I'm here to set things straight on RateItAll.com once and for all. This is to be my first opinion. Here I go: Bringing Down the House, does not necessarily tell a story which is outdated, but rather one which should embarass humanity into making its reddest face and its most solemn look of all. Let's look at the issues tackled in this film, set in 2003: 1)Slavery, 2)Black (and White) Stereotypes, and 3) Cultural Appropriation. Slavery officially ended over 100 years ago, (to those born more recently, right after Gettysburg and Gods and Generals took place), but as we can obviously see in our day to day experience, racism is still rampant, be it in the white dominated media, the movies, or in general conversation and confrontation. What is baffling to me is why this film should combine an early 1800s attitude towards blacks with our current sensibilities in such an artless and tasteless manner. Steve Martin's character and his family can't be seen in public with Latifah? She has to pose as their nanny to be accepted socially?...I can't even finish. The fact that this movie was a success theatrically just shows how ignorant we are as a culture. What a sloppy and hopeless pile of poo this movie was. (Note: Despite these issues I have brought up briefly, I have to say that this film began with the most boring internet scene of all time. Any filmmaker who thinks that filming a computer being used for Instant Messaging is a good way to engage viewers is stoned.) 