Bringing Down the House

Ah yes, the interracial comedy. After some initial skepticism, honky white folks befriend street-smart black folks and find out that both cultures have a lot to offer. In Bringing Down the House, Steve Martin and Eugene Levy take on the white folk role while Queen Latifah takes on the whole black population by herself. Before you know it, Martin is jiggy and the Queen listens to Steely Dan. As far as supplemental material goes, it’s more affirmative action. The standard, behind-the-scenes piece has bits of Martin learning how to dance and speak Ebonics—the genuine confusion registering on his face makes both worth watching. Then there’s “The Godfather of Hop” featurette (as the packaging states, “with tongue firmly planted in cheek”), profiling Eugene Levy’s pivotal role in hip-hop music and including Martin’s most profound statement on the DVD: “When you think of hip-hop, you think of a Canadian Jew.”