Do you want to see ‘The Jerk’?

The Jerk (1979)

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Top Critics

Average Rating: 6.5/10
Reviews Counted: 30
Fresh: 25 | Rotten: 5

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 4
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 2

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Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 53,522

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Movie Info

Carl Reiner directs Steve Martin (who co-wrote the script with Carl Gottlieb) in this gag-laden comedy about an idiotic white man, raised by a poor family of black sharecroppers, who doesn't realize he's not black. Navin R. Johnson (Steve Martin) is told the horrible truth when he finds himself instinctively tapping his feet to an easy listening tune on the radio, instead of a low-down blues. His mother (Mabel King) tells him he's white and Navin takes to the road (in a World War II bomber

R, 1 hr. 34 min.

Comedy

Directed By: Carl Reiner

Written By: Carl Gottlieb, Steve Martin, Michael Elias

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1979 Wide

On DVD: Jul 26, 2005

Universal Pictures

The Jerk Trailer & Photos

Cast

Steve Martin
Navin Johnson
Bernadette Peters
Marie
M. Emmet Walsh
Madman
Mabel King
Mother
Catlin Adams
Patty Bernstein
Richard Ward
Father
Dick Anthony Williams
Taj
Bill Macy
Stan Fox
Dick O'Neill
Frosty
Maurice Evans
Hobart
Helena Carroll
Hester
Jackie Mason
Harry Hartounian
Carl Reiner
Himself
Lillian Adams
Tillie
Alston Ahern
Bride
Domingo Ambriz
Father De Cordoba
Kimberly Cameron
Disco Party
Alfred Dennis
Irving
Richard Foronjy
Con Man
Elizabeth Macey
Disco Party
Ken Magee
Carnival Rube
Maurice Marsac
French Waiter
Lenny Montana
Con Man
Pepe Serna
Punk No. 1
Trinidad Silva
Punk
Ren Woods
Elvira
Carl Gottlieb
Iron Balls McGinty
David Landsberg
Bank Manager
Fred Lerner
Con Man
Brownie McGee
Blues Singer
Sonny Terry
Blues Singer
Joe Lynn
Voodoo Dancer
Clete Roberts
Announcer
Debbie Evans
Stunts
Frances E. Williams
Grandma Johnson

Critic Reviews for The Jerk

All Critics (30) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (29) | Rotten (6) | DVD (26)

Its humor is successful and unsuccessful by turns, and although Comedian Carl Reiner is the director, the instinct here is to give most of both credit and blame to Martin.

February 2, 2009 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine

| Comment

John Skow

TIME Magazine

Top Critic

An artless, non-stop barrage of off-the-wall situations, funny and unfunny jokes, generally effective and sometimes hilarious sight gags and bawdy non sequiturs.

February 2, 2009 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Variety Staff

Variety

Top Critic

We get the sense at times that the cast and crew arrived at a location, found the script bankrupt of real laughs, and started looking around for funny props.

July 5, 2005 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times

| Comment (1)

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Top Critic

The laughs aren't steady, but they're persistent, and the film moves fast enough to compensate for its unevenness.

May 9, 2005 Full Review Source: New York Times

| Comment

Janet Maslin

New York Times

Top Critic

92 minutes of direct and sweet surrealism

February 13, 2010 Full Review Source: CinePassion

| Comment

Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

If only he could have satisfied himself with this area of expertise, people would still talk of Steve Martin as one of the kings of comic cinema.

February 2, 2009 Full Review Source: Film4

| Comment

Richard Luck

Film4

The comedy runs out of steam when the jerk makes good, but laugh for laugh it's probably a better investment than 10.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

The whole thing is uneven and slight, but the highlight moments guilty-pleasure us with the sort of stupid-funny that's 'LOL' quotable afterward.

April 6, 2006 Full Review Source: DVDJournal.com

| Comment

Mark Bourne

DVDJournal.com

Steve Martin is at the height of his comic powers in this very un-PC comedy.

January 25, 2006 Comment

Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

It's classic comedy!

September 23, 2005 Full Review | Comment

Michael Szymanski

International Press Academy

Here, it's almost pure mainlined Martin at his weirdest, but with Carl Reiner in the chair to offer some finesse where needed.

August 11, 2005 Full Review Source: Needcoffee.com

| Comment

Widgett Walls

Needcoffee.com

Anarchic, silly and simply an all-out blast...

August 9, 2005 Full Review Source: Now Playing Magazine

| Comment

Brent Simon

Now Playing Magazine Source: Now Playing Magazine

While The Jerk is an extremely episodic little movie, that's a malady easily forgiven -- simply because the episodes are so damn funny.

July 31, 2005 Full Review Source: DVDTalk.com

| Comment

Scott Weinberg

DVDTalk.com

Martin's one-liners are pretty funny, very dry, and awfully quotable.

February 6, 2005 Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com

| Comment

Christopher Null

Filmcritic.com

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Jerk

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A genius exercise in the absurd that's also a watchable comedy. Truly a classic. Acting's a little weak and it has to get a little cheesy in order for there to be a resolution, but this is a can't-miss movie that had me howling.

May 14, 2007

Daniel Perry

Super Reviewer

An idiot sets out to find his place in the larger world, encountering colorful characters on his way.I saw an interview with Steve Martin, and he said, "I was watching comedians at that time [the early 70s], and everybody was just angry. And I thought to myself, 'There is no way this is going to last, so I'm just

April 6, 2011

Jim Hunter

Super Reviewer

The Jerk Quotes

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1. Navin Johnson: You mean I'm going to stay this color?
– Submitted by Its B (37 days ago)
1. Navin Johnson: Stan Fox: Damn these glasses. Navin R. Johnson: Yes, sir. [to the glasses] Navin R. Johnson: I damn thee.
– Submitted by Its B (37 days ago)
1. Navin Johnson: That Patty must be a sweet girl.
– Submitted by Its B (37 days ago)
1. Navin Johnson: First I get my name in the phone book and now I'm on your ass. You know, I'll bet more people see that than the phone book.
– Submitted by Its B (37 days ago)
1. Navin Johnson: The new phone books are here! The new phone books are here!
– Submitted by Its B (37 days ago)

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