Editing Men in Black (1997 film) (section)

==Reception==
===Box office===
''Men in Black'' earned $4.8 million from Tuesday night previews and went on to gross $14 million on its opening day, bringing the total gross to $18.8 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-04-ca-9538-story.html|title='Men in Black' Is Wearing Long Green|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=July 4, 1997|access-date=April 16, 2022|archive-date=April 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416043244/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-04-ca-9538-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> During its opening weekend, it generated $51.1 million, making it the third-highest opening weekend of all time, behind ''[[Batman Forever]]'' and ''[[The Lost World: Jurassic Park]]''. The film then grossed $84.1 million during its five-day Wednesday opening. It surpassed ''[[Independence Day (1996 film)|Independence Day]]'' for having three records. These were the biggest three-day Fourth of July opening weekend, the largest July opening weekend and the highest opening weekend for a non-sequel film.<ref name="MenInGreen">{{cite news |last=Willis |first=Kim |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99621679/call-them-men-in-green/ |title=Call them 'Men in Green' |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412203943/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99621679/call-them-men-in-green/ |date=July 8, 1997 |access-date=April 12, 2022 |archive-date=April 12, 2022 |page=76 |work=Gannett News Service |publisher=[[Courier-News|The Courier-News]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref> The film would hold the latter two records for three years until 2000 when ''[[X-Men (film)|X-Men]]'' took them.<ref>{{cite news |last=Block |first=Alex Ben |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99675126/x-men-tops-in-575-million-opening/ |title='X-Men' tops in $57.5 million opening |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410183010/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99675126/x-men-tops-in-575-million-opening/ |date=July 21, 2000 |access-date=April 10, 2023 |archive-date=April 10, 2023 |page=34 |work=Bridge News |publisher=[[The Montana Standard]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Audiences mobbed multiplexes for the opening of "X-Men" as... |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/2000/07/16/Audiences-mobbed-multiplexes-for-the-opening-of-X-Men-as/7694963720000/ |access-date=February 28, 2022 |work=[[United Press International]] |date=July 16, 2000 |archive-date=February 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228183046/https://www.upi.com/Archives/2000/07/16/Audiences-mobbed-multiplexes-for-the-opening-of-X-Men-as/7694963720000/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Two years later, its successor ''[[Men in Black II]]'' broke the record for having the highest three-day Fourth of July opening weekend.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/08/movies/box-office-has-a-record-weekend-men-in-black-leading-the-way.html |title=Box Office Has a Record Weekend, 'Men in Black' Leading the Way |newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 8, 2002 |last1=Lyman |first1=Rick |archive-date=March 24, 2022 |access-date=April 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220324192608/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/08/movies/box-office-has-a-record-weekend-men-in-black-leading-the-way.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Moreover, ''Men in Black'' held the record for having the highest opening weekend for an action-packed comedy film until ''[[Rush Hour 2]]'' surpassed it in 2001.<ref>{{cite web|last=Linder|first=Brian|title=Weekend Box Office: Rush Hour Jams Theaters|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/08/07/weekend-box-office-rush-hour-jams-theaters|publisher=[[IGN]]|access-date=July 13, 2022|date=August 7, 2001|archive-date=July 13, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220713033202/https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/08/07/weekend-box-office-rush-hour-jams-theaters|url-status=live}}</ref> It would remain in the number one spot at the box office for three weeks until it was beaten by ''[[Air Force One (film)|Air Force One]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108633734/presidential-bravery-triumphs-at-box/ |title=Presidential bravery triumphs at box office |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902221737/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108633734/presidential-bravery-triumphs-at-box/ |newspaper=[[The Reporter (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin)|The Reporter]] |page=13 |date=July 28, 1997 |access-date=September 2, 2022 |archive-date=September 2, 2022 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108633236/air-force-one-tops-box-office/ |title='Air Force One' tops box office |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220903171858/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108633236/air-force-one-tops-box-office/ |newspaper=[[The Commercial Appeal]] |page=15 |date=July 28, 1997 |access-date=September 3, 2022 |archive-date=September 3, 2022 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref> The film also competed against ''[[Hercules (1997 film)|Hercules]]'' and ''[[Batman & Robin (film)|Batman & Robin]]'' during its theatrical run.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-19-ca-14132-story.html|title=No Herculean Gross; Why?|last=Dutka|first=Elaine|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=July 19, 1997|access-date=August 18, 2015|archive-date=November 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221105231929/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-19-ca-14132-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

