Moving (1988)

Moving is a lightweight R-rated comedy featuring Richard Pryor as Arlo Pear. He's an engineer who loses his job in a merger but finds a new job that requires him to move from New Jersey to Boise, Idaho.However, his family isn't happy about the move, especially his daughter Casey (Stacey Dash) because she wants to graduate first before leaving.They do move and it seems Murphy's Law hits Arlo over and over again. From hiring a deranged man to drive his Saab to Boise, to criminal moving men, to buying a house in Boise from a crazy old man, it seems Arlo's mental state is being tested to see if it will break.Moving seemingly would work great as a family film as it has that Cosby Show feel to it but for some strange reason they chose to make it an R- rated film and stunt its box office potential.Regardless, Pryor is in good form here and seeing him react to his worsening luck over and over again is fun stuff. Randy Quaid also shines as his neighbor and deranged ex-Vietnam vet Frank Crawford, who childishly abuses Arlo. There are some cool small roles from the likes of Rodney Dangerfield and pro wrestler King Kong Bundy, as well.Not the best Richard Pryor comedy out there but a good one and a lot better than the critics at the time opined. I just wonder how much better it would have been, critically and financially, if it were a PG film.

Man do I feel sorry for Arlo. That poor man. If that were me I would be kicking myself. This movie was funny and amusing though. Hes got movers who won't deliver his stuff, a crazy guy driving his Saab, he got scammed on his house and hes getting blamed for all of this stuff at his new job when all he did was sharpen his pencil. Some great actors and actresses in this movie like Richard Pryor, Randy Quaid, Stacey Dash, Dave Thomas and Dana Carvey (The younger, funnier Dana Carvey before Mike Myers ruined his reputation). This is the only movie I have ever seen with Richard Pryor without Gene Wilder. I thought they were only funny when they were together, but Pryor did a great job in this movie. I should go see a just Gene Wilder movie and see if its the same for him too.

I saw this back in '88 and hated it because it's so forced and contrived, but I just watched it, and it was fun. I had no expectations and it was still forced and contrived, but in a good way. I loved the finger bit, and the DOG was great.Dana Carvey was Great. Course he always is. Pryor has been better. Like in Stir Crazy, or Live in Concert, but he's still Pryor here. Quaid, seemed like a rip off from Vacation, or maybe that was a rip off of this? Maybe Quaid was one diminutional, on second thought maybe he still is. I like him anyway. Morris Day had a cool cameo.Apparently I need 10 lines to post an opinion, but there is not much to add, it's a simple movie, what else can I say? The credits were cool. I bet the titles guys are evenious of PhotoShop. I can see them now saying back in my day we had to skew those titles by hand.Now that I think about it, this could have been better if they just played up some of the bits and ignored others. Like the house, who is going to remove that from the back yard? But the old packing guy was great, yet they just dropped that.

I have seen this movie more times than I could think to count. It is absolutely hilarious! I know every word.Really. Moving is my all time favorite comedy. When I come across a friend who hasn't seen it or even heard of it, I quickly rectify. It's a classic. Randy Quaid's performance(s) is flawless. Dana Carvey will make your tummy ache from laughing so hard.Richard Pryor is perfection. Anytime I need a guaranteed laugh, I pop this one in. Excellent from beginning to end.