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Bustin' Loose (film)

January 02, 2024

Bustin' Loose is a 1981 American road comedy-drama film starring Richard Pryor and Cicely Tyson. It was directed by Oz Scott and Michael Schultz (uncredited) and written by Pryor, Lonne Elder III, and Roger L. Simon.[2] Along with starring Pryor and Tyson,[3] the film also features Robert Christian[2][4] and George Coe.[5] Bustin' Loose was produced by Michael S. Glick and Pryor.[6][7][8]

Bustin' Loose
Theatrical release poster for Bustin' Loose.
Directed by
Written by
Produced by
  • Michael S. Glick
  • Richard Pryor
Starring
Music by
Production
companies
  • Omar Productions
  • Northwest Film and Television Consultants
  • Universal Clearances
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • May 22, 1981 (1981-05-22)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$11 million[1]
Box office$31.3 million

Plot edit

Joe Braxton (Richard Pryor) is a convict who violates his parole after a failed attempt to lift a bunch of televisions from a store in Philadelphia. After a dramatic attempt at reverse psychology with the judge (Bill Quinn), he is given a second chance at parole, and his parole-officer, Donald (Robert Christian), has him do something for him.

Donald is also involved with school teacher Vivian Perry (Cicely Tyson), whose school was just closed down by the city due to budget cuts. While most of the children have been relocated, eight special needs students have yet to be relocated. Vivian decides to take them to her aunt's farm in rural Washington. Donald is against it, and at first gets Joe to tell her the old bus she planned on using would not work. However, that blows up in his face, but Donald then decides to have Joe go ahead and drive the bus to Washington.

As Joe, Vivian, and the kids ride the bus, the past lives and ailments of the kids are told:

  • Harold (Jimmy Hughes) is blind, but so badly wants to drive a vehicle, and eventually does.
  • Anthony (Edwin Kinter) is a pyromaniac who accidentally burned his house down and killed his parents, whom he could not wake up.
  • Annie (Janet Wong) is a former Vietnamese child prostitute that has a knack for art.

Joe thinks he is there to fix and drive the bus, but he finds out his true knack is helping out the kids, especially shown when he scolds and councils Annie after she tries to sleep with him and saves Anthony from setting another person's property on fire, eventually taking the kids fishing for their first time.

After fixing the bus in the rain on a dirt road, Joe and Vivian have trouble getting it out of the mud. When Joe leaves to get help, he is found walking in lock step with a group of Klansmen, who follow him back to the bus. Joe then manages to talk the head Klansman and the rest into getting the bus out to get the kids to a hospital in Washington, suddenly claiming they are all blind. They agree sympathetically and push them out of the mud.

Somewhere in Montana, Donald catches up with them at a motel, after finding out Vivian lied to him and falsified the kids records. After trying to flee in the middle of the night, Donald catches up with them and demands they return to Philadelphia, which the kids, Vivian, and Joe all resist.

After arriving at the farm, Vivian meets with a banker in order to secure a $15,000 loan to save the farm. One of the other kids overhears them and tells the rest of the kids this. Joe then confronts the kids, who are whining and protesting about their fate. Joe learns about this as well and heads into town where he sees an ad for a "trapezoid scheme" and goes in to learn about it, dressed as a cowboy from Texarkana. Eventually, he works his way into sitting with the group and schemes to rip them off. He does and gets Vivian her $15,000 then leaves with her, while two men from the group pursue them. After evading them and burning the money, they go back to the farm and have an argument about the money.

They realize the old Rolls-Royce from the bank is there, and they find out the kids told the president of the bank (who is also the mayor of the town) lies about what good things Joe and Vivian did, and convinced the mayor to give the loan and make the kids a part of the community. After they celebrate, Donald shows up with a police officer demanding they all return to Philadelphia but has a confrontation with the mayor that he ends up losing. In the end, it seems that Joe is going to go back to Philly with Donald, but Donald gets to the end of the driveway, and changes his mind and lets Joe stay.

Cast edit

Production edit

Bustin' Loose was filmed in part in various towns in Washington state, including Carnation, Ellensburg, and Snohomish.[9]

Music edit

Although the film's score was composed by Mark Davis, Roberta Flack also contributed new original music to the film and released a soundtrack for the film on June 5, 1981. Luther Vandross and Peabo Bryson contributed vocals to the album and Vandross wrote the song, "You Stopped Loving Me", which he later performed himself on his debut album Never Too Much.

