Big Momma's House (2000)
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The story
FBI agents Malcolm Turner and John Maxwell are assigned to track Lester Vesco, an escaped convict who committed a bank robbery. They believe Vesco is seeking his ex-girlfriend, Sherry Pierce, and decide to stake out the home of her estranged grandmother, Hattie Mae Pierce, known as 'Big Momma,' in Cartersville, Georgia. After discovering Big Momma leaves the house frequently, the agents create a prosthetic mask and fat suit. Malcolm assumes Big Momma's identity to infiltrate the household, forced to adopt her lifestyle, including her occupation as a midwife and her social circle, to avoid suspicion while searching for the stolen money.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
FBI agents Malcolm Turner and John Maxwell are tasked with finding escaped convict Lester Vesco and the stolen bank money. They target the home of Sherry Pierce's grandmother, Big Momma, in Cartersville, Georgia. After observing Big Momma's habits, Malcolm uses a prosthetic mask and fat suit to impersonate her. While undercover, Malcolm bonds with Sherry and her son, Trent, posing as a handyman. He eventually discovers the stolen money in Trent's footlocker during a birthday party, where Sherry admits she was too afraid to report her key being stolen. The operation is jeopardized when the real Big Momma returns home. In the ensuing chaos, John accidentally locks Malcolm out, and Lester takes Sherry hostage. Malcolm breaks in, tackles Lester, and subdues him, though his disguise is ruined in the process. After Lester is arrested, Malcolm reconciles with Sherry and Trent at a church service, expressing his genuine love for them. Big Momma forgives him, and the film ends with a joyful reconciliation.
- First release year
- 2000
- Runtime (minutes)
- 99
- Production countries
- United States; Germany
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Raja Gosnell
- Writers
- Darryl Quarles · screenplay; Don Rhymer · screenplay; Darryl Quarles · story
- Cast and characters
- Martin Lawrence · FBI agent; Nia Long · Sherry Pierce; Paul Giamatti; Terrence Howard
- Genres
- crime; comedy
- Themes
- Identity; Deception; Family Bonds
- Tone and mood
- Comedy; Light-hearted
- Premise and plot tags
- Undercover; Cross-dressing; Bank Robbery
- Franchise connections
- Big Momma
- Content notes
- Cross-dressing
- Reception
- The film received mostly negative reviews from critics but was a surprise box office hit, grossing $174 million worldwide against a $30 million budget.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 31% · review count: 80; Metacritic · score: 33 · scale: 100 · review count: 27
- Production trivia
- Martin Lawrence collapsed in sweltering heat while trying to lose weight for the role.; The film's theme song is 'Bounce with Me' by Lil Bow Wow.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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