User reviews

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).

Based on "The Seduction of Mimi", this Americanized version of the script loses much in the translation. Significantly damaged are the cutting social satire and the tragic aspect. The original, dealing with radical Italian politics and labor issues, Italian concepts of family honor, traditional Italian gender roles and an intimidating pyramid of social corruption MIGHT have worked here IF the Hollywood scriptwriters knew how to superimpose a uniquely American template onto these themes and redrew the map to fit. Instead they used the original script verbatim and threw-out anything too idiomatic, replacing political irony with rather dumb 70s TV sitcom jokes.

This left Pryor in the unenviable position of having to shore-up this spineless farce. He's left pretty much on his own. As in too many Peter Sellers movies, he's given free reign to pad the scenes with comic improvisation. In front of an audience Pryor was a genius at this. The camera just doesn't pick it up here. Most of his valiant efforts fall flat. Both Margaret Avery and Marilyn Coleman give more finely tuned comedic performances.

Pryor may actually be miscast. The role of Leroy calls for a Chaplineque everyman caught in the middle of tyrannical forces over which he has no control and must constantly deny his ideals and desires in order to survive. The role calls for an idiot, but a sympathetic one, and Pryor isn't credible as a dope. When he attempts to look clueless, he looks like a hip wiseguy trying to look innocent. And that's really funny in the right situation. But here it works like a spice trying to taste bland.

Fortunately, Pryor would try his hand at this type of character in Blue Collar with far better results.

I'm certain most of the blame can be leveled on both the producer and director. Steve Krantz was okay with cartoons, but a total hack at producing live action films. He was probably hovering around impeding the camera-work and making sure there were no retakes. Michael Schultz never made much of his directorial career and is particularly stale in the comedy genre. After some early potential he quickly sold himself out as a Hollywood flunkie for square producers like Krantz.

Five stars for Pryor because anything he's in is worth a look, plus an extra star for Avery, Coleman and gratuitous sightings of Korla Pandit and Hank Worden.

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.

Which Way is Up (1977) is a movie I recently watched on Tubi and tells the tale of a small town man who decides wealth can be achieved through joining his labor union. He is quickly promoted and sent to the city to be a key representative. He leaves his wife in the small town and remarries in the city and starts an entirely new family. When he has to return home for his union work his worlds are about to collide, his old life and his new life...

This movie is directed by Michael Schultz (The Last Dragon) and stars Richard Pryor (Harlem Nights), Margaret Avery (The Color Purple), Morgan Woodward (Cool Hand Luke), Tim Thomerson (Trancers), Victor Argo (King of New York) and Otis Day (Animal House).

The storyline for this was fairly interesting with some good twists and turns with its depiction of men balancing multiple families as well as the corruption of unions to take advantage of employees. I found the storyline good overall but kind of sad in terms of how it wraps up. Pryor playing multiple characters was fun, and the dialogue of him playing his father was hilarious. The comedic content was uneven but his father character was comedic gold. There are some good one-liners sprinkled in throughout the movie.

Overall this is an up and down movie in terms of comedic content and storyline. This movie is definitely worth watching but far from one of Pryor's best films. I would score this a 6/10 and recommend seeing it once.

Richard Pryor assumes three roles in a farce about a California orange picker, and boy does Pryor have great acting versatility! Pryor first becomes a labor union hero then a corporate womanizing flunky. Pryor is at his best as the grumpy old man father this is one of the funniest roles I have ever seen Pryor play. This is a film that shows that sometimes life can take on great changes in the way of family, relationships, jobs, and status. Only in the end to once again return to our beginnings to understand my comments watch the film you will see what I mean. To sum it up you will enjoy this nice comedy if your a Pryor fan you will really appreciate his versatile ability as an actor!

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.

Richard Pryor plays three different roles in this comedy and they all have one thing in common: sex.

The main character, Leroy Jones (Richard Pryor), has been run out of town by a squad of union-busting goons. He makes a new name and a new home for himself in California where he meets the beautiful Vanetta (Lonette McKee). Life seems to be going well until he witnesses an attempted murder. After that things just get more complicated.

This movie had its moments. As an overall story it was pretty lousy. Sometimes a comedian or team of comedians can come up with some funny lines and some funny scenarios, but they don't necessarily make a good movie. This movie was just that. A fairly incohesive story having to do with "the man" or free masons or something similar and a farm labor movement. That was the backdrop to Pryor's three different roles as a preacher, an old man, and Leroy Jones.

What was patently evident, besides Leroy Jones being a scared self-centered a-hole, was that sex was clearly on the agenda. I know sex tends to be a hot topic for certain comedians, but Pryor was never the sex-joke type. At any rate, if Pryor had a dream life of being able to conquer multiple women, this movie would be that. No, it didn't all go perfectly, but that may have just been the tiny realistic touch they wanted to insert into the movie.

