Gnomeo & Juliet is weekend's top box-office hit

It was a big weekend for little statues in Hollywood. Just hours before the annual obeisance to the mini-idol called Oscar, a couple of romantic garden gnomes leaped atop the box-office heap. Gnomeo & Juliet, Disney's animated 3-D retelling of Romeo and Juliet, with garden gnomes taking the parts of Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers, raked in $14.2 million to lead the weekend's box-office derby, according to studio estimates.

The flick, rated G (for gnome?), has been out for three weeks but still had enough drawing power to muscle past the R-rated comedy Hall Pass, starring Owen Wilson, which pulled in $13.4 million for Warner Bros. on its first weekend. Unknown, a thriller starring Liam Neeson, tacked down third place, with $12.4 million, on its second weekend. Nicolas Cage's 3-D action film Drive Angry got no traction on its debut weekend and took in a paltry $5.1 million for Summit Entertainment, finishing way back in the box-office pack.

Dubious achievements

The Last Airbender, from Philly-area director M. Night Shyamalan, was named worst picture of the year when the Golden Raspberry Awards (the Razzies, as the anti-Oscars are, ahem, fondly known) were announced Saturday night in Los Angeles. Shyamalan was named worst director of the year and actor Jackson Rathbone got worst supporting actor, scoring a big doubleheader for his work in Airbender and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. The Shyamalan opus also got tagged with worst screenplay and - a special award! - worst misuse of 3-D. Just to put things in perspective, Sandra Bullock last year became the first performer to win an Oscar and a Razzie on the same weekend.

Prince Frederic von Anhalt, spouse of Zsa Zsa Gabor, says he chased two burglars away from the couple's L.A. mansion with a baseball bat early Sunday morning. Von Anhalt, 67, says he fell and injured a hip during the pursuit. Paintings, statues, computers, and camera equipment were reported missing. Gabor, 94, has been seriously ill in recent months. Most of her right leg was amputated in January because of gangrene.

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