‘American Sniper’ Becomes Highest-Grossing Film of 2014

There are moments that define a nation. Moments that show us the kind of Americans we really are. Today, we’ve brought shame on our great nation: Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper has surpassed The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and Guardians of the Galaxy as the highest-grossing film of 2014.

It became official this morning when the weekend box office totals rolled in: American Sniper has earned $337.2 million at the domestic box office—so far. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 made $336.9 million, while Guardians of the Galaxy made a close-but-not-close-enough $337.2 million.

According to Forbes, American Sniper has also become the first R-rated film to dominate the box office since Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan in 1998. Both films are about the toll of war, which says something about where our entertainment interests lie. There has been a lot of controversy about the film, but that hasn't stopped people from rushing to the theater to see American Sniper, which earned six Oscar nominations, including Best Actor for Bradley Cooper’s performance.

In addition to the interest generated by awards season, the recent conviction of the man who killed Chris Kyle likely helped boost the film’s box office earnings.