As some of you probably know, theatrical sales have not been the major part of movie income for many decades. Maybe in the region of 35% or less. The rest comes from DVD sales, rentals and TV showings - all of which generate income over a long period. (plus merchandising for the big movies) That is why back catalogue is so valuable, and why studio acquisitions always focus on the catalogue, not the potential of the studio. With ipod movies and all the other new distribution channels coming on line, the back catalogues are the focus of business.

You can't be me, I'm taken

I'm afraid I cannot agree with you. In the history of literature, there are tons of books where one cannot identify oneself with a single character, because each of them has at least a major flaw. In my view, this makes the characters of LoW credible. Indeed, I am not sure whether the topic addressed by the movie would have been compatible with a black and white portraying.  
It is true for popular fiction that this need for identification conditions the success of a book, but not for any kind of fiction work. It is hard to identify with any of Dostoïevsky, Gogol, Tolstoï, Steinbeck or Gide characters, to mention only a few. Same works for a movie.

When through hell, just keep going. W. Churchill