Bringing Down the House is a 2003 American comedy film written by Jason Filardi and directed by Adam Shankman and starring Steve Martin and Queen Latifah alongside Eugene Levy, Jean Smart, and Joan Plowright.

The film features Martin as Peter Sanderson, a lonely lawyer who meets a woman on the Internet, only to learn she has escaped prison to prove her innocence.

Peter Sanderson is a workaholic tax attorney, separated from his wife Kate and often too busy for their children, Sarah and Georgie.

Just as Peter is about to meet with a difficult client, Mrs. Virginia Arness, he is ambushed by Charlene, who draws a lustful attention of his friend and colleague Howie Rottman.

Charlene is disrespected by Kate's unpleasant, gold digging sister Ashley, but subdues her in a vicious locker-room brawl.

He races home to meet Mrs. Arness, who invites herself to dinner and reminisces fondly about her family's degrading treatment of black servants, angering Charlene.

He is threatened by Charlene's ex-boyfriend Widow (Steve Harris), who warns him not to reopen her case, but Peter manages to drive off.

The site's consensus reads, "Though the cast shines, they can't save this comedy, which is overly contrived and filled with outdated and offensive racial jokes.

[5] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade B+ on scale of A to F.[6] Todd McCarthy of Variety wrote, "There are certainly good laughs to be had.

But the contrived script and bland direction prevent the film from ever developing a comic life of its own, leaving what fun there is seeming like the foundation to a rumpus room that's never finished.