Bustin' Loose
Encyclopedia
This article is about the movie. For the TV series of the same name, see Bustin' Loose (TV series)
.
Bustin' Loose is a film released by Universal Pictures
in 1981 starring Richard Pryor
as an ex-con who gets a second chance after violating his probation. School teacher Vivian Perry (played by Cicely Tyson
) hires him to repair and drive a bus for a group of special needs children from Philadelphia to a farm in Washington state
. Pryor also produced the film. Roberta Flack
wrote and performed music for the movie. Paul Mooney has a small role. Though Rated R, the comedy is actually light-hearted fare when compared to other Pryor films.
a bunch of televisions from a store in Philadelphia. After a dramatic attempt at reverse psychology with the judge, 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 (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 very much against it, and at first gets Joe to tell her the old bus she planned on using wouldn't 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 get rolling, we learn a little more about some of the kids:
We also learn that all Joe thinks he's there for is to fix and drive the bus, but he finds out his true knack for helping out the kids, especially shown when he reads Annie the riot act for her hooker-talk, and saves Anthony from setting another person's property on fire, and even takes the kids fishing for the first time.
The most memorable scene in the movie comes when, after fixing the bus in the rain on a dirt road, Joe and Vivian couldn't get it out of the mud. When Joe goes out to get help, he is found walking in lock step with a group of Ku Klux Klan
smen, which 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 (whom he said were ALL blind) to a hospital in Washington. They agree rather sympathetically and push them out of the mud.
Somewhere in Montana, Donald manages to catch 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 tries to demand they all go back to Philadelphia. Of course, the kids don't want to, and Vivian and Joe aren't going to either. When Donald tries to continue on, he somehow gets arrested because his ID was switched with Joe's.
They eventually make it to the farm, where they're all shown having a good time. However, later in one scene, Vivian is shown at a bank sitting with a banker, and eventually leaves in a huff. Joe learns that she's about to lose the farm because she can't secure a $15,000 loan. One of the other kids, Ernesto, overhears them and tells the rest of the kids this. Joe then confronts the kids, who are whining and protesting about their fate. Joe even smacks Ernesto across the face when he tells him to "take a hike". He tells them all they're not losers, then gets in the bus and drives off.
He is seen on the streets of the town walking by the bank. He briefly picks up a brick, apparently thinking of robbing the place, then decides not to. At that, 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 $15K, then leaves with her, while two guys from the group chase after them with guns. After evading them and burning the money, they go back to the farm, where they have an argument about the money, and Joe has a major revolation.
Then they realize the old Rolls Royce
from the bank is there, and found out the kids told the president of the bank (who is also the mayor of the town) a bunch of lies about what good things Joe and Vivian did, and it 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 get returned to Philly, but has a confrontation with the mayor that he ends up losing. However, it did seem Joe was 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.
Bustin' Loose (TV series)
Bustin' Loose is an American sitcom that was loosely based on the 1981 film of the same name starring Richard Pryor. The series premiered in first-run syndication in 1987 and lasted for only one season.-Synopsis:...
.
Bustin' Loose is a film released by Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
in 1981 starring Richard Pryor
Richard Pryor
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets...
as an ex-con who gets a second chance after violating his probation. School teacher Vivian Perry (played by Cicely Tyson
Cicely Tyson
Cicely Tyson is an American actress. A successful stage actress, Tyson is also known for her Oscar-nominated role in the film Sounder and the television movies The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and Roots....
) hires him to repair and drive a bus for a group of special needs children from Philadelphia to a farm in Washington state
Washington State
Washington State may refer to:* Washington , often referred to as "Washington state" to differentiate it from Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States* Washington State University, a land-grant college in that state- See also :...
. Pryor also produced the film. Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music...
wrote and performed music for the movie. Paul Mooney has a small role. Though Rated R, the comedy is actually light-hearted fare when compared to other Pryor films.
Plot
Joe Braxton (Pryor) is a convict who violates his parole after a failed attempt to liftShoplifting
Shoplifting is theft of goods from a retail establishment. It is one of the most common property crimes dealt with by police and courts....
a bunch of televisions from a store in Philadelphia. After a dramatic attempt at reverse psychology with the judge, 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 (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 very much against it, and at first gets Joe to tell her the old bus she planned on using wouldn't 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 get rolling, we learn a little more about some of the kids:
- Harold is blind, but so badly wants to drive a vehicle, and eventually does.
- Anthony is a pyromaniac who we learn accidentally burned his house down and killed his parents, whom he couldn't wake up.
- Annie is a former Vietnamese child prostitute that has a knack for art.
We also learn that all Joe thinks he's there for is to fix and drive the bus, but he finds out his true knack for helping out the kids, especially shown when he reads Annie the riot act for her hooker-talk, and saves Anthony from setting another person's property on fire, and even takes the kids fishing for the first time.
The most memorable scene in the movie comes when, after fixing the bus in the rain on a dirt road, Joe and Vivian couldn't get it out of the mud. When Joe goes out to get help, he is found walking in lock step with a group of Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
smen, which 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 (whom he said were ALL blind) to a hospital in Washington. They agree rather sympathetically and push them out of the mud.
Somewhere in Montana, Donald manages to catch 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 tries to demand they all go back to Philadelphia. Of course, the kids don't want to, and Vivian and Joe aren't going to either. When Donald tries to continue on, he somehow gets arrested because his ID was switched with Joe's.
They eventually make it to the farm, where they're all shown having a good time. However, later in one scene, Vivian is shown at a bank sitting with a banker, and eventually leaves in a huff. Joe learns that she's about to lose the farm because she can't secure a $15,000 loan. One of the other kids, Ernesto, overhears them and tells the rest of the kids this. Joe then confronts the kids, who are whining and protesting about their fate. Joe even smacks Ernesto across the face when he tells him to "take a hike". He tells them all they're not losers, then gets in the bus and drives off.
He is seen on the streets of the town walking by the bank. He briefly picks up a brick, apparently thinking of robbing the place, then decides not to. At that, he sees an ad for a "trapezoid scheme" and goes in to learn about it, dressed as a cowboy from Texarkana
Texarkana, Texas
Texarkana is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States. It effectively functions as one half of a city which crosses a state line — the other half, the city of Texarkana, Arkansas, lies on the other side of State Line Avenue...
. Eventually he works his way into sitting with the group and schemes to rip them off. He does and gets Vivian her $15K, then leaves with her, while two guys from the group chase after them with guns. After evading them and burning the money, they go back to the farm, where they have an argument about the money, and Joe has a major revolation.
Then they realize the old Rolls Royce
Rolls-Royce (car)
This a list of Rolls-Royce motor cars and includes vehicles produced by:*Rolls-Royce Limited *Rolls-Royce Motors , which was owned by Vickers between 1980 and 1998, and after that by Volkswagen...
from the bank is there, and found out the kids told the president of the bank (who is also the mayor of the town) a bunch of lies about what good things Joe and Vivian did, and it 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 get returned to Philly, but has a confrontation with the mayor that he ends up losing. However, it did seem Joe was 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.