Funny but also racially insensitive!

Harried at the office and trying to spend more time with his kids, successful lawyer, Peter Sanderson thinks he's met the perfect woman over the Internet. But when Charlene Morton meets Peter for their first date, he's stunned! She's Black and (surprise, surprise!) an ex-con! Bringing Down the House is hysterically funny in many instances despite the cliché and racially challenged storyline. However, I'm wondering why the filmmakers needed to include such derogatory stereotypes about African Americans when they cast Steve Martin and Queen Latifah - both of whom are excellent comedians.

Peter (Martin) is still in love with his ex-wife (Jean Smart) but he's a workaholic! Nevertheless, he's looking forward to meeting his Internet pal, Charlene (Latifah) and his best friend Howie (Eugene Levy) applauds his efforts. So, imagine his surprise when Charlene turns out to be a young African American woman whose just out of jail and wants him to prove that she's innocent. When Peter kicks her out of his house, Charlene shows up at his office, country club and anywhere that will cause him embarrassment. While Howie is immediately smitten with Charlene but Peter must appease his racist neighbor (Betty White) and wealthy racist client (Joan Plowright). In addition, his two kids are visiting and a ruthless young Turk, Todd Gendler (Michael Rosenbaum) is trying to steal his thunder at work.

Bringing Down the House is a fish-out-water comedy where Charlene is good for Peter and his family. He gets closer to the kids and wins back his true love. And, Charlene discovers the truth about her old boyfriend, Widow (SteveHarris) and finds Howie's continuous cooing adorable.

Bringing Down the House is also very funny but it's laced with some incredibly insensitive racial remarks. Betty White scoffs at the thought of Hispanic neighbors on their block, "The only Hispanic I want to see on the block is one with a leaf blower in his hand!" A group of Hispanics sitting next to me in the theater stopped laughing and was very quiet, and no else laughed in the theater.

Steve Harris (TV's The Practice) is totally wasted here, too and British actress, Joan Plowright, who has made a lovely career for herself in American comedies like Dennis the Menace once told me that she enjoyed doing these films to please her grandchildren. Well, as Mrs. Arness, she sings an old "Negro" song about slavery and the audience was incredibly uncomfortable. It's just really out of place especially when you consider that the same writer came up with Eugene Levy's smart, saucy Hip Hop dialog. Why rehash this tired old trash?

Audiences will go to see this film because the trailer shows how well Steve Martin and Queen Latifah perform together but I can't recommend Bringing Down the House to anyone.

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