"American Sniper" becomes top grossing 2014 release
"American Sniper" has officially become the top-grossing domestic movie released in 2014.The Clint Eastwood-directed, Bradley Cooper-starring drama has made $337.2 million since it was released this past December, according to Variety -- pushing past the $336.8 million made by "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -- Part 1" to make it the highest grossing film to debut last year.PlayVideoPop CultureFans fight back against "American Sniper" criticsOf all the Best Picture Oscar candidates, "American Sniper" is the biggest box office hit, making $90 million during its first weekend in wide re..."Sniper" first arrived in a handful of theaters as part of a limited release last December, before expanding to more theaters in January. It went on to dominate the box office, spending three consecutive weeks in the No. 1 spot. It also sparked both controversy and Oscar buzz, ultimately earning six nominations including best picture.Coming in third behind those two films was Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy," which brought in $333.2 million.But even though "American Sniper" came out on top at the U.S. box office, it's haul wouldn't have been enough to overtake 2013's top earner. That year, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" brought in $424.7 million, domestically.