The few scant laughs truly weren't worth the hour-and-a-half commitment. It was a lot of Pryor being weak and scared or sexually active. That doesn't make a movie, that makes a comedy sketch. And typically, a storyline needs a satisfactory resolution to be considered a storyline. Sadly, this movie lacked that as well.

Between 1975 and 1978,Richard Pryor was at the top of his creative game and this 1977 film was one of his best and one of his most underrated.In this film,Pryor assumes three roles(a fruit picker turned corporate flunky,his randy father and a shady preacher).A must see for any pryor fan.I recently saw this film again on BET Movies and I laughed just as hard as I did on the first viewing in 1977.Check it out.

RICHARD PRYOR WAS NOT THE FIRST ACTOR TO DO MULTIPLE CHARACTERS IN A FILM. PETER SELLERS, DANNY KAYE DID CHARACTERS IN THEIR FILMS LONG B4 PRYOR. HOWEVER, RICHARD PRYOR WAS THE FIRST BLACK ACTOR TO ACHIEVE THIS FEAT. EDDIE MURPHY I THINK WAS BETTER AT DOING MULTIPLE CHARACTERS. WHEN EDDIE PLAYED A CHARACTER, EDDIE WOULD TOTALLY DISAPPEAR TO THE POINT U FORGOT IT WAS HIM. PRYOR'S 3 CHARACTERS ASIDE FROM THEIR MAKEUP, ARE NOT MUCH DIFFERENT. THEY SOUNDED LIKE HIM, ACTED LIKE HIM SO U BASICALLY KNEW IT WAS PRYOR. PRYOR AS THE OLD MAN IS THE FUNNIEST THING IN THIS MOVIE AND IT'S A CRIME HE WASN'T GIVEN MORE SCREEN TIME. PRYOR AS LEROY WAS NOT VERY SMART OR A LIKABLE CHARACTER. U DON'T SYMPATHIZE WITH A COWARD WHO COULDN'T JUST WALK AWAY FROM HIS MARRIAGE. INSTEAD HE JUGGLES MULTIPLE WOMEN AND TRIES TO KEEP IT TOGETHER. THEN HYPOCRITICALLY IS VERY UPSET WHEN HE FINDS HIS WIFE IS PREGNANT BY THE REVEREND THOMAS (ALSO PRYOR). 5 SCENES THAT I'D SUGGEST FORWARDING YOUR DVD TO SEE: LEROY AND HIS DAD GOIN AT IT IN THE BEGINNING OF THE FILM, THE OLD MAN BEEFIN BOUT HIS CHICKEN, THE REVEREND'S SERMON, THE OLD MAN SEEING LEROY'S WIFE HALF DRESSED, AND LEROY AND THE REVEREND HAVIN IT OUT IN THE CHURCH!

Pyror was genius! Seeing it again after 30+ years you have to really respect what was necessary to produce this movie in 1970's climate! Also pleased to see Bebe Drake, Margaret Avery, Marilyn Coleman, and of course Vonnetta McKee. Margaret and Vonnetta went on to have their own successes and I've always been proud of them but Bebe and Marilyn have turned out to be character actresses for black womanhood! I love them! They may not have the same name recognition as some of the others but they have truly endured through time! They are in so many different roles and bring something different to them all. They were outstanding in WWIU but I look forward to seeing them wherever they turn 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!

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.

I saw this movie at the theater when I was 12 or 13 and it took me from a naive child-woman to an aware black woman through comedy! I never laughed so hard in all of my life! Richard Pryor not only portrays three different characters flawlessly, he spins a story that has a moral and a conscious. The great soundtrack featured music from a group named STARGUARD who sang the title "Which Way is Up" and it was a big hit on urban radio in the 1979-80! This movie is a must-see for any and all fans of Richard Pryor - just to see how his comic-acting genius was as unique as it was effective. I know more people may have seen "Silver Streak" or "Blazing Saddles" (which he co-wrote the screenplay) but WHICH WAY IS UP is by far his best movie! It is unforgettable!

I first saw "Which Way is Up" on TV in the 80's, but the unedited version is superior. Richard Pryor plays three roles flawlessly in this moral tale of life,love, frailty, honor, and temptation. By chance he goes from a migrant worker, to a union hero, to a corporate pawn, while events occur and his life gets more and more complex. Hilarious as Loroy , the fruit picker turned corporation man, and his wild Father, and a shady Reverend. A must see for Richard Pryor fans and movie lovers. Lonette Mckee, his lady, is beautiful.Actually the casting was excellent throughout. Rent this one soon ! It will definitely leave an impression, as well as make you laugh a lot.

Richard Pryor plays three different people in this low budget movie with tons of laughs.The preacher & father are works of art.It is a stereotypical movie but true to life.Its shows how the rise to the top has it's sacrifices but the way down can be just as hard.If you are a Richard Pryor fan, rent this one today!!

Anybody know what piece of music is used when Leroy chases Vernetta through the park?