''Men in Black'' grossed $250.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $338.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $589.3 million.<ref name="BOM"/> It would hold the record for being Sony's highest-grossing film until it was surpassed by ''[[Spider-Man (2002 film)|Spider-Man]]'' five years later in 2002.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gray |first=Brandon |date=May 20, 2002 |title='Spider-Man,' 'About a Boy' Survive and Thrive Under 'Attack' |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed2054423556/ |access-date=January 1, 2023 |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |archive-date=January 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230101161553/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed2054423556/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2022/04/14/anaconda-starring-jennifer-lopez-and-ice-cube-diverse-hollywood-future-sans-harry-potter-spider-man/?sh=2096d28acfd5|title='Anaconda' Showed Us A Future Stolen By Harry Potter And Spider-Man|website=[[Forbes]]|access-date=April 16, 2022|archive-date=April 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416043248/https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2022/04/14/anaconda-starring-jennifer-lopez-and-ice-cube-diverse-hollywood-future-sans-harry-potter-spider-man/?sh=2096d28acfd5|url-status=live}}</ref> The film grossed a record $10.7 million in its opening weekend in Germany, beating the record held by ''Independence Day''.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|page=9|date=October 15, 2001|title='Pie' flies high in Germany}}</ref>

Despite its grosses, writer Ed Solomon has said that Sony claims the film has never turned a profit, which is attributed to [[Hollywood accounting]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Butler|first=Tom|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/men-in-black-profits-ed-solomon-104552239.html|title=1997 hit 'Men in Black' is still yet to make a profit says screenwriter|work=[[Yahoo!]]|date=December 31, 2020|access-date=May 21, 2020|archive-date=August 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804005631/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/men-in-black-profits-ed-solomon-104552239.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Critical response===
On review aggregation website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''Men in Black'' holds an approval rating of 91% based on 93 reviews, and an average score of 7.50/10. The site's critical consensus reads "Thanks to a smart script, spectacular set pieces, and charismatic performances from its leads, ''Men in Black'' is an entirely satisfying summer blockbuster hit."<ref>{{cite web | title = Men in Black | website = [[Rotten Tomatoes]] | url = http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/men_in_black/ | access-date = June 4, 2023 | archive-date = January 17, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100117115929/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/men_in_black/ | url-status = live}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/men-in-black |title=Men in Black Reviews |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=2017-03-10 |archive-date=2017-04-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428043903/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/men-in-black |url-status=live}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/QmxhY2s= |title= Men in Black |work= [[CinemaScore]] |access-date= June 12, 2019 |archive-date= August 9, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190809140724/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/QmxhY2s= |url-status= live}}</ref>

