Add another gem to the career of Richard Pryor, the same year he got a ton of laughs from both white and black audiences for the classic comedy "Which way is Up?" As real life black race car driver Wendell Scott, Pryor faces a racist backlash for getting into what is considered the good old white boy's sport, having impressed local sheriff (and ambitious politician) Gardenia for constantly outwitting him in their efforts to hunt him down for bootlegging. In exchange for the charges being dropped, he becomes an amateur driver, and slowly moves his way up to the big time, facing a lot of obstacles along the way including the hate towards him simply because of the color of his skin. Standing by him is his sweet, beautiful wife Pamela Grier, a far cry from her action films, and Beau Bridges who becomes his best friend (along with Clevon Little from his bootlegging days) and stands up to the racist audience members who desperately try to keep Pryor from winning the big prize.
It's interesting to see that the Bridges character isn't exactly innocent of being racist himself, but he slowly comes to see Pryor as a man worthy of fighting alongside, growing as a human as he begins to change his feelings. This is not it comedy although there are many funny moments, especially as Pryor and Little outwit the law, and how Pryor uses his intelligence in that effort as the white man he comes across, desperate to step on his toes, are presented as ignorant in every way possible. There are some good songs in the background, and the racing scenes are quite exciting, especially when prior in one scene crashes over a fence as his wife and mother (Minnie Gentry) look on in horror, certain he has been badly injured or worse. It's terrific to see a film where someone fights the odds and wins, because it's the fantastic old conflict of good winning over bad and maintaining one's dignity and coming out smelling like a rose. Definitely one of the great unsung black themed films that is the ultimate crowd pleaser. This film definitely deserves to be dusted off the shelf of forgotten '70s movies and given the acclaim it has been denied.
It's interesting to see that the Bridges character isn't exactly innocent of being racist himself, but he slowly comes to see Pryor as a man worthy of fighting alongside, growing as a human as he begins to change his feelings. This is not it comedy although there are many funny moments, especially as Pryor and Little outwit the law, and how Pryor uses his intelligence in that effort as the white man he comes across, desperate to step on his toes, are presented as ignorant in every way possible. There are some good songs in the background, and the racing scenes are quite exciting, especially when prior in one scene crashes over a fence as his wife and mother (Minnie Gentry) look on in horror, certain he has been badly injured or worse. It's terrific to see a film where someone fights the odds and wins, because it's the fantastic old conflict of good winning over bad and maintaining one's dignity and coming out smelling like a rose. Definitely one of the great unsung black themed films that is the ultimate crowd pleaser. This film definitely deserves to be dusted off the shelf of forgotten '70s movies and given the acclaim it has been denied.