Bringing Down the House (2003)

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

As Good As It Gets

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

How does a movie from 2003 have the N word and as many racist remarks as it does? It was so uncomfortable to watch. All the references to Aunt Jemima, Sheniqua, welfare... It's despicable.We need better movies.

Bringing Down the House (2003) starring Queen Latifah and Steve Martin is a delightful, funny comedy film. Queen Latifah really does a great job and holds her own as the lead. Steve and Latifah's chemistry is very real in this movie. There are hilarious scenes in this movie to laugh your ass off at! There's a scene with Betty White that is laugh out loud hilarious. And the dinner scene is very funny as well. I really enjoyed the funny dialogue and script. No, this movie is not funny all the time, but it is in certain moments. The movie also teaches very good messages and is sweet and heart warming. I wouldn't exactly call it completely family friendly, but it's most likely alright for 13 and up. So if your kids are in the age range, I would suggest putting it on one family movie night, and enjoying it! 7/10 for bringing down the house (2003).

I saw the trailer for this film, it looked amusing at points, and then I read it was one out of five stars, but I tried it anyway, from director Adam Shankman (The Wedding Planner, Cheaper by the Dozen 2). Basically Peter Sanderson (Steve Martin) is a divorced attorney who can't understand why his ex-wife Kate (Jean Smart), who he still loves, left him. He is trying to move on, and has met a girl on an internet chat-room, known only as "Lawyer Girl", and he has suggested they meet at his house, but of course, a completely different person show up at his doorstep. It is African American ghetto girl Charlene Morton (Queen Latifah), in the background of the photo he received, she is a prison escapee who wants to prove she wasn't involved with a robbery. It takes a while for Peter to agree to help her, as she is turning his life upside down, stopping him from trying to get back with Kate, and wooing billion dollar client, Virginia Arness (Joan Plowright). There is the obvious small sentiment, and the moment Peter can't take anymore, but he realises her innocence when an African American criminal threatens him with a gun. So he dresses to get into the hood, to get to this criminal and get a confession that he set Charlene up, and, it works. Oh, it should be mentioned, Peter's work buddy Howie Rottman (Eugene Levy) becomes infatuated by Charlene, and vice versa. Also starring Kimberly J. Brown as Sarah Sanderson, Angus T. Jones as Georgey Sanderson, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's Missi Pyle as Ashley, Michael Rosenbaum as Todd Gendler, Betty White as Mrs. Kline and Steve Harris as Widow. I guess I giggled a little when Martin's tummy rumbles from taking laxative or whatever, and dressed for the hood, but I can see why the critics give it the amount of stars it has. It's filled with stereotypes, it doesn't have any decent comedy (well, no comedy period), and indeed Martin and Latifah are pretty forced together, it's just a bit boring. Pretty poor!

This is pretty much another one of those typical culture clash comedies where a streetsmart character meets the classy rich character, there's conflict and then the conflict is resolved and friendship blossoms, then there's another conflict but that too is resolved by the end. The story has been told x number of times. But what makes 'Bringing Down The House' likable is Queen Latifah, Steve Martin and Joan Plowright. These three provide some laugh-out-loud moments some including Martin and Latifah's dance number, Martin dressing and talking 'black', Queen Latifah and Missy Pyle's catfight and doing a break-dance, Plowright's pompous and stuck up character getting stoned, Peter's neighbour catching him and Charlene in a compromising position. The chemistry between Latifah and Martin is convincing and both have a good comic timing. Thus, even though the story has nothing new to offer, the funny moments make 'Bringing Down The House' fun to watch.