[[Gene Siskel]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, praising the film as "a smart, funny and hip adventure film in a summer of car wrecks and explosions".<ref>{{cite news|last=Siskel|first=Gene|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-07-04-9707040101-story.html|title='Men In' Black' A Clever Romp|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=July 4, 1997|access-date=June 3, 2019|archive-date=June 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604015322/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-07-04-9707040101-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave the film three stars out of four, giving particular praise to the film's self-reflective humor and Rick Baker's alien creature designs.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ebert|first=Roger|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/men-in-black-1997|title=Men in Black Movie Review & Film Summary (1997)|publisher=Ebert Digital LLC|date=July 1, 1997|access-date=June 3, 2019|archive-date=June 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604015322/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/men-in-black-1997|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Janet Maslin]], reviewing for ''[[The New York Times]]'', wrote the film "is actually a shade more deadpan and peculiar than such across-the-board marketing makes it sound. It's also extraordinarily ambitious, with all-star design and special-effects talent and a genuinely artful visual style. As with his ''Addams Family'' films and ''Get Shorty'', which were more overtly funny than the sneakily subtle ''Men in Black'', Mr. Sonnenfeld takes offbeat genre material and makes it boldly mainstream."<ref>{{cite news|last=Maslin|first=Janet|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/01/movies/oh-aliens-business-as-usual.html|title=Oh, Aliens: Business As Usual|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 1, 1997|access-date=June 3, 2019|archive-date=June 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604015322/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/01/movies/oh-aliens-business-as-usual.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Writing for ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', [[Todd McCarthy]] acknowledged the film was "witty and sometimes surreal sci-fi comedy" in which he praised the visual effects, Baker's creature designs and Elfman's musical score. However, he felt the film "doesn't manage to sustain this level of inventiveness, delight and surprise throughout the remaining two-thirds of the picture."<ref>{{cite magazine|last=McCarthy|first=Todd|url=https://variety.com/1997/film/reviews/men-in-black-1117432622/|title=Men in Black|magazine=Variety|date=June 29, 1997|access-date=June 3, 2019|archive-date=June 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608040150/https://variety.com/1997/film/reviews/men-in-black-1117432622/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Owen Gleiberman]] of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' graded the film a C+, writing "''Men in Black'' celebrates the triumph of attitude over everything else – plausibility, passion, any sense that what we're watching actually matters. The aliens, for all their slimy visual zest, aren't particularly scary or funny (they aren't allowed to become characters), and so the joke of watching Smith and Jones crack wise in their faces quickly wears thin."<ref>{{cite web|last=Gleiberman|first=Owen|url=https://ew.com/article/1997/07/11/men-black-6/|title=Men in Black|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=July 11, 1997|access-date=June 3, 2019|archive-date=June 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604015325/https://ew.com/article/1997/07/11/men-black-6/|url-status=live}}</ref>

