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Parents' Guide to

Bringing Down the House

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Martin and Latifah rule in boundary-pushing PG-13.

Movie PG-13 2003 105 minutes
Bringing Down the House Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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What's the Story?

In BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE, Steve Martin plays Peter, a lawyer who works too hard. He is separated from his wife and cancels a long-planned vacation with his children because he is under a lot of pressure to land a wealthy and very proper new client (Joan Plowright). He meets a woman on the internet and makes a date with her, thinking she is a pretty blonde lawyer. But it turns out to be Charlene (Queen Latifah), a convicted felon who wants him to help her clear her record. She not only knows how to torture him into helping her -- she enjoys it. And while he is fuming on the outside, it is clear that at some level, he is enjoying it, too.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (3 ):

This is Steve Martin's best film in years. The character and situations are made for him. Queen Latifah is sensational -- warm, funny, and sexy and utterly charming. The script loses its way several times, particularly with a tasteless plot line about Peter's racist society party girl of a sister-in-law. But that doesn't matter much since most of the plot makes no sense at all. But this is still a better-than-average comedy that works very well much of the time. Queen Latifah's wonderfully radiant star quality, Steve Martin's comic grace and Eugene Levy's masterful turn as Peter's besotted partner do bring down the house.

This movie falls squarely in what I call the "Cat in the Hat" genre, in which a straight-laced person (A) who plays by the rules has his or her life turned upside down by someone (B) who represents uncertainty, vitality, and taking risks. After A complains about how B is irresponsible and how B is messing everything up, there is always a scene in which A tells B, "I learned/got so much more from you than you ever did from me! This is the best day of my life!"

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Charlene's advice to Peter on how to communicate with his teenage daughter. They should also talk about how the adults in their family try to maintain a balance between work and family and how to best communicate to family members that they are the top priority.

Movie Details

  • In theaters: March 7, 2003
  • On DVD or streaming: August 5, 2003
  • Cast: Eugene Levy , Queen Latifah , Steve Martin
  • Director: Adam Shankman
  • Inclusion Information: Gay directors, Female actors, Black actors
  • Studio: Touchstone Pictures
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Run time: 105 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG-13
  • MPAA explanation: language, sexual humor and drug material
  • Last updated: February 26, 2023

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