Talking “Chihuahua” the light movie fare people need right now?

People looking for a couple of hours of escapism this weekend turned to an adorable talking dog after a week of woeful economic news. The star trio of Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe and director Ridley Scott had to settle for third-place in box office revenue with their terrorism thriller “Body of Lies,” which had a $13.1 million debut this weekend. The Warner Bros. film drama centers on a CIA operative hunting the terrorist responsible for bombings around the world.

“Body of Lies” may have dealt with too sober a topic after all the disastrous financial news, said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros.

Disney’s family comedy “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” with Drew Barrymore providing the voice of the pooch, was the No. 1 flick for the second-straight weekend with $17.5 million, raising its 10-day total to $52.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Chuck Viane, Disney’s head of distribution, said movie-goers may be turning to the perky pooch to help forget the market free-fall on Wall Street.  “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” is the only light comedy in a market heavy on drama.

The weekend’s No. 2 flick _ the fright film “Quarantine,” which debuted with $14.2 million, filled the escapism needs for the horror crowd. The Sony Screen Gems release centers on a contagion that turns an apartment building’s tenants into flesh-hungry monsters.

Rory Bruer, Sony head of distribution said: “It’s probably the perfect kind of movie for today’s climate. Let’s just get away from the news, from all that’s going on, and go someplace else, and this is something that’ll take you someplace else.”

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