John Hartl of ''[[The Seattle Times]]'', claimed the film "is moderately amusing, well-constructed and mercifully short, but it fails to deliver on the zaniness of its first half." While he was complimentary of the film's first half, he concluded "somewhere around the midpoint they run out of energy and invention. Even the aliens, once they stop their shape-shifting ways and settle down to appear as themselves, begin to look familiar".<ref>{{cite web|last=Hartl|first=John|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19970701/2547298/men-in-black-sci-fi-zaniness-that-finally-crash-lands|title='Men in Black': Sci-Fi Zaniness That Finally Crash-Lands|newspaper=The Seattle Times|date=July 1, 1997|access-date=June 3, 2019|archive-date=April 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401173740/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19970701&slug=2547298|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Accolades===
''Men in Black'' won [[Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling|Best Makeup]] at the [[70th Academy Awards]] and was also nominated for [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Musical or Comedy Score]] and [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction]], losing the latter two to ''[[The Full Monty]]'' and ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'', respectively.<ref>{{cite news |last=Garner |first=Chris |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/iowa-city-press-citizen-a-titanic-winn/109932077/ |title=A 'Titanic' winner |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230506152141/https://www.newspapers.com/article/iowa-city-press-citizen-a-titanic-winn/109932077/ |date=March 24, 1998 |access-date=May 6, 2023 |archive-date=May 6, 2023 |page=17 |agency=[[Gannett News Service]] |newspaper=[[Iowa City Press-Citizen]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref> The film was also nominated for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy|Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy]] at the [[55th Golden Globe Awards]], losing to ''[[As Good as It Gets]]''.<ref>{{cite web | title = Men in Black (1997) – Awards and Nominations | website = [[Yahoo!]] | url = https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800023362/awards | access-date = 2007-09-17 | archive-date = 2008-01-18 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080118173551/http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800023362/awards | url-status = live }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | Award
! scope="col" | Category
! scope="col" | Recipient
! scope="col" | Result
|-
|rowspan="3"| [[Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction]]
| Art Direction: [[Bo Welch]]; Set Decoration: [[Cheryl Carasik]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling|Best Makeup]]
| [[Rick Baker]] and [[David LeRoy Anderson]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Musical or Comedy Score]]
| [[Danny Elfman]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Awards]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy|Best Comedy or Musical]]
|
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA Awards]]
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects|Best Special Effects]]
|
| {{nom}}
|-
|rowspan="8"| [[24th Saturn Awards|Saturn Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saturnawards.org/The-Saturn-Awards-Past-Winners.php?category=1&year=1997|title=Past Saturn Award Recipients|website=www.saturnawards.org|access-date=2020-01-16|archive-date=2020-08-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803225705/http://www.saturnawards.org/The-Saturn-Awards-Past-Winners.php?category=1&year=1997|url-status=live}}</ref>
| [[Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film|Best Science Fiction Film]]
|
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| [[Barry Sonnenfeld]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Writing|Best Writing]]
| [[Ed Solomon]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| [[Will Smith]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| [[Vincent D'Onofrio]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Music|Best Music]]
| Danny Elfman
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Make-Up|Best Make-Up]]
|
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Special Effects|Best Special Effects]]
|
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[2nd Golden Satellite Awards|Satellite Awards]]
| [[Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture|Best Actor – Musical or Comedy]]
| [[Tommy Lee Jones]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature|Best Animated or Mixed Media Film]]
| 
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Best Supporting Actor – Musical or Comedy]]
| [[Rip Torn]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture|Best Supporting Actress – Musical or Comedy]]
| [[Linda Fiorentino]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Visual Effects|Best Visual Effects]]
| 
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[4th Annual Blockbuster Entertainment Awards|Blockbuster Entertainment Awards]]
| rowspan="2"| Favorite Actor – Science Fiction
| Will Smith
| {{won}}
|-
| Tommy Lee Jones
| {{nom}}
|-
| Favorite Supporting Actor – Science Fiction
| Vincent D'Onofrio
| {{nom}}
|-
| Favorite Supporting Actress – Science Fiction
| Linda Fiorentino
| {{nom}}
|-
| Favorite Soundtrack
| 
| {{won}}
|}

On ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Movies of All Time, "Men in Black" placed 409th.<ref>{{cite web| title = Empire's 500 Greatest Movies of All Time| work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]| url = https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/500-greatest-movies| access-date = 2019-08-31| archive-date = 2019-07-02| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190702060952/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/500-greatest-movies/| url-status = live}}</ref> Following the film's release, [[Ray-Ban]] stated sales of their Predator 2 sunglasses (worn by the organization to deflect neuralyzers) tripled to $5&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news|author=Jane Tallim|title=And Now a Word From Our Sponsor... Spend Another Day|work=Media Awareness Network|year=2002|url=http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/educational/teachable_moments/word_from_our_sponsor.cfm|access-date=2008-10-14|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080819234200/http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/educational/teachable_moments/word_from_our_sponsor.cfm|archive-date=2008-08-19}}</ref>

===Year-end lists===
'''[[American Film Institute]] Lists'''
* [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs]] - Nominated
* [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains]]:
** Agent J & Agent K - Nominated Heroes
* [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs]]:
** "Men in Black" - Nominated
* [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes]]:
** "You know the difference between you and me? I make this look good." - Nominated
* [[AFI's 10 Top 10]] - Nominated Science Fiction Film

<!--==Antecedents==
The film incorporated elements of extant UFO myths and conspiracy theories.  Men in Black has first been referenced in the [[Maury Island Incident]] and popularized by the book ''[[They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers]]''.  
"Swamp gas from a [[Roswell incident|weather balloon]] was trapped in a [[1952 Washington, D.C., UFO incident|thermal pocket]] and reflected the [[Jimmy Carter UFO incident|light from Venus]]."-->