Which Way Is Up?

Richard had that effect on me! When he was on there has never been anyone who could cause me laugh harder or gasping for breath longer. Dave Chappelle came close, George Carlin was in the neighborhood (he was a bit more cerebral later in his career), Eddie Murphy could from time to time, but for pure standup perfection and improvisation Richard Pryor ruled and for me he always will. He played three roles in 'Which Way is Up', one as funny as the other. However perhaps the Preacher role (Reverend Lennox Thomas) especially for the roles pure unadulterated hypocrisy due to the "Reverends" unchecked ardor and avarice (remind you of any of the Evangelists of today?) made me laugh the most but this whole movie was funny from beginning to end. Richard you left us too early, miss you man!

When I started watching "Which Way Is Up?" I didn't realize that it focuses on labor issues. Richard Pryor is in his usual comedic form - playing a triple role, no less - but this is actually more of a serious role for him. It's apparently a remake of a Lina Wertmüller movie (I've never seen the original). This makes me wish that Lina Wertmüller had directed Richard Pryor in a movie; maybe she could've cast him as a rule-trashing cool dude who takes on Mussolini.

Anyway, the movie does draw attention to unions, and management's efforts to stifle it. And there's no shortage of Richard Pryor's comedy. Worth seeing.

Also starring Margaret Avery (Shug in "The Color Purple"), DeWayne Jessie (Otis Day in "Animal House") and Tim Thomerson (of the Trancers franchise).

This is a remake of a story written by Director, Lina Wertmuller. It is the story of Leroy Jones, played very capably by Richard Pryor. Pryor steals the show here as he plays Leroy, a migrant fruit picker, his grouchy old father and the local minister. It is the story of Leroy, and his accidental rise to management. Leroy is manipulated by "the man", the president of the Agricultural conglomerate that employs Leroy and his friends. It does a very good job of showing just how one can be seduced by the appearance of power. Leroy loses everything that means anything to him in his rise to management at the "company". The segments where Leroy interacts with his "father" are too funny for words. Pryor doesn't have a great range of acting ability but what he does, he does the best.

For anyone wanting to experience the comic genius which was Richard Pryor, this movie is the starting point. This movie is often neglected. Most bios of Richard Pryor emphasize his concert films, many of which are good and hilarious. Some bios point out to his other movies like Car Wash; but his role in this particular film was far too brief, and was really a cameo appearance. Others cite movies like Stir Crazy or The Toy. However, in these movies his comic genius was either trivialized or squandered.

In this movie he was able to display the fullest array of his talent in one place. Pryor plays three roles in this movie. In the first role he plays the protagonist who is driven away from his home by corporation thugs, makes his life in the big city and returns home with his new spouse and the now changed family that he left behind. The plot and the protagonist is loosely based on the Lina Wertmuller film, The Seduction of Mimi. In the second role, he plays his father, which in reality is a concert character which is based on his own invention, Mudbone. In the third role he plays the Minister Lennox, another familiar Pryor invention.

The movie does have some drawbacks, primarily of which is the music, which is a faux-disco Hollywood standard soundtrack. At times, the movie seems a bit dated. What is not dated is the humor. The movie is hilarious and a showcase of the many sides of Richard Pryor. While Richard Pryor will be missed, this movie should not.

It's been about 30 years since I almost watched the entirety of this movie (the only reason I couldn't was because I was 13 at the time and my mom wouldn't let me watch the rest when she caught me watching a sex scene!) so now that I have indeed done so on Netflix Streaming, I'm sooo glad I did! Richard Pryor must of had the time of his life making this movie with director Michael Schultz especially when-in the only time in his career-he portrayed three characters: Leading player Leroy Jones, his father Rufus, and reverend Lenox Thomas. The story deals with unions, promotions, adultery, sexual problems, and trying to find a balance of it all. Leroy has his hands full dealing with wife Margaret Avery as Annie Mae, Lonette McKee as social activist Vanetta, and Marilyn Coleman as Sister Sarah, wife of the reverend. Pryor's scenes with Ms. McKee are the most romantic, while his sequences with Ms. Avery and Ms. Coleman are the most comic. But they all have some poignancy about them that makes one care for them. Pryor himself is at his best with his takes on each character and the way Leroy changes his demeanor for whatever occasion. In other words, I found Which Way Is Up? quite hilarious so yeah, that's a high recommendation.