Reception edit

Bustin' Loose opened number one at the box office in 828 theaters domestically. It grossed $6,622,753 in its opening weekend. Its run ended with $31,261,269 in the box office, domestically.[10]

Critical response edit

Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote in his review: "Only the incomparable Richard Pryor could make a comedy as determinedly, aggressively sentimental as Bustin' Loose, which is about eight needy orphans and a $15,000 mortgage that's due, and still get an R-rating. Vulgar language is the reason, but because vulgar language is a basic part of the Pryor comedy method, one longs for his every assault on genteelism in Bustin' Loose, a film that would otherwise be painful."[11] TV Guide gives Bustin' Loose 4 stars out of 5 stars.[12]

Release edit

Bustin' Loose was released in theaters on May 22, 1981. The film was released on DVD on May 1, 2001, and again on January 11, 2005.[13]

See also edit

References edit

Citations edit

  1. ^ Harmetz, Aljean (30 May 1981). "Pryor and Alda Proving Stars Still Sell Movies". The New York Times. Section 1, p. 10.
  2. ^ a b Donalson 2003, p. 205.
  3. ^ Paietta 2007, p. 36.
  4. ^ Jet Magazine Staff 1981, p. 45.
  5. ^ McNary, Dave (July 19, 2015). "George Coe, Oscar-Nominated Actor and SAG Activist, Dies at 86". Variety. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  6. ^ "Bustin' Loose". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  7. ^ "Bustin' Loose". Hollywood.com. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  8. ^ "Bustin' Loose". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Los Angeles: American Film Institute. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  9. ^ Burchard, Boyd (October 4, 1981). "Love affair paying off for state, movies". The Seattle Times. p. D9.
  10. ^ "Bustin' Loose (1981)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  11. ^ Canby, Vincent (May 22, 1981). "'Bustin' Loose' Stars Richard Pryor Gone Softy – Review". The New York Times. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  12. ^ "Bustin' Loose". TV Guide. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  13. ^ "Bustin' Loose". Good Times Video. May 1, 2001. ASIN B00000JZHI. Retrieved January 6, 2017 – via Amazon.com.

General and cited sources edit

  • Donalson, Melvin (2003). Black Directors in Hollywood (1st ed.). Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press. p. 205. ISBN 978-0292701786.
  • Jet Magazine Staff (June 25, 1981). "Rchard Pryor, Cicely Tyson: 'Bustin' Loose' in Funniest Film". Jet. Vol. 60, no. 15. p. 45. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  • Paietta, Ann Catherine (2007). Teachers in the Movies: A Filmography of Depictions of Grade School, Preschool and Day Care Educators, 1890s to the Present. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 36. ISBN 978-0786429387.

