1981
R
Universal Pictures
1 h 34 m

1981
R
Universal Pictures
1 h 34 m

Summary 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 Ce...

Directed By: Oz Scott, Michael Schultz

Written By: Lonne Elder III, Richard Pryor, Roger L. Simon

1981
R
Universal Pictures
1 h 34 m

1981
R
Universal Pictures
1 h 34 m

Bustin' Loose

Name: Bustin' Loose
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Released: 1981-05-22
Duration: 1 min 34 s
Rating: 55
Cast: Richard Pryor, Cicely Tyson, Angel Ramirez Jr., Jimmy Hughes, Edwin DeLeon

Metascore Mixed or Average Based on 7 Critic Reviews

User Score Available after 4 ratings

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Where to Watch

Directed By: Oz Scott, Michael Schultz

Written By: Lonne Elder III, Richard Pryor, Roger L. Simon

Where to Watch

Critic Reviews

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Metascore

Mixed or Average Based on 7 Critic Reviews

14% Positive
1 Review

86% Mixed
6 Reviews

0% Negative
0 Reviews

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Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

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Metascore

Mixed or Average Based on 7 Critic Reviews

14% Positive
1 Review

86% Mixed
6 Reviews

0% Negative
0 Reviews

All Reviews
Positive Reviews
Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

Chicago Tribune

Richard Pryor and Cicely Tyson star in a thorougly likable comedy about an ex-con and a schoolteacher who take a bunch of ghetto kids to a farm in Washington. Some foul language gets in the way of this being a film suitable for the entire family.

By Gene Siskel FULL REVIEW

Washington Post

An inconsistent but good-natured ramble, Bustin' Loose looks like a secure investment for Richard Pryor fans.

By Gary Arnold FULL REVIEW

Variety

Bustin’ Loose is obviously a personal project for Pryor, who produced and wrote the story, which has admirable ambitions but is also the film’s greatest weakness. Still, Pryor is an infectious comedian and a master of body language, keeping the picture on the move with sheer energy.

FULL REVIEW

Time Out London

A warm-hearted comedy involving a bunch of orphan kids promises neither a rewarding evening nor the best use of Pryor's considerable talent. The plotting is sloppy at times and this is undoubtedly a minor film, but its rewards are surprising.

FULL REVIEW

Newsweek

Bustin' Loose has a fair share of laughs, none of which is supplied by Tyson, who is totally wasted in an oppressively upright role and lacks the light touch that might have transformed it into something more quirky. For his first effort as producer, Pryor earns a mixed report. He's given himself a good showcase, but his gifts as a dangerous, subversive comic are undermined by his desire to make Uplifting Statements. [01 June 1981, p.91]

By David Ansen FULL REVIEW

The New York Times

Bustin' Loose is not unbearable, though a soft-hearted Richard Pryor is not a terribly funny Richard Pryor.

By Vincent Canby FULL REVIEW

TV Guide Magazine

Pryor--whose customary profanity cuts into the story's essentially sentimental nature--is able to energize the material, but in the end Bustin' Loose remains a minor effort from a major talent.

FULL REVIEW

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Details

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Production Company Universal Pictures

Release Date May 22, 1981

Duration 1 h 34 m

Rating R

Genres

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

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Awards

Image Awards (NAACP)

• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations

Bustin' Loose

Where to Watch

Where to Watch

Top Cast

Richard Pryor

Joe Braxton

Cicely Tyson

Vivian Perry

Angel Ramirez Jr.

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

Peggy McCay

Gladys Schuyler

Luke Andreas

Loader

Earl Billings

Man at Parole Office

Mathew Clark

Dwayne

Nick Dimitri

Frank Munjak

Critic Reviews

Critic Reviews

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User Reviews

User Reviews

Details

Details

Awards

Awards

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