The Jerk
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.
Comedy
6.9
886 reviewsRuntime: 94 min.
Budget: $4,000,000
Revenue: $100,000,000
Release Date: 1979-12-14
Director(s): Carl Reiner
Production: Universal Pictures, Aspen Film Society
Languages: English
IMDB: tt0079367
Where to Watch
Rent: 
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Amazon VideoApple TV StoreGoogle Play MoviesYouTubeFandango At HomeBuy: Amazon VideoApple TV StoreGoogle Play MoviesYouTubeFandango At Home
Amazon VideoApple TV StoreGoogle Play MoviesYouTubeFandango At HomeData from JustWatch
Collection: The Jerk Collection
The Jerk Collection Collection
Trailers
Cast
More Like This
Recommendations
Reviews
Wuchak★ 7/102/25/2019
***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