External links edit

January 02, 2024
bustin, loose, film, bustin, loose, 1981, american, road, comedy, drama, film, starring, richard, pryor, cicely, tyson, directed, scott, michael, schultz, uncredited, written, pryor, lonne, elder, roger, simon, along, with, starring, pryor, tyson, film, also, . Bustin Loose is a 1981 American road comedy drama film starring Richard Pryor and Cicely Tyson It was directed by Oz Scott and Michael Schultz uncredited and written by Pryor Lonne Elder III and Roger L Simon 2 Along with starring Pryor and Tyson 3 the film also features Robert Christian 2 4 and George Coe 5 Bustin Loose was produced by Michael S Glick and Pryor 6 7 8 Bustin LooseTheatrical release poster for Bustin Loose Directed byOz Scott Michael Schultz uncredited Written byLonne Elder III Richard Pryor Roger L SimonProduced byMichael S Glick Richard PryorStarringRichard Pryor Cicely Tyson Robert Christian George CoeMusic byMark Davis Roberta FlackProductioncompaniesOmar Productions Northwest Film and Television Consultants Universal ClearancesDistributed byUniversal PicturesRelease dateMay 22 1981 1981 05 22 Running time94 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishBudget 11 million 1 Box office 31 3 million Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 4 Music 5 Reception 5 1 Critical response 6 Release 7 See also 8 References 8 1 Citations 8 2 General and cited sources 9 External linksPlot editJoe Braxton Richard Pryor is a convict who violates his parole after a failed attempt to lift a bunch of televisions from a store in Philadelphia After a dramatic attempt at reverse psychology with the judge Bill Quinn he is given a second chance at parole and his parole officer Donald Robert Christian has him do something for him Donald is also involved with school teacher Vivian Perry Cicely Tyson whose school was just closed down by the city due to budget cuts While most of the children have been relocated eight special needs students have yet to be relocated Vivian decides to take them to her aunt s farm in rural Washington Donald is against it and at first gets Joe to tell her the old bus she planned on using would not work However that blows up in his face but Donald then decides to have Joe go ahead and drive the bus to Washington As Joe Vivian and the kids ride the bus the past lives and ailments of the kids are told Harold Jimmy Hughes is blind but so badly wants to drive a vehicle and eventually does Anthony Edwin Kinter is a pyromaniac who accidentally burned his house down and killed his parents whom he could not wake up Annie Janet Wong is a former Vietnamese child prostitute that has a knack for art Joe thinks he is there to fix and drive the bus but he finds out his true knack is helping out the kids especially shown when he scolds and councils Annie after she tries to sleep with him and saves Anthony from setting another person s property on fire eventually taking the kids fishing for their first time After fixing the bus in the rain on a dirt road Joe and Vivian have trouble getting it out of the mud When Joe leaves to get help he is found walking in lock step with a group of Klansmen who follow him back to the bus Joe then manages to talk the head Klansman and the rest into getting the bus out to get the kids to a hospital in Washington suddenly claiming they are all blind They agree sympathetically and push them out of the mud Somewhere in Montana Donald catches up with them at a motel after finding out Vivian lied to him and falsified the kids records After trying to flee in the middle of the night Donald catches up with them and demands they return to Philadelphia which the kids Vivian and Joe all resist After arriving at the farm Vivian meets with a banker in order to secure a 15 000 loan to save the farm One of the other kids overhears them and tells the rest of the kids this Joe then confronts the kids who are whining and protesting about their fate Joe learns about this as well and heads into town where he sees an ad for a trapezoid scheme and goes in to learn about it dressed as a cowboy from Texarkana Eventually he works his way into sitting with the group and schemes to rip them off He does and gets Vivian her 15 000 then leaves with her while two men from the group pursue them After evading them and burning the money they go back to the farm and have an argument about the money They realize the old Rolls Royce from the bank is there and they find out the kids told the president of the bank who is also the mayor of the town lies about what good things Joe and Vivian did and convinced the mayor to give the loan and make the kids a part of the community After they celebrate Donald shows up with a police officer demanding they all return to Philadelphia but has a confrontation with the mayor that he ends up losing In the end it seems that Joe is going to go back to Philly with Donald but Donald gets to the end of the driveway and changes his mind and lets Joe stay Cast editRichard Pryor as Joe Braxton Cicely Tyson as Vivian Perry Robert Christian as Donald Kinsey George Coe as Dr Wilson T Renfrew Earl Billings as man at Parole Office Bill Quinn as Judge Antonio Runzuli Fred Carney as Alfred Schuyler Peggy McCay as Gloria Schuyler Roy Jenson as Klan Leader Alphonso Alexander as Martin Kia Cooper as Samantha Edwin de Leon as Ernesto Jimmy Hughes as Harold Edwin Kinter as Anthony Tami Luchow as Linda Angel Ramirez as Julio Janet Wong as Annie Nick Dimitri as Frank Munjak Morgan Roberts as Uncle Humphrey Inez Pedroza as herself Gary Goetzman as Store Manager Paul Mooney as Marvin Paul Gardner as Anchorman Ben Gerard as Man Vern Taylor as Highway Patrolman 1Production editBustin Loose was filmed in part in various towns in Washington state including Carnation Ellensburg and Snohomish 9 Music editAlthough the film s score was composed by Mark Davis Roberta Flack also contributed new original music to the film and released a soundtrack for the film on June 5 1981 Luther Vandross and Peabo Bryson contributed vocals to the album and Vandross wrote the song You Stopped Loving Me which he later performed himself on his debut album Never Too Much Reception editBustin Loose opened number one at the box office in 828 theaters domestically It grossed 6 622 753 in its opening weekend Its run ended with 31 261 269 in the box office domestically 10 Critical response edit Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote in his review Only the incomparable Richard Pryor could make a comedy as determinedly aggressively sentimental as Bustin Loose which is about eight needy orphans and a 15 000 mortgage that s due and still get an R rating Vulgar language is the reason but because vulgar language is a basic part of the Pryor comedy method one longs for his every assault on genteelism in Bustin Loose a film that would otherwise be painful 11 TV Guide gives Bustin Loose 4 stars out of 5 stars 12 Release editBustin Loose was released in theaters on May 22 1981 The film was released on DVD on May 1 2001 and again on January 11 2005 13 See also editBustin Loose TV series References editCitations edit Harmetz Aljean 30 May 1981 Pryor and Alda Proving Stars Still Sell Movies The New York Times Section 1 p 10 a b Donalson 2003 p 205 Paietta 2007 p 36 Jet Magazine Staff 1981 p 45 McNary Dave July 19 2015 George Coe Oscar Nominated Actor and SAG Activist Dies at 86 Variety Retrieved January 6 2017 Bustin Loose Turner Classic Movies Retrieved January 6 2017 Bustin Loose Hollywood com Retrieved January 6 2017 Bustin Loose AFI Catalog of Feature Films Los Angeles American Film Institute Retrieved January 6 2017 Burchard Boyd October 4 1981 Love affair paying off for state movies The Seattle Times p D9 Bustin Loose 1981 Box Office Mojo Retrieved May 2 2016 Canby Vincent May 22 1981 Bustin Loose Stars Richard Pryor Gone Softy Review The New York Times Retrieved July 7 2012 Bustin Loose TV Guide Retrieved January 6 2017 Bustin Loose Good Times Video May 1 2001 ASIN B00000JZHI Retrieved January 6 2017 via Amazon com General and cited sources edit Donalson Melvin 2003 Black Directors in Hollywood 1st ed Austin Texas University of Texas Press p 205 ISBN 978 0292701786 Jet Magazine Staff June 25 1981 Rchard Pryor Cicely Tyson Bustin Loose in Funniest Film Jet Vol 60 no 15 p 45 ISSN 0021 5996 Retrieved January 6 2017 Paietta Ann Catherine 2007 Teachers in the Movies A Filmography of Depictions of Grade School Preschool and Day Care Educators 1890s to the Present Jefferson NC McFarland amp Company p 36 ISBN 978 0786429387 External links editBustin Loose at IMDb nbsp Bustin Loose at the TCM Movie Database Bustin Loose at Letterboxd nbsp Bustin Loose at Rotten Tomatoes nbsp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bustin 27 Loose film amp oldid 1159032150, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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