‘Safe House,’ ‘The Vow’ Fight For Top Weekend Spot; ‘Ghost Rider’ Opens Close Behind

The President’s Day holiday weekend box office is too close to call as the action tale “Safe House” and the love story “The Vow” compete for the No. 1 spot.

Based on Sunday’s studio estimates, Denzel Washington’s “Safe House” had a slim lead with $24 million from Friday to Sunday. That’s a fraction ahead of Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum’s “The Vow” with $23.6 million.

The winner won’t be known for certain until Tuesday, when studios will report final numbers for the long holiday weekend.

The top-five was bunched up tightly. Nicolas Cage’s sequel “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” opened at No. 3 with $22 million.

“Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” was No. 4 with $20.1 million. Reese Witherspoon’s love-triangle comedy “This Means War” debuted at No. 5 with $17.6 million.