Bringing Down the House offers proof that there are times when superior performances can salvage a mediocre script. Despite working with a screenplay that would be deemed thin by some TV sit-coms, Steve Martin, Queen Latifah, and Eugene Levy combine to transform this motion picture into a rewarding movie-going experience. Certainly, director Adam Shankman (The Wedding Planner) deserves some credit. Although his work behind the camera is in no way remarkable, he has the good sense to stand back and let his actors do what they're best at.

Comedy isn't all in the material. Having funny lines and amusing gags is only half the battle. The rest is in the delivery, and that's where the trio of Martin, Latifah, and Levy excel. Some of what's found in this movie is laugh-worthy only because of the way in which the actors emote and react. Put three less accomplished comedic performers in these roles, and Bringing Down the House might collapse with an audible thud.

Peter Sanderson (Steve Martin) is a successful tax attorney who has sacrificed his personal life for his professional one. Consequently, his wife, Kate (Jean Smart), divorced him, taking the kids but leaving him custody of the cell phone. In an attempt to find someone with similar interests, Peter strikes up an on-line conversation with someone named "lawyer girl." When he invites her over to have drinks, however, he doesn't get what he expects. Instead of a thin, blonde, svelte woman, he is greeted by a voluptuous, African American ex-con named Charlene (Queen Latifah). Peter does everything he can to extricate himself from the situation, but, like a bad penny, Charlene keeps coming back until he agrees to look into her case (she claims she was framed) and expunge her record. Meanwhile, as Peter is doing his best to distance himself from Charlene, his smitten co-worker and friend, Howie (Eugene Levy), is trying to get closer to her.

Some of Bringing Down the House's biggest laughs comes from the way in which it lampoons racial stereotyping and intolerance. Peter's boss, his big client (Joan Plowright, taking "stiff upper lip" to its most inflexible), and his busybody neighbor (Betty White) are all bigoted, and Charlene delights in toying with them. Then there's the big "payoff" scene in which Peter dresses like a gangbanger and visits an urban bar where he gets down with the black brothers. The scene is hilarious (due primarily to Martin), although it vaguely reminded me of something similar from Bulworth.

For Queen Latifah, this is the second punch of a one-two combination that started with Chicago and earned her an Oscar nomination. Her role here is just as brassy and showy, although it doesn't feature any singing. She and Martin display a degree of comedic chemistry that is alone worth the price of admission. Then there's Eugene Levy, who, as is typical for him, steals about a half-dozen scenes from his co-stars. No one does deadpan better than Levy, whether it's in American Pie, Serendipity, or Best in Show.

For those who care about such things, there's a moral about tolerance. But this, like the feeble storyline and thinly-drawn caricatures that masquerade as characters, are irrelevant. The chief pleasure of Bringing Down the House is watching the stars interact. The best mentality to bring to the movie is that of watching a 105-minute series of comedy sketches. The least effective ones yield chuckles; the best ones result in howls. Bringing Down the House may lack a few foundation blocks, but it nevertheless remains standing.