The fledgling romance between Nick, a playboy bachelor, and Suzanne, a divorced mother of two, is threatened by a particularly harrowing New Year's Eve. When Suzanne's work keeps her in ... See full summary »
Newlyweds Nick (Ice Cube) and Suzanne (Long) decide to move to the suburbs to provide a better life for their two kids. But their idea of a dream home is disturbed by a contractor (McGinley) with a bizarre approach to business.
Seeking to offer his son the satisfying summer camp experience that eluded him as a child, the operator of a neighborhood daycare center opens his own camp, only to face financial hardship and stiff competition from a rival camp.
Director:
Fred Savage
Stars:
Cuba Gooding Jr.,
Lochlyn Munro,
Richard Gant
James Porter (Martin Lawrence) drives his teenage daughter Melanie (Raven Symone), from their home in Chicago to a college interview in Washington, D.C.
Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt return as heads of the Baker family who, while on vacation, find themselves in competition with a rival family of eight children, headed by Eugene Levy.
The fledgling romance between Nick, a playboy bachelor, and Suzanne, a divorced mother of two, is threatened by a particularly harrowing New Year's Eve. When Suzanne's work keeps her in Vancouver for the holiday, Nick offers to bring her kids to the city from Portland, Oregon. The kids, who have never liked any of the men their mom has dated, are determined to turn the trip into a nightmare for Nick. Written by
Anonymous
According to the movie's commentary, Aleisha Allen's (Lindsey) favorite scene was the birthday party scene where her character got up on the stage and sang "R.E.S.P.E.C.T." See more »
Goofs
While riding in the vehicle, Kevin attempts to drink a Capri Sun. When nick sees him he grabs the Capri Sun and it squirts on the top of the vehicle. When nick goes to wipe it off it is purple in color, but all Capri Suns are clear in color See more »
Quotes
Nick Persons:
Oh Damn! Boy Didn't you hear what I just said?
Lindsey Kingston:
Ooh, you just swore.
Nick Persons:
Your damn right I swore, that's about $400 dollars worth of damage to my new car!
Lindsey Kingston:
That's twice! Now you have to put two dollars in the swear jar.
See more »
I Wanna Be Your Lover
Written by Prince (as Prince R. Nelson)
Performed by Prince
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.
By Arrangement with Warner Strategic Marketing See more »
The more I study film ideas, the more I'm amazed at how some ideas continue to live.
Take the notion of humorous cruelty. Were the Stooges the first to build a franchise around this? In modern times, it is the "Home Alone" franchise where we are given an excuse for accepting the cruelties because the hurter is a clever but innocent child and the hurtees are stereotypical bad guys.
Here the idea tries a new incarnation. Lest there be any mistake about the source, the movie actually starts in the "old" Home Alone mode with our (anonymous) victim encountering tripwires that trigger child-made traps of household goods and toys.
Then it shifts into the new mode. In this edition, some of the tricks are intended and some are not. The victim is a new kind of shiftless: a black man actually trying to be "ghetto." The story is supposed to smoothly morph in a sort of "What About Bob" way from pain to rewarding relationship. The turning point is also stereotypical: the treasured black dad has abandoned his family and the beleaguered suitor is revealed to be someone to whom that also happened.
I think humor about race, especially racial stereotypes, is fair game. How better to puncture racism? But its got to be funny doesn't it?
This picture turns out to be what it starts to be about: a way of torturing a black dude who manages a slick appearance of the ghetto (we're talking about the guy who calls himself Ice Cube here, not his character) and tries to put himself where he doesn't belong. Poignant maybe, but neither funny nor endearing.
Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.
21 of 35 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
The more I study film ideas, the more I'm amazed at how some ideas continue to live.
Take the notion of humorous cruelty. Were the Stooges the first to build a franchise around this? In modern times, it is the "Home Alone" franchise where we are given an excuse for accepting the cruelties because the hurter is a clever but innocent child and the hurtees are stereotypical bad guys.
Here the idea tries a new incarnation. Lest there be any mistake about the source, the movie actually starts in the "old" Home Alone mode with our (anonymous) victim encountering tripwires that trigger child-made traps of household goods and toys.
Then it shifts into the new mode. In this edition, some of the tricks are intended and some are not. The victim is a new kind of shiftless: a black man actually trying to be "ghetto." The story is supposed to smoothly morph in a sort of "What About Bob" way from pain to rewarding relationship. The turning point is also stereotypical: the treasured black dad has abandoned his family and the beleaguered suitor is revealed to be someone to whom that also happened.
I think humor about race, especially racial stereotypes, is fair game. How better to puncture racism? But its got to be funny doesn't it?
This picture turns out to be what it starts to be about: a way of torturing a black dude who manages a slick appearance of the ghetto (we're talking about the guy who calls himself Ice Cube here, not his character) and tries to put himself where he doesn't belong. Poignant maybe, but neither funny nor endearing.
Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.