The story involves Steve Martin as an uptight divorced lawyer who still misses his wife. That’s how he meets an intelligent and charming woman in a law chat room. It is their conversations that lead to an eventual blind date, and it is when he discovers who Charlene is that the fun of the movie begins.
Charlene, played by executive producer Queen Latifah, is a convicted felon who is out to her innocence for a crime she didn’t commit. It is her initial efforts to convince Peter, played by Martin, that offer the audience laughs, but it is the introduction between Howie and Charlene that truly raises the bar of humor. “Cocoa goddess” and “Freak boy” steal the movie, and in the “not too subtle” mannerisms that make Eugene Levy’s performance work.
As the movie progresses, Charlene teaches Peter how to relax, listen to his kids and eventually helps to bring him and his wife back together. At the same time, Peter finds out that Charlene is innocent, and he risks his own neck to obtain the proof.
It is interesting to watch Martin learn the hip-hop culture again. The first time was with Eddie Murphy in Bowfinger, and now he and Latifah show similar comedy chemistry.
Levy is not the only supporting role who provides juicy character work to the film. Joan Plowright provides the great southern heiress Mrs. Arness. As she describes herself in the featurette, Breaking Down Bring Down the House, she is a bit of a battleaxe.
Betty White also provides the colorful neighbor, Mrs. Kline, and it is a role that destroys any type cast that audiences might have as she plays an extreme bigot. Her dialogue is extremely racy and would offend a lot more if it weren’t for White’s disposition. It also helps to watch the featurette on the disc first, because White does offer a “deep deep apology” for the language her character has.
Missi Pyle plays Peter’s former sister-in-law, Ashley. She is a gold-digger bitch who ends up having one of the best scenes in the film. She and Latifah have one of the best cat-fight scenes in a long time.
The extras on the disc include deleted scenes, a gag reel, the featurette “Breaking Down Bringing Down the House,” a Queen Latifah music video, commentary and a great parody of Eugene Levy as “The Godfather of Hop.”
Grade: Movie: B/ Disc: A
