A 2003 comedy became a surprise box office hit despite scathing critical reviews

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: When a workaholic lawyer meets an escaped convict online, their worlds collide in a chaotic comedy of errors. Despite being panned by critics for its reliance on dated tropes, the film defied expectations to dominate the box office, proving that star power can sometimes outweigh a contrived script.

Released on March 7, 2003, Bringing Down the House stars Steve Martin as Peter Sanderson, a lonely, workaholic attorney, and Queen Latifah as Charlene Morton, an escaped prisoner seeking to clear her name of armed robbery. The plot follows their unlikely partnership after Charlene blackmails Peter into helping her, leading to a series of comedic disruptions in his upper-class life. The film features a supporting cast including Eugene Levy, Jean Smart, and Joan Plowright, with direction by Adam Shankman.

Critical reception was largely negative. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 33% approval rating, with critics citing an overly contrived script and offensive racial humor. Metacritic echoed this sentiment, awarding it a score of 39 out of 100. Despite these unfavorable reviews, audiences were more receptive, awarding the film a B+ grade via CinemaScore. The film also earned several nominations, including MTV Movie Awards for best fight and dance sequence, and a win for Queen Latifah at the NAACP Image Awards.

Financially, the film was a significant success. Produced on a budget of $35 million, it earned $31.7 million during its opening weekend, securing the third-highest March opening at the time. It spent three weeks at the number one spot in the United States, eventually grossing $132.6 million domestically and $164.6 million worldwide. This performance cemented the film as a surprise hit, demonstrating a stark disconnect between critical consensus and commercial appeal.

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