Big Momma's House is a 2000 comedy film starring Martin Lawrence. The film was directed by Raja Gosnell who has directed several other films including Never Been Kissed and Scooby-Doo.
The film was released in June 2, 2000, and was a surprise hit as it opened as the number two movie in North America and almost overtook Mission: Impossible II for the top spot that weekend. Big Momma's House went on to gross over $117 million at the box office. A theatrical sequel was released in January 2006, titled Big Momma's House 2.
The film's theme song was Bounce with Me by Lil Bow Wow. Also, the soundtrack was also a moderate success and has been certified gold since its release. Other than Lil Bow Wow, the soundtrack featured artists such as Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat, and others.
The majority of the movie takes place in Cartersville, Georgia but the film was shot on location in California. The prime shooting spots were Los Angeles and Orange County.
The film is one of very few titles to be released on EVD as well as DVD.
Plot summary
The film opens in an illegal underground dog-fighting arena in Korea, where an undercover agent, John Maxwell (Paul Giamatti), has been identified. He is ordered to be killed by the boss, but is rescued by his undercover colleague and master of disguise, Malcolm Turner (Lawrence), the main protagonist. Suddenly, FBI agents storm the place and arrest everyone inside.
Meanwhile, in small-town Cartersville, Georgia, a criminal named Lester Vesco (Terrance Howard), the main antagonist, who was serving a life sentence for murder and robbery, escapes from prison by killing the doctor and stealing his car. Malcolm and John were assigned to capture him, and were sent to Georgia to stake out the house of an elderly obese, Southern woman named Hattie Mae Pierce (Ella Mitchell), the grandmother of Lester's ex-girlfriend, Sherry Pierce (Nia Long), who supposedly aided Lester in his original bank robbery by giving him the key to the vault. After Big Momma unexpectedly leaves town to help her friend for a couple of weeks, Malcolm and John sneak into her house to plant surveillance and tap the phones. Sherry phones just then, and speaks on the answering machine. Malcolm poses himself as Big Momma in an attempt to lure Sherry to Big Momma's house and possibly obtain a confession. The plan works, and Malcolm and John work on a Big Momma disguise before Sherry's arrival the next day.
Sherry arrives at Big Momma's house along with her son, Trent (Jascha Washington), but Malcolm's inexperience with cooking and strange behavior prompt Sherry to believe that her grandmother might have gone senile. Worse, Malcolm also has to deal with Big Momma's leacherous boyfriend, Ben Rawley (Carl Wright), act as a mid-wife for her friends' labor, and attend self-defense classes under the local idiot, Terry Nolan (Anthony Anderson), whom Malcolm easily defeats and humiliates in front of all the other elderly women. After Malcolm almost damages the suit, during the night, he tries to sneak back to the house, where he and John are staying, but is caught by Sherry, and he poses as a "handyman" after just barely hiding the suit in a bush. Trent asks Malcolm what he is doing here. Malcolm tells Trent that Big Momma has been talking all about him. Trent says that she has not. Malcolm says that she has ("Trent's so smart, Trent's so cute, Trent knows karate."). Trent only knows a little bit of karate. Malcolm tells Trent to show him a bit of his moves, and does a kung-fu move. John wakes up, and sees Malcolm and Trent doing karate through his window. Malcolm and Trent start fighting, and Trent easily defeats Malcolm. He and John repair the suit, and when Malcolm leaves for town with Sherry as Big Momma, John searches the house for any trace of the money Lester had stolen from the bank (which was never recovered), but to no avail. Malcolm also bonds with Trent as Big Momma when he defends him against a group of elder boys, who had told him to leave the public basketball court, so that they can play. Malcolm and Trent beat the boys at basketball, amazing both Trent and Nolan, who was watching from afar.
Malcolm, as himself, also begins to bond with both Sherry and Trent, accompanying them on a fishing trip. After Malcolm returns to John that night, Nolan bursts in and attempts to arrest them for "dismembering" Big Momma, but Malcolm emerges in the body suit, and they reluctantly recruit Nolan to help them out, promising him (falsely) that they will recommend him for a place on the FBI if he succeeds. Big Momma's birthday arrives, and Malcolm, Sherry, and Trent celebrate by going to church, and organizing a surprise party at her house.
However, during the party, the real Big Momma returns early after seeing her friend, and John attempts to stall her. Meanwhile, Malcolm, still in disguise, accidentally stumbles across the stolen money, hidden in Trent's footlocker. Sherry sees this, and tells Malcolm the real story: Lester had merely been playing her for a fool the whole time. He wooed her, stole her keys and got into the vault, during the robbery, and Sherry didn't tell anyone out of fear of losing her job. Malcolm goes off to call "Malcolm" to help them out. Meanwhile, John quietly tells Nolan in the bathroom that the "real" Big Momma has returned early, and Nolan accidentally locks Malcolm out of the house, believing that he is the real Big Momma. Meanwhile, Lester arrives, having tracked Sherry, Trent and the money to Big Momma's house, and tries to take them out of the country with him, but after Sherry says goodbye to the real and delighted Big Momma, Nolan spots Lester's gun and tries to arrest him, but accidentally unloads his gun. Before Lester can kill Nolan with his gun, Malcolm bursts through the window and fights Lester, himself. In the ensuing fight, John is shot in his shoulder and Malcolm's mask is ripped, exposing him. Nonetheless, Malcolm subdues Lester and knocks him out from the window. Sherry and Trent were heartbroken to realize Malcolm was an FBI agent the whole time, and they refuse to speak to him, even as Lester is arrested and John is taken to the hospital for his arm surgery.
In the film's climax, Malcolm goes to the church on Sunday morning to make a testimony, while Sherry, Trent, Big Momma, Nolan, Ben, and the others are there for a mass. Malcolm delivers a promised speech to Sherry and Trent and he admits that he genuinely loves them. Big Momma forgives Malcolm with a big, strong hug, and the crowd cheers, as both Malcolm and Sherry kiss each other. The film ends when Big Momma and the crowd singing "Oh Happy Day" during the closing credits, with Malcolm and Sherry still kissing.
Cast
Reception
Big Momma's House has a rating of 30% at Rotten Tomatoes, based on 80 reviews, and a "Cream of the Crop" Rating of 33%.[1] It has a rating of 33 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "Generally Negative Reviews", and a user rating of 5.7.
Soundtrack listing
- "That's What I'm Looking For" (Mr. Dupri Remix) - Da Brat
- "I've Got to Have It" - Jermaine Dupri & Nas feat. Monica
- "What I'm Gon' Do To You" - Kandi
- "Bounce With Me" - Lil' Bow Wow feat. Xscape
- "You Can Always Go" - Jagged Edge & Blaque
- "Radio" - Kurupt
- "Big Momma's Theme" - Da Brat & Vita feat. Destiny's Child
- "Treated Like Her" - Latocha Scott & Chanté Moore
- "I Like Dem" - Lil' Jon & The Eastside Boyz
- "I Want to Kiss You" - Devin
- "Love's Not Love" - Marc Nelson
- "Ooh Big Momma "- Lil' Jon & The Eastside Boyz
- "Get Up" - Jessica
- "I Still Got to Have It" - Jermaine Dupri & Nas feat. Monica
References
External links
Template:Box Office Leaders
