Eye-opening experience

It’s the kind of pitch most studio executives would hide under their desks rather than hear. Here’s the story of a German boy who befriends a Holocaust prisoner being held captive by the boy’s father. Oh, and don’t even think about a happy ending.

Yet “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” has earned more than $7.7 million during its six-week run. Though that’s a far cry from “The Dark Knight” coin, it’s a small bounty for an independent film.

The Miramax movie opened last month on just 17 screens. After a cautious rollout, that number stands at 679 - still far fewer than most mainstream movies.

“Pajamas” is based on John Boyne’s 2006 young adult novel of the same name, which follows a German family whose patriarch served the Nazi war machine. The clan is forced to leave their comfortable home in Berlin so the father (played by David Thewlis) can oversee a concentration camp. The man’s son, Bruno (Asa Butterfield) has no idea what his father truly does for a living or the horrors awaiting his new friend, a boy who wears funny “striped pajamas.”

Jason Cassidy, executive vice president of marketing at Miramax Films, says the release plan for “Pajamas” hit a trio of audiences.

Traditional Miramax crowds, the upscale moviegoers who flock to films like “Life Is Beautiful” and “Frida,” were targeted first. Next, the marketing campaign focused on the faith-based audience, placing ads on the Christian Broadcasting Network and Web sites such as HollywoodJesus.com.

Finally, marketers reached out to Jewish media outlets.

The slow rollout helped build word of mouth while avoiding any stereotypes that might exist about films in this genre.

“Once you say ‘a Holocaust movie,’ people have their own preconceived notions of what it’s about,” Mr. Cassidy says.

The film has scored high marks with audiences in both urban areas and more traditional regions such as Colorado Springs and Nashville, Tenn., he says.

Paul Dergarabedian, president of the Los Angeles-based Media by Numbers, says for a film like “Pajamas” to crack the top 10 “flies in the face of conventional wisdom.” (It currently ranks 17th, down from 13th place a week earlier.)

These days, “moviegoers aren’t interested in challenging or downbeat fare. They just wanna have fun with films like ‘Four Christmases,’” Mr. Dergarabedian says. “Indie hits are becoming more rare in this climate.”

The success of “Pajamas” and the solid box-office figures for thoughtful films like “Milk” and “Changeling” speak to their quality, he says.

“Certain films, if they’re really good movies, can transcend their status as more challenging films,” Mr. Dergarabedian adds.

David Weitzner, director of the summer program at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, says “Pajamas” has a limited audience potential based on its subject matter.

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