Rating: PG13
Genre:
Comedy
Theatrical Release: 03/07/2003(USA)
Release Date: 08/05/2003
Dubbed: English/French
Sound: DD5.1
Run Time: 105 Minutes
Flags: Adult Language, Adult Humor, Drug Content
Distributor/Studio: Walt Disney Video
A man looking for a woman just like himself ends up with someone quite different in this farcical
comedy.
Peter Sanderson (
Steve Martin) is a lawyer who is having trouble getting his life back on track after his wife,
Kate (
Jean Smart), divorces him; he's also adjusting to his new status as a single father. Looking for companionship,
Peter tries an internet dating site and virtually meets "lawyer-girl," an attractive and single fellow attorney.
Peter makes a date with her, but the woman who arrives at his door turns out to be
Charlene Morton (
Queen Latifah), who not only isn't a lawyer, she turns out to be an escaped convict.
Charlene is also a brash and brassy African-American, while
Peter is perhaps the most tightly wound white guy in L.A.
Charlene explains to
Peter that she's strung him along because she's innocent of the crime for which she was convicted, and she needs a top-notch attorney to help prove her case.
Peter isn't the least bit interested at first, but
Charlene isn't the sort of woman to take "no" for an answer, and in time she wears him down and agrees to help. As
Charlene moves into
Peter's home, she helps him to loosen up and unleash his inner groove, which quite surprises
Kate, and her down-to-earth advice comes in handy for
Peter's son and daughter. But
Charlene may end up going too far when
Peter is asked to entertain
Mrs. Arness (
Joan Plowright), a wealthy woman looking for a new law firm.
Bringing Down the House also features
Eugene Levy as
Howie, one of
Peter's friends who takes a keen interest in
Charlene, and
Betty White as one of
Peter's neighbors.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
