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 »

Directors:

Oz Scott, Michael Schultz (uncredited)

Writers:

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

Stars:

Richard Pryor, Cicely Tyson, Angel Ramirez Jr.

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Pryor	...	Joe Braxton
Cicely Tyson	...	Vivian Perry
Angel Ramirez Jr.	...	Julio (as Ángel Ramírez)
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 Philadelphia, where they'll have no future.

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Plot Keywords:

school | teacher | farm | 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 | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 May 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Family Dream

Filming Locations:

Washington, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,622,753, 25 May 1981, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$31,261,269

Company Credits

Production Co:

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

Ines Pedroza: As herself, a television reporter.

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Goofs

You can't get a job as a school bus driver with a criminal record.

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Quotes

[last lines]
Donald: Get out. Go on back home.

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Alternate Versions

A few deleted scenes appeared on some TV versions, including a sequence where Joe and Marvin try to escape the warehouse, at the beginning.

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Connections

Referenced in Sleaze (1982)

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Soundtracks

The Children's Song
Written by Roberta Flack, Barry Miles & Dwight D. Watkins
Performed by Roberta Flack

User Reviews

Still a Lovable Film!

Let's face it, Cicely Tyson and Richard Pryor play an unlikely pair. Cicely plays a good-hearted social worker who is determined to transport a school bus-load of abandoned orphans across the country to a farm with animals. She gets Richard Pryor's character who plays an ex-con who redeems himself in this film. Of course, Tyson and Pryor are quite simply marvelous in roles that would have otherwise failed. I know if I wanted somebody that would be Cicely who plays Vivian Perry whose heart and mind are always in the right place. While Pryor's character feels like a failure, she and the kids inspire him as well he inspires them. It's not a wholesome after-school special but it's touching at moments to see the outcasts look and treat upon each other as friends and family because they could have treated this film like silly film but it's a serious film about serious problems and they do it admirably.