20th Century Women Budget

What is the budget of 20th Century Women?

"20th Century Women," a drama released in 2016, was directed by Mike Mills and stars Annette Bening, Elle Fanning. The production budget was $7,000,000, placing it in the low-budget range for drama productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a drama production like this include:

• Above-the-Line Talent: Drama films live or die on the strength of their performances.
• Location Filming & Period Production Design: Authentic locations , whether contemporary or historical , require scouting, permits, travel, lodging, and often significant dressing to match the story's time period.
• Post-Production, Color Grading & Score: The editorial process for dramas is typically longer than genre films, with careful attention to pacing and tone.
• Casting: In May 2015, Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig, and Elle Fanning joined the cast, with Bening set to play a single mother, Gerwig a young sophisticated photographer, and Fanning a provocative friend of the single mother's teenage son.

What were the major cost factors in 20th Century Women?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "20th Century Women."

• Above-the-Line Talent: Above-the-Line Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
• Location Filming: Location Filming & Period Production Design is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
• Post-Production: Post-Production, Color Grading & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.

How Does 20th Century Women's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $7,000,000, 20th Century Women sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• Capote (2005): Budget $7,000,000, Worldwide Gross $49,327,405
• Norm of the North (2016): Budget $7,000,000, Worldwide Gross $17,062,499
• American Psycho (2000): Budget $7,000,000, Worldwide Gross $34,269,748
• Jaws (1975): Budget $7,000,000, Worldwide Gross $470,653,000
• High School Musical 2 (2007): Budget $7,000,000

The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

20th Century Women Box Office Performance

"20th Century Women" earned $5,664,764 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $7,000,000, the film faced challenges in theatrical release. Home video, streaming, and ancillary revenue may have contributed to its overall performance.

A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "20th Century Women," that break-even threshold was roughly $14,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $5,664,764, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.

• Production Budget: $7,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $5,664,764
• Net Return: −$1,335,236
• ROI: approximately -19.1%

At -19.1%, "20th Century Women" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.

20th Century Women Production History

In May 2015, Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig, and Elle Fanning joined the cast, with Bening set to play a single mother, Gerwig a young sophisticated photographer, and Fanning a provocative friend of the single mother's teenage son. On August 3, 2015, Billy Crudup was cast in a supporting role. While preparing for her role in the film, Bening watched films Mills's mother loved and had extensive talks with Mills about his mom.

Principal photography on the film began on September 8, 2015, in Southern California, and concluded on October 27, 2015. The film was shot over 35 days, mainly in Los Angeles, with exteriors shot in Santa Barbara. At one point, a stray tuxedo cat wandered onto the set, and Mills decided to include him in some scenes in the film.

Roger Neill composed the film's score, and the following songs are featured in the film: * "Don't Worry About the Government" , Talking Heads * "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" , The Clash * "This Heart of Mine" , Fred Astaire * "In a Sentimental Mood" , Benny Goodman and His Orchestra * "Fairytale in the Supermarket" , The Raincoats * "As Time Goes By" , Rudy Vallee * "I've Had It" , Black Flag * "Media Blitz" , The Germs * "Drugs" , Talking Heads * "Chant D'Amour" , Lars Clutterham * "Love in a Void" , Siouxsie and the Banshees * "Basin Street Blues" , Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five * "Cheree" , Suicide * "Gut Feeling / (Slap Your Mammy)" , Devo * "Vag Punch" , Phlask * "D.J." , David Bowie * "Lila Engel (Lilac Angel)" , Neu! * "The Big Country" , Talking Heads * "So Blue Love" , Brick Fleagle * "Nervous Breakdown" , Black Flag * "After Hours on Dream Street" , Sandy Williams * "Why Can't I Touch It" , Buzzcocks.

Critical Reception

Owen Gleiberman of Variety gave the film a positive review, writing: "The best thing about the movie is Bening's performance as Dorothea Fields, who's portrayed as a very particular kind of contradictory free spirit. Divorced and proud, with a lot of heart and soul but even more over-sharing flakiness".