Pryor--who produced, directed, cowrote, and starred in this movie--insists that it is not autobiographical. Hard to believe because it's the story of a comedian who was born in a brothel, had several wives, had problems with drugs, and wound up in a burn ward at a hospital when a
free-basing experiment went awry (all striking similarities to Pryor's experience). The picture begins with the title character's free-basing accident and flashes back to reveal the course of his life. The boy's mother (Abbott) works as a prostitute in a brothel, while his grandmother (McRae)
brings up the child (E'lon Cox). When he grows up, the young man (Pryor) moves to Cleveland, where...
Released:
1986
Rated:
R
Length:
97 mins