'Rings,' 'Beautiful Mind' stay on top of box office

LOS ANGELES -- Moviegoers weary of pre-Oscar seriousness escaped to "Orange County" over the weekend, but the teen comedy couldn't match the struggles of a hobbit and a mathematician at the box office.

"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" was in first place for the fourth weekend in a row, grossing $16.2 million and pushing its total take to $228.3 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"A Beautiful Mind," which stars Russell Crowe in the true story of a schizophrenic math genius held its second-place spot with $15.8 million for a total of $59 million.

In contrast to those Oscar contenders was "Orange County," which stars Tom Hanks' son Colin Hanks, as a student who goes to wild extremes to get into Stanford. The film opened with $15.1 million over the weekend.

"'Orange County' certainly capitalized on a marketplace long on Oscar contenders and short on outrageous comedies," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

Besides Hanks, "Orange County" showcases Schuyler Fisk (Sissy Spacek's daughter) and Jake Kasdan (son of director Lawrence Kasdan, who directed "The Big Chill").