Big Momma's House (2000)

In order to protect a beautiful woman and her son from a robber, a male FBI agent disguises himself as a large grandmother.

Director:

Raja Gosnell

Writers:

Darryl Quarles (story), Darryl Quarles (screenplay)

Stars:

Martin Lawrence, Nia Long, Paul Giamatti

1 win & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Martin Lawrence	...	Malcolm Turner
Nia Long	...	Sherry Pierce
Paul Giamatti	...	John
Jascha Washington	...	Trent Pierce
Terrence Howard	...	Lester Vesco (as Terrence Dashon Howard)
Anthony Anderson	...	Nolan
Ella Mitchell	...	Hattie Mae Pierce (Big Momma)
Carl Wright	...	Ben Rawley
Phyllis Applegate	...	Sadie
Starletta DuPois	...	Miss Patterson
Jessie Mae Holmes	...	Miss Other Patterson
Nicole Prescott	...	Lena
Octavia Spencer	...	Twila (as Octavia L. Spencer)
Tichina Arnold	...	Ritha
Cedric the Entertainer	...	Reverend

Storyline

FBI agent Malcolm Turner is known best for being a brilliant, master of disguise. Malcolm's latest assignment sends him to small-town Georgia, where he's assigned to trap a brutal bank robber (and a recent prison escapee) who they suspect will be coming down to visit his ex-girlfriend Sherry and her son. Malcolm sets up a stakeout across from the home of a larger-than-life southern matriarch known as Big Momma, who's about to be visited by Sherry. It's a simple plan, but there's one big problem: Unbeknownst to Sherry, Big Momma has unexpectedly left town. So Malcolm, decides to impersonate the cantankerous Southern granny. Using a few tricks of disguise, he completely transforms himself into Big Momma, even taking on the corpulent septuagenarian's everyday routine-from cooking soul food to delivering babies to "testifying" at the local church. In the mean time, Malcolm starts falling for Sherry, who may or may not be hiding some stolen cash. Now, Malcolm/Big Momma must somehow find a ...

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Plot Keywords:

female impersonation | gender disguise | obesity | disguise | southern | 

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Taglines:

This FBI agent is going undercover... and he's concealing more than a weapon.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for crude humor including sexual innuendo, and for language and some violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

• Sheri Pierce's apartment was filmed only 800 feet from Roger's house in Training Day (2001)
• Sheri Pierce's apartment was filmed only 800 feet from a location in Monk: Mr. Monk Goes to the Ballgame (2003)(#2.3)
• The church was filmed only 500 feet (150 meters) from a location in Monk: Mr. Monk Bumps His Head (2006)(#4.11).

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Goofs

During the scene where Sherry gets in the bed with Big Momma(Malcom) and they go to sleep , he didn't have his mask on. The next morning however, When he wakes up with John staring at him, his mask is on. (Although he may have waited for Sherry to go to sleep to put it on, as John asks him if he's been putting on his make up in the dark).

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Quotes

Malcolm Turner: [as Big Mommma] Ben, if you wanna get with m-... I mean, you will never get with me understand? And even if i was interested, which I definitely am not! you'd be going about it completely the wrong way.
Ben: Well how am I supposed to go about it then?
Malcolm Turner: [as Big Momma] You don't come in a woman's house and lead with ya sha boink boink! Women don't respond to that!

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Alternate Versions

For the UK version the distributor chose to cut eight seconds of violence in the opening martial arts scene, and a head butt in a later scene, in order to achieve a "12" rating. Initial video releases used this same print. All cuts were waived in 2011, and is currently available uncut in the UK with a "12" certificate.

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Connections

Referenced in Diminishing Returns: Iron Man (2016)

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Soundtracks

That's What I'm Looking For (Mr. Dupri Remix)
Written by Da Brat, Jermaine Dupri and Missy Elliott (as Missy Elliott)
Performed by Da Brat featuring Missy Elliott (as Missy Elliott) and Jermaine Dupri
Remixed by Jermaine Dupri for So So Def Productions, Inc.
Missy Elliott appears courtesy of The Gold Mind, Inc./EastWest
Da Brat appears courtesy of So So Def Recordings
Jermaine Dupri appears courtesy of So So Def Recordings

User Reviews

Script merely serves as a vehicle for Big Momma's not-so-hilarious antics and escapades

Think of a Mrs. Doubtfire meets the Nutty Professor hybrid, with a smattering of Kindergarten Cop thrown in for good measure, and you've pretty much got Big Momma's House. Except the former three are all reasonable films, and, unfortunately, Big Momma's House just isn't.

When dangerous convict Howard Laster (Terrence Dashon) escapes from prison, undercover cop Malcolm (Martin Lawrence) is sent with fellow FBI agent John (Paul Giamatti) to track down Laster's ex-girlfriend Sherry (Nia Long), in the hope of luring the armed robber back in the direction of the slammer. This involves staking out the house of Sherry's Southern grandmother 'Big Momma', but when the latter leaves town Malcolm feels compelled to take on her guise, with the help of a few prosthetics and some extra padding. Things take a complicated turn, however, when Malcolm begins to fall for the beautiful, yet unknowing, Sherry.

The film bounds along like an enthusiastic dog, with the script acting as little more than a vehicle for Big Momma's 'hilarious' antics and various escapades. The action often degenerates into uninspired gross-out comedy and toilet humour as Big Momma stumbles from one rib-tickling predicament to the next, with Malcolm often only being saved by the former's reputation as a lovable and outlandish character. Big Momma attends a self-defence class. Big Momma has nasty moments on the toilet. Big Momma plays basketball. And Big Momma delivers a baby. Cue many moments of roll-in-the-aisles hilarity. Or not.

Unfortunately, convict Howard is soon forgotten as the film focuses almost solely on Lawrence, and seriously begins to grate as Big Momma's Southern screeches make up about 95% of the dialogue. The slowly developing romance between Malcolm and Sherry is also guaranteed to make audiences cringe with it's predictability.

Lawrence and Giamatti make the best of a bad job, although the audience are left wondering exactly why they took on the roles in the first place, whilst Dashon is convincing as Evil Criminal on the Loose. Predictably, all characters are shockingly two-dimensional, but to be fair, Big Momma's House does at least generate some laughs along the way.

It is difficult to see specifically who this film is aimed at, but there must be some attraction, judging by a high-grossing opening weekend in the States. However, non-existent plot and character development will ensure that many of the audience leave disappointed. Only to be seen by those who know what they're letting themselves in for.

Details

Country:

Germany USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 June 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Big Momma's House

Filming Locations:

Glendale, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$25,661,041, 4 June 2000

Gross USA:

$117,559,438

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$173,959,438

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, New Regency Productions, Runteldat Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1