Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- broad
- irreverent
- breezy
- casual comedy night
- lazy weekend
What critics said
Critics generally found Martin Lawrence engaging and the makeup effective, but regarded the film as an essentially one-joke comedy weakened by a thin, tasteless script.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Malcolm Turner uses prosthetic makeup and performance to impersonate the absent Big Momma while conducting an FBI operation.
Sherry and the neighborhood treat Malcolm as Big Momma, creating sustained dramatic irony during domestic and romantic encounters.
The stakeout evolves into cooking, church attendance, childcare, and neighborhood participation as Malcolm tries to locate the fugitive.
Martin Lawrence’s transformation into a corpulent septuagenarian drives the film’s visual gags and physical comedy.
Films like Big Momma's House, and why
Blue Streak
shared disguise comedy, undercover policing, broad physical humor, and fish out of water premise
Mrs. Doubtfire
shared gender disguise, family comedy, romantic complications, and identity-based farce
The Nutty Professor
shared broad transformation comedy, prosthetic makeup, and a performer playing multiple identities
Tootsie
shared undercover crime plot, comic impersonation, and fast-paced buddy comedy energy
Movie Details
- Director
- Raja Gosnell
- Release Date
- 2000-05-31
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (2539)
Cast
- Martin Lawrence
- Nia Long
- Paul Giamatti
- Jascha Washington
- Terrence Howard
- Anthony Anderson
- Carl Wright
- Phyllis Applegate
- Starletta DuPois
- Nicole Prescott
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Starz Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Big Momma's House about?
- An FBI master of disguise infiltrates a Georgia family by becoming an absent Southern grandmother, only to find his undercover mission tangled in romance and outrageous domestic chaos.
- What is Big Momma's House like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Big Momma's House as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Big Momma's House violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Big Momma's House as mild.
- What did critics think of Big Momma's House?
- Critics generally found Martin Lawrence engaging and the makeup effective, but regarded the film as an essentially one-joke comedy weakened by a thin, tasteless script.
- Which films are like Big Momma's House?
- Films with a similar feel include Blue Streak, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Nutty Professor, and Tootsie.
- How long is Big Momma's House?
- Big Momma's House runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch Big Momma's House?
- In United States, Big Momma's House streams on Starz Apple TV channel.
