Recently, Clint Eastwood's movies (whether he's behind the camera or in front of it) are often critical hits but that doesn't necessarily translate into immediate box office success — until now!

Eastwood's latest movie, Gran Torino [1], debuted this weekend in the top spot, earning a whopping $29 million! It seems fitting that a movie that is rumored to be Eastwood's swan song is also his "best nationwide opening of all time [2], both as an actor and director." If you're gonna go out, go out on top!

In second place came Bride Wars [3] which defied expectations with $21.5 million after a brutal week of being panned by critics [4]. The horror flick The Unborn [5] followed behind the brides in the third spot. Marley and Me [6] and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [7] rounded out the top five respectively.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures [8]