Bustin' Loose (1981)

Joe Braxton is an ex-con who has been given a second chance to freedom after violating his probation. He has been hired by a school teacher named Vivian Perry to repair and drive an old ... See full summary »

Director:

Oz Scott

Writers:

Lonne Elder III (adaptation), Richard Pryor (story),

Stars:

Richard Pryor, Cicely Tyson, Ángel Ramírez

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Pryor	...	Joe Braxton
Cicely Tyson	...	Vivian Perry
Ángel Ramírez	...	Julio
Jimmy Hughes	...	Harold
Edwin DeLeon	...	Ernesto
Edwin Kinter	...	Anthony
Tami Luchow	...	Linda
Janet Wong	...	Annie
Alphonso Alexander	...	Martin
Kia Cooper	...	Samantha
Robert Christian	...	Donald
George Coe	...	Doctor Wilson T. Renfrew
Bill Quinn	...	Judge Antonio Runzuli
Roy Jenson	...	Klan Leader
Fred Carney	...	Alfred Schuyler

Storyline

Joe Braxton is an ex-con who has been given a second chance to freedom after violating his probation. He has been hired by a school teacher named Vivian Perry to repair and drive an old school bus and drive a group of Special kids to Ms. Perry's Washington Farm from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to give them a new home after The Clarmont Center for Children is shut down by the city. The kids have severe mental problems and Joe is not looking forward to the trip at all, but Joe later bonds with Vivian and the children, offering his support and love and changes his outlook on life. But Donald, the social worker and Vivian's lover who gave Joe his break is hot on their tail and wants Joe back in prison. Joe and Vivian must now prevent Donald from sending the children back to Philidelphia where they'll have no future.

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Plot Keywords:

school | farm | teacher | bus | mentally challenged | 

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Taglines:

He's mad, he's bad, and he's Bustin' Loose!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 May 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Family Dreams

Filming Locations:

Ellensburg, Washington, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Richard Pryor Productions, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Richard Pryor performed a number of duties on this film. Pryor was a producer, story writer, and lead actor / star.

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Goofs

When Joe Braxton is hanging on the side of the bus as it begins to go down the hill, you can clearly see the cable of his safety harness attached to the rail of the bus.

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Quotes

Joe Braxton: [yelling at the kids after they learned of the possible farm loss and are whining amongst themselves] Shut up!
Ernesto: [to Joe] Go take a hike!
Joe Braxton: [smacks him across the face hard enough to knock him down] Shut up!

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Connections

Followed by Bustin' Loose (1987)

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Soundtracks

"You Stopped Loving Me"
Written by Luther Vandross
Performed by Roberta Flack

User Reviews

Good comedy

This is one of those movies that, unless you have too many expectations, turn out to be quite entertaining. It stars Richard Pryor as an ex-con who agrees to transport a teacher (Cicely Tyson) and eight misfit children from Philadelphia to Washington, as part of his probation. Richard Pryor is known for his abilities in physical comedy. Surprisingly enough, the best part of the film are the more emotional scenes, where he gets to interact with the children. However, there are some other scenes, clearly going for the big laughs, that are not as successful, like the one with the KKK or the ones in the bank near the end of the film, and they threaten to spoil the fun. "Bustin' loose" is a good comedy, although it would have been even better if the script had relied more on Pryor's relationship with the children than on the physical comedy parts. It is definitely not a masterpiece, but if you need an evening of relaxation in front of the TV, then this film is for you.

Rating: 7/10, or B1