Set up and wrongfully accused, two best friends are sent to prison for a crime they didn't commit. However, no prison cell can keep them locked in a cage.
Plot
Stir Crazy is a 1980 comedy film directed by Sidney Poitier and starring Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. The film follows the misadventures of two friends who find themselves wrongly convicted of a bank robbery and sentenced to a long prison term.
Here's a brief summary of the plot:
Skip Donahue (Wilder) and Harry Monroe (Pryor) are two friends who decide to leave their mundane lives in New York and head to Hollywood to seek new opportunities. However, their plans take an unexpected turn when they are framed for a bank robbery.
Wrongfully convicted, Skip and Harry are sentenced to 125 years in prison. Life in prison proves to be a series of comedic challenges as the two friends try to cope with their new surroundings and the eccentricities of their fellow inmates. They befriend some of the prisoners, including Grossberger (played by Georg Stanford Brown) and Rory Schultebrand (played by Craig T. Nelson).
The central comedic element of the film revolves around the duo's attempts to adapt to prison life while encountering various humorous situations and eccentric characters. The plot takes a turn when the inmates decide to organize a rodeo as a way to raise funds for a new prison recreation center. Skip and Harry become the unlikely stars of the rodeo, leading to a climax filled with hilarity and chaos.
Stir Crazy is known for the chemistry between Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, who collaborated on several successful comedies. The film's slapstick humor, witty dialogue, and the dynamic between the two lead characters contributed to its popularity and box office success.
Cast
- Gene Wilder as Skipper "Skip" Donahue
- Richard Pryor as Harold "Harry" Monroe
- Georg Stanford Brown as Rory Schultebrand
- JoBeth Williams as Meredith
- Miguel Ángel Suárez as Jesus Ramirez
- Craig T. Nelson as Carlyle
- Barry Corbin as Warden Walter Beatty
- Charles Weldon as Blade
- Nicolas Coster as Warden Henry Sampson
- Joel Brooks as Len Garber
- Jonathan Banks as Jack Graham
- Erland Van Lidth as Grossberger
- Lewis Van Bergen as Guard #1
- Franklyn Ajaye as Young Man in Hospital
- Cedrick Hardman as Big Mean
- Luis Ávalos as Chico
- Esther Sutherland as Sissie
- Pamela Poitier as Mavis
- Claudia Cron as Joy
- Grand L. Bush as Prisoner #1
- Alvin Ing as Doctor
Release Year: 1980
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Runtime: 1h 51m
Director: Sidney Poitier
Writers: Bruce Jay Friedman, Charles Blackwell (uncredited)
Review
"Pryor and Wilder Behind Bars"
"Stir Crazy" once again brings together the comedic talents of Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. This movie is loaded with screwball comedy, showing Gene Wilder at his most manic. His methods at pretending to be insane and keeping his spirit from being broken will elicit big laughs. It all climaxes with a prison rodeo and an elaborate breakout scheme. "Stir Crazy" is a comedy classic, reminding us of the comedy team of Pryor and Wilder.
Did You Know
- Prior to filming, Arizona State Prison Warden Robert Raines had tried to organize a rodeo for 2 years. The prison's availability for a film shoot led to the realization of his dream.
Trivia
- One of the two robbers who impersonate Skip and Harry in the bird costumes is clearly played by a black actor, although the robbers are supposed to be two white guys.
Box Office
- Budget: $10,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada: $101,300,000
- Opening Weekend US & Canada: $8,691,886
- Gross Worldwide: $101,300,000
Technical Specs
- Runtime: 1 hour 51 minutes
- Color: Color
- Sound Mix: Mono
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
More Information
- Distributor: Columbia Pictures
- Release Date (Theaters): Dec 14, 1980