(FORTUNE Magazine) – Tinseltown collected an estimated $8 billion in ticket sales last year, a new record. Looks as if a lot of that cash came right out of the piggy bank. The top three films--kiddie flicks Harry Potter, Shrek, and Monsters, Inc.--each raked in over $200 million. Can a kid-driven economy be far behind? If so, higher allowances may be the most effective economic stimulus.

--Julie Schlosser