Stir Crazy (1980)

(R) 111 mins

Plot Summary: Skip and Harry are framed for a bank robbery and end up in a western prison.  The two Eastern boys are having difficulty adjusting to the new life until the warden finds that Skip has a natural talent for riding broncos with the inter-prison rodeo coming up.

Director: Sidney Poitier

Writer: Bruce Jay Friedman

Stars: Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor, Georg Stanford Brown

Serious Jest:  (Don’t Bother)  Don’t get me wrong, I love the bromance between Wilder and Pryor.  They were both very charismatic in their films together, their comedic chemistry was synced up like the periods in a women’s barracks, and they didn’t rely on their differences in race to establish a masterfully balanced contrast.  But, over time, the jokes that used to kill back in the 70s and 80s just don’t have the same impact anymore.

Also, is it just me, or is it a little unbelievable that a prison rodeo would draw the huge crowd seen in this film?  I had similar thoughts during The Longest Yard, and I love football.

This movie is amusing, and it’s not bad background, but it’s not worth dedicating an exclusive 2 hours to.  On the other hand, I’m definitely going to try to incorporate “kiss the baby” into a future conversation.