Friday, November 27th, 1981, the day after Thanksgiving, brought not only turkey leftovers but the first wave of critical assessments for '17 Again'. Alex Hayes, along with Nancy Jones and the team at Universal, eagerly scanned the major newspapers and waited for word on the influential television reviews.
The critical reception was largely positive, acknowledging the film's entertainment value.
Gene Siskel gave the film a qualified "Thumbs Up," noting, "While the magical premise requires a leap of faith, '17 Again' mostly earns it thanks to a genuinely charming lead performance from Alex Hayes. He convincingly sells both the teenage awkwardness and the adult frustration simmering underneath. Christopher Lloyd provides hilarious support, though the plot resolution feels a bit too neat. Still, it's a surprisingly heartwarming holiday offering."
Roger Ebert, awarded it 3.5 stars in the Chicago Sun-Times, writing : "'17 Again' takes a familiar fantasy concept and gives it surprising warmth. Alex Hayes continues to impress, navigating the tricky dual role with considerable skill and vulnerability. The scenes where he reconnects with his children have real emotional resonance. Yes, the plot relies on convenience, but director Robert Zemeckis keeps things moving briskly, and the supporting cast, especially a scene-stealing Christopher Lloyd and a grounded Jaclyn Smith, elevates the material. A heartfelt, funny film perfect for a holiday weekend."
In The New York Times, Janet Maslin probably focused on its polish and appeal: "Buoyed by an immensely appealing lead performance from Alex Hayes, '17 Again' is a slickly produced, often very funny, and ultimately quite charming piece of holiday entertainment. The high-concept premise provides plenty of comedic fodder... While the script occasionally dips into sentimentality, Hayes, along with Jaclyn Smith as his estranged wife, finds genuine emotional notes. Robert Zemeckis directs with energy, delivering a crowd-pleasing package."
And on the West Coast, Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times likely emphasized its broad appeal: "Universal Pictures serves up a Thanksgiving treat with '17 Again', a high-concept fantasy that deftly blends laughs and life lessons. Alex Hayes solidifies his rising star status, handling the comedic and dramatic demands with ease and charisma... It may not be profound cinema, but '17 Again' is expertly crafted entertainment that connects squarely with both teens and their parents, offering a satisfying and ultimately heartwarming experience."
While some other critics may have found it average or predictable, the prevailing sentiment was favourable – a good film, a fun watch for families and teens, with consistent praise for Alex's performance. The overall critical mood hovered around a strong positive consensus, perhaps quantifiable as something like 78% positive reviews.
"Critics like it fine, Alex," Nancy Jones reported when she called later that morning, "but audiences love it." The audience questionnaire results from previews and opening night were outstanding: a staggering 91 percent positive. "That's the number Universal cares about most," Nancy emphasized. "Especially for a holiday run."
At Universal headquarters, Sidney Sheinberg reviewed the same reports. The critical consensus was perfectly acceptable – strong enough to support the film without raising impossible expectations. But the 91% audience score? That had him smiling. That indicated strong word-of-mouth and potential for long holiday legs. His satisfaction grew when the initial box office report landed on his desk later that day. Covering the Thursday Thanksgiving previews and very early Friday estimates from the 1031 theaters playing the film, '17 Again' had already banked $2.01 million dollars. A very promising start. Sheinberg felt satisfied and increasingly hopeful for the full weekend.
His hope was well-founded. Fueled by holiday crowds looking for feel-good entertainment, the film performed consistently throughout the long weekend. Friday brought in $2.14 million, Saturday saw a slight increase to $2.23 million, and Sunday added another strong $2.17 million.
By Monday morning, the picture was clear. Nancy called Alex again, her voice brimming with excitement. "Alex, the numbers are in. The full four-day Thanksgiving weekend total for '17 Again'..." she paused for dramatic effect, "...is $8.55 million!"
Alex let out a whoop of pure joy. $8.55 million in just four days.
"Against a $6 million budget," Nancy continued, spelling it out. "We're already well into profit territory after one weekend! Universal is over the moon. You did it again, kid. Bigger this time."
