Parole officer Donald (Robert Christian) compels his foul-mouthed ex-con charge Joe Braxton (Richard Pryor) to escort a bus full of special education students from Philadelphia to the Pacific Northwest, where their teacher Vivian Perry (Cicely Tyson) plans to set up a new school. But when Braxton's latest attempt at going straight becomes a frustrating series of mishaps, he struggles to complete the job he was hired to do while resisting his growing affection for Vivian and the children.
