if you're a richard pryor fan I definetly recommend it.the movie should have been longer.

I don't think the media lied to the public, but just reported the facts that were available at the time. Richard Pryor caught fire after freebasing cocaine. That's what happened, and that's what was reported.
It wasn't until years later that Richard revealed it was a suicide attempt. I think reporting it as a suicide attempt in 1980 would have been a lot more sensationalistic, especially when Richard wasn't talking about the reasons for the fire then.

Pardon?

Freak

This particular film made me truly respect Pryor because he told the brutal truth. When his accident took place, the media lied to the public stating that he had been burned in a freebasing explosion. This sensationalized the story while masking a suicide attempt. It wasn't until years later, in his autobiography "Pryor Commitments", that Richard admitted it was no accident, that he actually was trying to kill himself.
The movie was released years before the book. In the movie, he told the truth. Very courageous move on his part.

I just saw this film this morning and I have to say that it is one of the worst films I've ever seen truly his most dissapointing film yet.

I'm biased towards Pryor to begin with. I've loved his stuff since I was a kid. If you like his humor, you will most likely enjoy the film. As a movie by itself, I would give it a B rating for a letter grade. I give an A+ for its brutally honest depiction of what extreme drug abuse can do for some people.

i agree. this is a very honest film from the man who lived it.

Rewatched it last night after maybe 10 years. I appreciate it so much more now. Pryor as co-writer and director wasn't afraid to take some cinematic chances. Makes me wish he'd tried to do more things behind the camera. Probably didn't have the self-discipline. The scenes of JoJo's early show biz misadventures evoke a long-forgotten period of the "chitlin' circuit." Yes, there are some awkward moments, but for the most part this is a worthwhile film.

Just to add my two cents, definitely see this. It is great. I cannot fathom how it has a 5.4 score right now. Funny and dramatic. Great performance by Pryor. It really "gets" bottoming out on drugs, but not in a boring or preachy way. A lost classic, says I.

If you've never seen this one, you need to now more than ever. Now that the great Richard Pryor has passed on, this movie is the summation of his life's legacy. It tells not only what happened, but why.
Don't miss this one.

This is Richard at his most dramatic and still very funny. The only reason I could think that people haven't taken to commenting on this masterpiece is unlike his other films this is so true to his actual life that it takes the fun out of his charter and has feeling bad that he is struggling to get better. Richard you are in my heart and prayers.

great movie