Bustin' Loose (1981)

The director of a foster home is forced to move her kids from Philadelphia to Seattle in a broken-down bus driven by a fast-talking parolee assigned to the task. A hilarious road trip adventure.

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

After violating his probation, ex-con Joe Braxton is given a second chance at freedom: schoolteacher Vivian Perry hires him to repair an old school bus and use it to drive a group of special-education kids from Philadelphia, where their home, The Clarmont Center for Children, is being shut down, to their new home at Ms. Perry's Washington Farm. The kids have severe mental problems and Joe is not looking forward to the trip, but he starts to bond with them and Vivian and offers his support and love as he changes his outlook on life. But social worker Donald, who gave Joe his break (and is Vivian's lover), is hot on their trail and wants Joe back in prison. Joe and Vivian must now stop Donald from sending the children back to Philadelphia, where they'll have no future.

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Plot Keywords:

road movie | school | teacher | farm | bus | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

In The King of Comedy, this movie's marquee is shown behind Robert DeNiro when he's arguing with Sandra Bernhard on the New York City street.

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Goofs

Joe clearly did not slap Ernesto hard enough to knock him down. When he "slapped" him, his fingers were spread open and they barely touched Ernesto's face.

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Quotes

Marvin: There's a cop over there, man.
Joe Braxton: That ain't no cop!
Marvin: How do you know?
Joe Braxton: He don't piss like no cop.

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Alternate Versions

Most of the footage from the original cut was deleted when the film was re-shot in early 1981.

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Connections

References Godzilla (1954)

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Soundtracks

Lovin' You (Is Such An Easy Thang To Do)
Written by Marcus Miller
Performed by Roberta Flack

User Reviews

Richard Pryor busts ya one

I guess that "Bustin' Loose" is most famous because it was during the production of this movie that Richard Pryor had his near-death experience with freebasing. But there's more to the movie than that. Pryor plays an ex-con who gets a second chance by getting assigned to drive a bus load of special needs children from Philadelphia to Washington state.

Much of the humor derives from Richard Pryor's and Cicely Tyson's personalities bouncing off of each other: he's the irresponsible goof-off, she's the stern teacher. There's also a look at the children's stories: there's a blind boy, a pyromaniac, and a former child prostitute from Vietnam. And then of course, there's the scene with the Ku Klux Klan; I bet that Richard Pryor had wanted to do something like that for years!

So, it's a pretty silly movie, but still very enjoyable. It's too bad that Richard Pryor is no longer with us.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 May 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Family Dream

Filming Locations:

Washington, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,622,753, 25 May 1981

Gross USA:

$31,261,269

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$31,261,269

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1