The Jerk main backdrop
The Jerk main poster

6.9/10 • 835

1979-12-141h 34m

Comedy

A rags to riches to rags story.

After discovering he's not really black like the rest of his family, likable dimwit Navin Johnson sets off on a hilarious misadventure that takes him from rags to riches and back again. The slaphappy jerk strikes it rich, but life in the fast lane isn't all it's cracked up to be and, in the end, all that really matters to Johnson is his true love.

Directors
Carl Reiner
Editors
Ron Spang

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Steve Martin

    Steve Martin

    Navin R. Johnson

  2. Bernadette Peters

    Bernadette Peters

    Marie Kimble Johnson

  3. Catlin Adams

    Catlin Adams

    Patty Bernstein

  4. Mabel King

    Mabel King

    Mother

  5. Richard Ward

    Richard Ward

    Father

  6. Carl Gottlieb

    Carl Gottlieb

    Iron Balls McGinty

  7. Dick Anthony Williams

    Dick Anthony Williams

    Taj

  8. Bill Macy

    Bill Macy

    Stan Fox

  9. M. Emmet Walsh

    M. Emmet Walsh

    Madman

Reviews1

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Wuchak Avatar

Wuchak

Feb 25, 2019

7/10

Steve Martin’s breakout comedy A homeless mentally-challenged man (Steve Martin) shares his amusing tale of rags-to-riches-to-hobo with flashbacks. Catlin Adams plays a stunt rider at a carnival who has the hots for Navin (Martin) while Bernadette Peters plays a more important woman in his life. “The Jerk” (1979) has several laugh-out-loud scenes like the eventual confrontation between Patty (Catlin) and Marie (Peters), but there are also some flat, overlong parts, like when Navin departs the mansion in the last act. “Forrest Gump” (1994) was obviously inspired by “The Jerk” and made a more serious, popular picture. Jim Carrey also took a lot of inspiration from Martin and “The Jerk” to forge the even funnier “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” (1994). The movie runs 1 hour, 34 minutes and was shot in the Los Angeles area. GRADE: B

Media

  • The Jerk poster
  • The Jerk poster
  • The Jerk poster
  • The Jerk poster
  • The Jerk poster
  • The Jerk poster
  • The Jerk poster
  • The Jerk poster
  • The Jerk poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
$4,000,000.00
Revenue
$100,000,000.00
Keywords
blowneominstrelsyphone booksharecroppertennis court