Bringing Down the House
Cast
Steve Martin as Peter Sanderson
Queen Latifah as Charlene Morton
Eugene Levy as Howie Rosenthal
Joan Plowright as Mrs. Arness
Jean Smart as Kate Sanderson
Directed by
Adam Shankman
Peter Sanderson is a divorced, straight-laced, uptight attorney who still loves his ex-wife and can't figure out what he did wrong to make her leave him. However, Peter's trying to move on, and he's smitten with a brainy, bombshell barrister he's been chatting with online. However, when she comes to his house for their first face-to-face, she isn't refined, isn't Ivy League, and isn't even a lawyer. Instead, it's Charlene, a prison escapee who's proclaiming her innocence and wants Peter to help her clear her name. But Peter wants nothing to do with her, prompting the loud and shocking Charlene to turn Peter's perfectly ordered life upside down, jeopardizing his effort to get back with his wife and woo a billion dollar client. In the end, our unlikely pair has the chance to put each other's lives on higher ground--if they don't end up bringing down the house.
Rater #1
7/10. This is a hilariously funny movie.
Steve Martin has set new standards for white men. Not only can he act like a black man, he can talk like a black man. Though he had a really high voice. It was funny though. The rest of the acting throughout the movie was pretty funny. Queen Latifah was interesting as Charlene. She was funny. She tried to give lessons to Steve's character about sex while he was drunk. Then Steve's kid walks in, and they see them...
I must admit that this was a very racist movie. Obviously Latifah had to put with all of it, and it was just a movie. There were racist people all the way around. The woman that lived across the street from Steve's character was his boss' sister. She was very racist even against mexicans, and others.
All in all, this was a funny movie, but young kids would understand it. "Daddy, what's a rack?"
"It's a Country."
Rater #2
7/10. In Adam Shankman's new comedy Bringing Down the House that is
stereotyped but still funny, Steve Martin is Peter Sanderson, a
divorced tax attorney. He's wealthy, but never can keep promises to
his kids George and Sarah (Angus T. Jones, The Rookie, Kimberly J.
Brown, A Bug's Life). They live with his ex-wife Kate (Jean Smart),
but visit him occasionally. Peter's called upon to work on the will
and estates of Mrs. Arness (Joan Plowright), along with her dog
William Shakespeare. He works with Howie (Eugene Levy), who is about
to become smitten with Charlene.
Charlene is an internet buddy of Peter's, and they soon arrange a
date. Instead of a young, blond reporter, he gets a giant, busty
black felon played by Queen Latifah. As you could guess, things don't
work out in the beginning, and she wrecks havoc on his suburban, SUV,
white bread life.
I laughed a good deal, mainly during the second half, but I felt like
they tried too hard to HAVE stereotypes. Charlene is a jive-talking
girl, uses and omits wrong words, etc. On the other hand, Peter's
neighbor, and his boss's mother Mrs. Kline (Betty White) is racist,
who gets upset when she "hears Negro" over at Peter's house. I'm not
saying it isn't funny, but it is racist. I thought that Levy was
quite good, although it did seem like it wasn't coming naturally to
him. In the theater, everyone cracked up at the line, "You've got me
straight trippin', boo," a line that has been used multiple times in
the commercials, and wasn't funny then, and isn't funny now. I think
that audiences these days laugh when they think they need to laugh.
They need to be spoon-fed, etc., but I digress.
An interesting note: Charlene's last name in this movie is Morton,
which was also her last name in Chicago. I thought she did great, but
I don't really see how she can move from an independent studio
blockbuster to a racist comedy (but then again, Catherine Zeta-Jones
did move from The Phantom to Chicago). Of course, things get more and
more implausible as the movie progresses, but it's a pleasant and
funny diverter, so you won't notice.
Rater #3
8/10. This was a pretty funny movie. They showed most of the funniest parts of the movie in the previews and commericals, so that kinda took away from the humor, but it was still funny. Queen Latifah was excellent. She seemed like she was really having a lot of fun. And Steve Martin was a great actor. He was perfectly cast. The little kids added alot to the movies humor. There are some jokes that are just, little kid humor. All in all I liked this movie, it was great, and even had some suspense. I could see Steve Martin and Queen Latifah together in real life....no just kidding! So go see this movie for a good laugh.
Rater #4
Has Not Seen Movie.
Rater #5
Has Not Seen Movie.
Rated PG-13 for language, sexual humor and drug material.
Running time: 105 minutes
Back Home