The Jerk

  • 15
  • Carl Reiner (1979)
  • US
  • 89 min
The Jerk
Film Review
Reviewed By
4 out of 5

Has Steve Martin made a funnier film? Fans of this insist he hasn't, as Martin takes on the role of simple-minded and naive Navin Johnson, who suddenly discovers that his black parents aren't his natural kith and kin. He leaves the plantation to make his way in a world that is as loopy as him. There are some heavenly jokes (especially the one where he makes a fortune inventing an absurd nose support for spectacles), and Martin is in best "manic" mode.

Plot Summary

Comedy starring Steve Martin. Navin Johnson, the white sheep in a poor black family of Mississippi sharecroppers, leaves home to seek his fortune in the big city. Navin's struggle for fame, his invention of the miraculous opti-grab device and the earth-shattering discovery of his "special purpose" are just a small part of the Johnson legend.

Cast and crew

Cast

Navin Johnson
Steve Martin
Marie Kimball
Bernadette Peters
Patty Bernstein
Catlin Adams
Mother
Mabel King
Father
Richard Ward
Taj
Dick Anthony Williams
Stan Fox
Bill Macy
Madman
M Emmet Walsh
Frosty
Dick O'Neill
Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner
Hobart
Maurice Evans
Harry Hartounian
Jackie Mason
Iron Balls McGinty
Carl Gottlieb
Cat Juggler
Steve Martin

Crew

Director
Carl Reiner

Other Information

Language: 
English
Colour
Theatrical distributor: 
C.I.C. (UK)
Guidance: 
May be edited for language.
Available on video and DVD
Certificate 15
Categories
Comedy

Add new comment

Ads by Google