal one’s true opinion for fear of being laughed at or being thought of as not getting it, or whatever other irrational feelings that pass over people when being judged.
The better indicators of how films are doing are the anonymous ratings and/or the general pools of public opinion. More than IMDb, though, I like to look at Yahoo movies. It features not only movie fans, as you might find on IMDb, but regular folks too. At any rate, the chart is interesting. The film I’m really wondering about is The Blind Side. It is making a boatload of cash and fast. It must be considered a viable contender at this point.