Actors: Richard Pryor, Margaret Avery, Lonette McKee
Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Which Way Is Up?
Leroy Jones is a migrant worker that was recently fired from his job. The reason for this is that Jones accidently joined a workers union during a demonstration instead doing his orange picking job. The union workers asked him to come along to Los Angeles after becoming a hero for stopping the asassination of a union worker, leaving his wife Annie Mae and ill-mannered father Rufus behind. While at the union he meets with labor organizer Vanetta, who he falls in love and also form a romantic relationship with. Soon the couple forms their own little family and for awhile Jones does not care that he is living a double life.
With a new life in a new city, Leroy gets a call back from his old employer, after hearing the news of his so-called heroism to take a part of a new mangerial position which Jones in return quickly accepts. Controlling a whole section of a agricultural company, life seems to be great for the ruthless Jones. But his old friends/co-workers is taken aback that Leroy is their new boss and seem a little smug for their tastes. Plus Annie Mae is not getting the attention she wants and she accuses him for being a homosexual. Jones greatly denies the accusations and tells her with pride that he has a lady lover on the side. Annie Mae has a huge hissy fit and throws sharp objects (knives) at her two-timing man. But she admits to her busy husband that she is sleeping with their local Reverend Lennox Thomas and became impregnated by him.
Leroy is bewildered by the news yet he once again stray away from him wife by getting revenge on her by seducing and sleeping with Sarah- the Reverends's wife! This makes three women he is involve romantically with- Sarah seems every obssessed with Leroy and things begin to unraveled as he learns he is taken advantage of by his employer regardless his position as a boss. So many problems drops on Leroy all at once with his pregnant wife fathered by another man, job issues and neglecting his other woman Vanetta. It is up to Jones in whatever way to turn his streak of unfortunate fate around.
--Alicia M., Resident Scholar
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Analysis of Which Way Is Up?
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1960's-1970's
Romance/Love/Hugging
Yes
Kind of romance:
- inconveniently married while playing footsy
- marriage going to pieces
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- blue collar
Age:
- 40's-50's
Hair color?
- brunette (Black)
Hair type
- (man) short/standard curly
Body type
- (man) average
Events of movie makes character more...
- irritated
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Black
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor?
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair color
- brunette (Black)
Hair style
- (woman) long wavey
Body type
- (woman) ample bosom & buttocks
Unclothed?
- very tight clothes
How much in movie?
- 60%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Black
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- blue collar
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 60%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- West
City?
Yes
City:
- Los Angeles
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Movie makes you feel...
- full of laughter
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- kissing
Any profanity?
- Some foul language
If soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE...
- Jazz/r&b
