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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.

This is a really nice film. I bought it on DVD and saw it last night. I had seen it various times through the years. Last night was the first time I had seen it in along time. Without Richard Pryor it could have been an after school special. I have always liked Richard Pryor in his films, he always played a normal human being, he never got into the supercop comedies like Eddie Murphy did. Pryor showed in this film that he could be tender as well as funny. It is a little gem of movie, very lite, but very funny and heartwarming.

Grade: B

Richard Pryor plays Joe Braxton, a multiple time loser that failed yet again at trying to score. This time he tries to steal from an electronics store. The judge gives him 10 years probation in lieu of prison. His probation officer, Donald (Robert Christian), has a deal for Joe: take his girlfriend, Vivian (Cicely Tyson), and a busload of discarded youth to Washington state or face prison time. Reluctantly, Joe agrees.

I see that Pryor wrote and produced this feature. It is not his funniest work but it is probably his most positive work. Just like him, the kids were considered losers. Vivian saw more in the kids and she would begin to see more in Joe as well.

It's a feel good story even if the cacophony of the children got irksome. It's hard to hate this movie even if I didn't love it.

Over the years when nothing else is on I watch Bustin' Loose from time to time, it is such a good feel good movie. Neat story which has Richard Pryor as con man Joe Braxton who is maneuvered into taking a group of disturbed kids from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania along with their teacher Cicely Tyson to a farm in Washington state owned by the aunt and uncle of Cicely Tyson. This movie is a great journey of respect and friendship it shows just how that no matter how different people are they can become friends and learn to care and respect one another. This is not typical Richard Pryor you don't find much strong language but Pryor is plenty enough his comical and funny self to make this film a winner. So if you haven't seen this give it a watch it shows from time to time on cable. Probably one of the better movies of Richard Pryor.

Bustin' Loose (1981) is a movie I recently watched on Tubi. The storyline follows a man whose parole officer makes him help the parole officer's girlfriend move across country with 8 troubled children she supports. The man is told he just needs to drive the bus with the kids and girlfriend but once the trip starts he quickly discovers he has bit off more than he can chew. This movie is directed by Oz Scott (The Jeffersons) in his directorial debut and stars Richard Pryor (Harlem Nights), Cicely Tyson (The Help), George Coe (The Stepford Wives) and Peggy McCay (General Hospital). This movie has so many great memorable sequences and seeing Richard Pryor in his element creates so must nostalgia. The courtroom scene and blind kids on the bus sequences are legendary and absolutely hilarious. Pryor does a great job of feeling authentic and genuine in both his help and frustrations as the storyline evolves. The circumstances are a bit uneven with some being funny and fun and some being a bit cheesy. This isn't a crazy funny movie, or one of Pryor's best, but it is fun and heart warming. I would strongly recommend seeing this and score it a 6.5/10.