'17 Again' wasn't just opening well; it was launching like a rocket, instantly confirming its status as a major holiday hit and cementing Alex Hayes's position as one of Hollywood's most bankable young stars.
The triumphant Thanksgiving opening of '17 Again' was only the beginning. As the holiday weekend crowds subsided, the film demonstrated remarkable staying power throughout its first full week (Monday, November 30th - Thursday, December 3rd, 1981). Instead of a steep drop-off, audience enthusiasm, fueled by positive word-of-mouth spreading rapidly through schools and families, kept theaters busy. The film grossed an impressive $4.51 million over these four weekdays alone, consistently pulling in over $1 million each day – a clear sign that it wasn't just a holiday phenomenon but a genuine crowd-pleaser.
Seeing this sustained momentum and armed with the exceptional 91% positive audience scores, Universal Pictures didn't hesitate. To capitalize fully on the film's popularity heading into the second weekend, they aggressively added another 221 theaters to its run, bringing the total screen count to 1252.
Their confidence was rewarded. Over its second weekend (Friday, December 4th - Sunday, December 6th), '17 Again' continued to dominate, pulling in another $5.7 million. Comparing this to the film's first Friday-to-Sunday gross (which totaled $6.54 million), the drop was incredibly small – only about 12.8%. In an industry where second-weekend drops of 30-40% were common even then, such a minimal decline was extraordinary. It cemented the film's status as a must-see event with powerful legs, likely holding the #1 spot at the box office for a second consecutive week or remaining very close to it.
The strong performance bled into the following weekdays (Monday, December 7th - Thursday, December 10th) as well, with the film adding another $3.3 million to its gross.
By the end of its second full week in release, '17 Again' had amassed a stunning cumulative total of $22.06 million at the North American box office. Having cost only $6 million to produce , the film was already profitable and showing signs of becoming one of the year's biggest hits. Alex Hayes hadn't just avoided a sophomore slump; he had delivered a certified smash.
The phenomenal success of '17 Again' showed no signs of slowing down as December 1981 rolled on. Riding the wave of excellent audience scores and positive buzz, the film continued to dominate the box office well beyond its opening frames.
During its third full week in release (Friday, December 11th - Thursday, December 17th), the movie maintained incredible momentum, pulling in another $7.12 million. This brought its cumulative gross after three weeks to a remarkable $29.18 million, far surpassing its production budget and solidifying its status as a major hit.
Entering its fourth week (Friday, December 18th - Thursday, December 24th), leading right up to Christmas, '17 Again' experienced the expected gradual decline but still performed robustly, adding $5.91 million for the week. As the holidays approached, the film had already amassed an impressive total of $35.09 million domestically.
Then came Christmas week, a crucial period for family-friendly films. '17 Again' proved to be the perfect holiday viewing for many. Over the Christmas weekend itself (Friday, December 25th - Sunday, December 27th), bolstered by families and teens off school, the film saw a noticeable upward trend, grossing $5.11 million over the three days – performing better than its previous non-holiday weekend portions. The momentum carried through the remaining weekdays of the year (Monday, December 28th - Thursday, December 31st), adding another $2.67 million as holiday breaks continued. By the time the calendar flipped to 1982, '17 Again' had rocketed past the $40 million mark, ending the year with a cumulative gross of approximately $42.87 million.
With the film clearly destined to cross the $50 million threshold domestically and proving to be a massive financial success for Universal, the Hollywood trade papers began trumpeting a new narrative. Following the sleeper success of 'My Bodyguard' and the solid hit status of 'Can't Buy Me Love' , the undeniable blockbuster performance of '17 Again' marked a rare achievement. Industry headlines declared it official: Alex Hayes had scored a Hollywood hat trick. Three consecutive hit movies, each demonstrating increasing box office clout, had firmly established the young actor, not yet 19, as a genuine A-list star and one of the most bankable names in the business.
As 1981 drew to a close, Alex could look back on a year of dizzying success, creative fulfillment, and unexpected validation. From a promising newcomer, he had become a proven hitmaker, with another intriguing, challenging role in 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' already filmed and awaiting release the following year. The future looked incredibly bright.