Bringing Down the House 🎥 2003 Movie Info

Plot Summary

Peter Sanderson is a workaholic tax attorney, separated from his wife Kate and often too busy for their children, Sarah and Georgie. Peter arranges a blind date at his home with Charlene Morton, a woman he has been chatting with online. Misled by her photograph and description, he is shocked to discover that she is actually a felon who corresponded with him from prison. Charlene tries to blackmail Peter into clearing her name of armed robbery, claiming she is innocent, but he throws her out after several attempts.

Just as Peter is about to meet with a difficult client, Mrs. Virginia Arness, he is ambushed by Charlene, who draws the lustful attention of his friend and colleague Howie Rottman. Agreeing to help expunge Charlene’s record and let her stay at his house, Peter lies that she is his nanny. Charlene is disrespected by Kate’s unpleasant, gold digging sister Ashley, but subdues her in a vicious locker-room brawl. Peter takes Charlene to dinner, and Kate is upset to spot them dancing together. Returning home, Charlene coaches Peter on winning Kate back, and they are caught in a compromising position by Peter’s bigoted neighbor, his boss’ sister Mrs. Kline.

Charlene helps Georgie overcome his struggles with reading, rescues Sarah from a party where she received unwanted advances from a boy named Mike and hangs him over the second floor balcony by his ankles and guides Peter toward becoming a more understanding parent and Sarah tells her dad everything that has been going on with her life. Impressing Kate with his new commitment to spending time with their kids, Peter attempts to invite her over, but is interrupted by a call, to Kate’s disappointment. 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.

Meet the Cast