Bringing Down the House (2003)

Director:

Adam Shankman

Writer (WGA):

Jason Filardi (written by)

Release Date:

7 March 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Everything he needed to know about life, she learned in prison.

Plot:

When a lonely guy meets a woman on the Internet who happens to be in prison, she breaks out to be with him, and proceeds to wreak havoc on his middle-class life.

Plot Keywords:

Golf Ball | Daughter | Golf Course | Odd Couple | Son

Awards:

3 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Steve Martin	...	Peter Sanderson
Queen Latifah	...	Charlene Morton
Eugene Levy	...	Howie Rottman
Joan Plowright	...	Virginia Arness
Jean Smart	...	Kate Sanderson
Kimberly J. Brown	...	Sarah Sanderson
Angus T. Jones	...	Georgey Sanderson
Missi Pyle	...	Ashley
Michael Rosenbaum	...	Todd Gendler
Betty White	...	Mrs. Kline
Steve Harris	...	Widow
Jim Haynie	...	Ed Tobias
Aengus James	...	Mike
Jernard Burks	...	Widow's Bodyguard
Bronzell Miller	...	Widow's Bodyguard

Also Known As:

In the Houze (USA) (working title)
JailBabes.com (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language, sexual humor and drug material.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:U | South Korea:12 | UK:12A (original rating) | Iceland:L | UK:12 (video rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Canada:PG | Finland:K-11 | Germany:6 | Netherlands:MG6 | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Peru:PT | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #39572)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

The Russian title for the film translates as "House Upside Down".

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When George is telling his mother how cool his father has become, the camera is directly on the boy but his lips do not move.

Quotes:

Georgey Sanderson: Dad, what's a rack?
Peter Sanderson: It's a country.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Reel Paradise (2005)

Soundtrack:

Move Somethin'

Nothing Special

Quite a banal comedy, in the pleasant low-key American comedy style. A divorced, post-mid-aged lawyer meets in an Internet triggered blind date a fellow female lawyer, who proves to be ... black and felon and fugitive. What follows is an ethnic social sit comedy, the tradition of the 50s or 60s. It is amazing that this banal and quite rose watered comedy triggered that many serious comments from the American viewers, some accusing the authors of .. racism. Yes, it is based on stereotypes, but so is any ethnic comedy. I found no malice in the ethnic jokes, and maybe the only fault is in the politically correct balance it ties to keep between the humor scenes about whites and black. Otherwise, it is not really great cinema, just TV level comedy. Do not spend your money or time to watch it in the theaters, but you can rent the video or DVD if you are after easy entertainment. If you want to see some better ethnic theme comedies, look for the British films, or even watch the American 'Big Fat Greek Wedding'. 6/10 on my personal scale.