The Jerk (1979)
Storyline
After discovering he's not really black like the rest of his family, likable dimwit Navin Johnson runs off on a hilarious misadventure in this comedy classic that takes him from rags to riches and back to rags 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
Cast
Trailer
Reviews
100
Empire
Loud and ludicrous, The Jerk is a strong contender for the funniest film of all time.
90
Like Woody Allen's "Take The Money and Run", The Jerk is basically designed to allow Martin to use as many of his standup jokes and routines as possible, but his charm and timing makes this cleverly constructed movie seem fantastically loose and easy.
80
Sweet, lighthearted, occasionally hilarious.
80
By turns funny, vulgar and backhandedly clever, never more so than when it aspires to absolute stupidity. And Mr. Martin, who began his career with an arrow stuck through his head, has since developed a real genius for playing dumb.
67
The Jerk‘s threadbare plot follows the brilliantly convoluted story.
