This hilarious film surprised and delighted us. No
one plays black urban slapstick with the same touch and edge as Martin
Lawrence. Big Momma’s House is filled with references, lingo,
and mannerisms straight from the "hood", but as FBI agent
Malcolm Turner, Lawrence eschews the role of criminal or criminal posing
as a cop. Instead, he plays a jaded bachelor, noted for his complex
disguises used to penetrate crime rings.
In the latest assignment, Malcolm and his partner
John (Paul Giamatti) must catch Lester, a vicious killer and bank robber
recently escaped from prison. Their only connection to Lester is his
girlfriend Sherry (Nia Long) who is suspected of aiding the robbery and
hiding the loot. Sherry, however, skips town, so Malcolm and John set up
surveillance of Sherry’s grandma Big Momma (Ella Mitchell) in a small
Georgia town. In a crucial moment, however, Big Momma leaves to comfort
a sick relative, and Malcolm takes on the seemingly insurmountable task
of posing as the iron willed, old, fat, black lady.
So we have the makings of three cross currents that
flow beautifully through Big Momma's House. First, we witness the
hilarious transformation of Malcolm from jaded urban cop to rural
Grandma, a tough and active old woman. In his new role, Malcolm
discovers the desire to share his life with people he loves. Second is
the romance between Malcolm and Sherry, made deliciously complex ala Tootsie
because he woos and falls in love with her both as a man and in the
guise of Big Momma.
Finally, one of the most compelling aspects of the
film reveals conflicts between city and home town values that run within
the African-American sub-culture. Sherry has left the limited
possibilities of small town life, but she also struggles with the big
town delusions that got her in trouble. Neither world is perfect.
Setting the theme within the realities of black modern experience adds
texture and depth without denying the universality experienced by all
people.
Lest one worry that the film becomes too sappy,
however, the driving force that kept us rolling in the aisles focuses on
the brilliant physical comedy of Lawrence as he switches rolls and gets
in and out of jams. There is plenty of play with bathroom humor, the
huge body of Momma (325 pounds plus), the suspicious old buddies who are
interested and confused by the sexual goings on, and Momma in her
relationship with an older gent who lusts for her/Malcolm’s new
sassiness. However, besides being in stitches with the physical comedy,
we enjoyed the soulful moments, especially the scene in which Malcolm as
Big Momma addresses the congregation with the gospel song driven sermon
on honesty.
The director, Raja Gosnell, mostly known as a
talented comedy editor of Mrs. Doubtfire and Home Alone,
captures the pacing and hijinks wonderfully, though there were a few
continuity errors where characters had different looks in contiguous
scenes. Greg Cannom deserves special mention for his great prosthetics
and make up effects. His mastery earned him Academy Awards for Mrs.
Doubtfire and Dracula.
We laughed as much with this film as we were touched
by its resolution where lies were stripped away and the main characters
found new genuineness and connection. Our only regret, really, is that
Terrence Howard in the role of Lester was in too few scenes. His menace
and skill were felt, but all too briefly. We want to see more of his
multitalented presence in larger rolls.
