The Jerk

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The Jerk

R,

1979,

1h 33m,

Comedy

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Watchlist

Watchlist

82%

44 Reviews

Tomatometer

84%

50,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

44 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Navin (Steve Martin) believes he was born a poor black child in Mississippi. He is, however, actually white. Upon figuring this out, he heads north to St. Louis to find himself. After landing a job at a gas station, Navin is excited to discover his name printed in the new phone book. This ratification of his existence leads him from one misadventure to another -- as he invents gadgets, dodges bullets, joins the carnival and seeks love in the arms of beautiful Marie (Bernadette Peters).

Critics Consensus

Crude, crass, and oh so quotable, The Jerk is nothing short of an all-out comedic showcase for Steve Martin.

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Tom Huddleston

Time Out

Dec 12, 2024

5/5

The result remains the funniest film of Martin’s career: a rags-to-riches riot of visual gags, oddball wit and, of course, outrageous silliness.

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Mar 14, 2021

The verbal and conceptual gags... belong wholly to Martin's own brand of goofiness, and some of them are pretty funny.

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Gary Arnold

Washington Post

Apr 24, 2018

Within ts limitations, The Jerk is a capably produced entertainment, seasoned by deft bit performances from several actors...

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Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Jan 17, 2024

The Jerk is uneven with a capital U.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Nov 30, 2023

4/5

…doesn’t tick the boxes required of a rounded drama, but it’s hard to complain when so many gags land…

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Feb 22, 2022

3.5/4

Every scene offers something funny; every scene subverts expectations.

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Anakin P

Mar 15, 2019

its a crap film but its still steve martin's best work

Feb 1, 2019

The best comedy movie ever made! With the best movie quote ever spoken: "I was born a poor black child." Or is it "I was born a poor, black child."?

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Anakin L

Oct 27, 2018

Finally saw this movie after hearing about it my entire life. It was really, really dumb, but boy did it make me laugh.

Kylo R

Aug 4, 2018

The life, career, and filmography of Steve Martin is something I've regrettably developed a blind spot for throughout my lifetime. And with this first step -- my viewing of "The Jerk" -- it appears as though I've got quite the journey ahead of me. This is a funny movie. Not necessarily a perfect or even consistent comedy, but funny overall. I definitely laughed out loud a few times, chuckled a health amount, and had a smile on my face nearly all throughout. And though the movie's narrative may come off as a bit haphazard on occasion, the end product is still just about worth the watch.

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Albus S

Jun 20, 2018

The most irritating thing in this film (apart from the generally pedestrian sense of humor and lack of structure) is that it can't seem to decide if Steve Martin's character is supposed to be a naive idiot who doesn't know anything or a quick-witted smartass whenever required.

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Luke G

Mar 29, 2018

C+. Not as good as I remember it. It had some really funny lines and overall entertaining story line, but it also had a lot of crude, immature human I didn't connect with or appreciate. Comedies are hard for me.

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Carl Reiner

Director

Steve Martin

Navin R. Johnson

Bernadette Peters

Marie Kimble Johnson

Catlin Adams

Patty Bernstein

Mabel King

Mother

Richard Ward

Father

The Jerk: Official Clip - Navin's Special Purpose

3:00

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The Jerk: Official Clip - He Hates These Cans!

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The Jerk: Official Clip - Navin Beats the Racists

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The Jerk: Official Clip - The Lord Loves a Workin' Man

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The Jerk: Official Clip - Navin's in Print

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The Jerk: Official Clip - Navin's Birthday

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The Jerk: Official Clip - Don't Call That Dog Lifesaver

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The Jerk: Official Clip - The Opti-Grab

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The Jerk: Official Clip - Navin Calls the Cops

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The Jerk: Official Clip - That's All I Need!

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Synopsis

Navin (Steve Martin) believes he was born a poor black child in Mississippi. He is, however, actually white. Upon figuring this out, he heads north to St. Louis to find himself. After landing a job at a gas station, Navin is excited to discover his name printed in the new phone book. This ratification of his existence leads him from one misadventure to another -- as he invents gadgets, dodges bullets, joins the carnival and seeks love in the arms of beautiful Marie (Bernadette Peters).

Director: Carl Reiner
Producer: David V. Picker, William McEuen
Screenwriter: Steve Martin, Carl Gottlieb, Michael Elias
Distributor: MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
Production Co: Aspen Film Society
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 14, 1979, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2012
Runtime: 1h 33m

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