Reese Witherspoon (Kate) is unsure how to handle a baby in the hit romantic comedy, 'Four Christmases'. - AP photos

LOS ANGELES (AP):

Thanksgiving weekend movie crowds gobbled up the Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn holiday comedy, Four Christmases, which debuted at number one with $31.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The Warner Bros release, featuring Witherspoon and Vaughn as a couple suffering through four separate family holiday gatherings, raised its total to $46.7 million since opening Wednesday to get a head start on the long weekend.

In terms of revenue, it was Hollywood's second-biggest Thanksgiving period ever. The top 12 movies took in $223.7 million from Wednesday to Sunday, trailing only the $232.2 million haul over Thanksgiving in 2000.

Summit Entertainment's vampire romance, Twilight, which had a huge number one opening the previous weekend, took a steep 62 per cent decline from its $69.6 million debut and was neck-and-neck for second place with Disney's animated family flick Bolt.

Based on Sunday's estimates, Bolt had a slight lead with $26.6 million for the weekend, compared to $26.4 million for Twilight. Their rankings could change once final numbers are released Monday.

Phenomenon

Twilight is still a phenomenon, but you can't really maintain that level of intensity week after week," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

Twilight raised its 10-day total to $119.7 million, while Bolt lifted its sum to $66.9 million.

Hollywood typically releases a handful of holiday-themed movies, starting in November, but Four Christmases has the market virtually to itself this season.

"It was the perfect time. It's the only movie out there that deals with Christmas," said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros.

Wide release

The only potential competition comes December 12 with the John Leguizamo tale Nothing Like the Holidays.

The weekend's other new wide release, the Nicole Kidman-Hugh Jackman epic, Australia, opened at number five with $14.8 million for the weekend and $20 million since debuting Wednesday.

The 20th Century Fox film reunites Kidman with Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann for a World War II-era romance between an aristocratic British woman and an Australian ranch hand.

Sean Penn's drama, Milk, got off to a great start in limited release, coming in at number one with $1.4 million in just 36 theatres. The film had a strong average of $38,375 a cinema, compared with $9,571 in 3,310 theatres for Four Christmases.

Milk, an Academy Awards contender released by Focus Features, stars Penn as gay-rights pioneer Harvey Milk, the San Francisco city supervisor slain by a colleague, who also killed the mayor. The film expands to more theatres Friday.

Box office toppers

1 Four Christmases, $31.7 million.

2 Bolt, $26.6 million.

3 Twilight, $26.4 million.

4 Quantum of Solace, $19.5 million.

5 Australia, $14.8 million.

6 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, $14.5 million.

7 Transporter 3, $12.3 million.

8 Role Models, $5.3 million.

9 The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, $1.7 million.

10 Milk, $1.4 million.

Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn (Brad) in a scene from 'Four Christmases'.