PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Box office, box office, wherefore art thou, box office?
 
On a slow-as-molasses Oscar weekend, the Shakespeare-inspired animated attraction, Gnomeo & Juliet, in its third week of release, claimed the top spot for the first time, earning an estimated $14 million — no great shakes, but good enough for first place.
 
Not far behind was second-place finisher Hall Pass, the debuting comedy from the Farrelly brothers starring Owen Wilson. It opened with $13 million.
 
Last weekend’s leader Unknown, the Liam Neeson thriller, was third with $12 million.
 
And the returning Adam Sandler comedy Just Go With It, took fourth with $11 million.
 
The weekend’s other new mainstream release Drive Angry, the thriller with Nicolas Cage, took in $5 million, placing it ninth.
 
Overall, it was a return to the disappointing box office that has characterized the year thus far, with industry-wide totals far below those of a year ago.

Reported by Bill Wine, KYW Newsradio