The Jerk (1979)

The Jerk (1979)

7/10

Starring

Steve Martin

Directed by Carl Reiner

Three times I’ve tried to watch The Jerk (1979), and three times I couldn’t get past the hitchhiking scene from his home, where he struggled to go farther than his fence.

The movie didn’t have a good start, and if not for my resolution to watch just 20 minutes before deciding to delete it, I would’ve missed out. But 20 minutes in, I was hooked. The Jerk is Steve Martin’s first feature film after a long, successful career as a standup comedian. It will make you laugh at how silly this movie can be, and yet it holds its character in high regard.

Here’s what I mean: Navin, in this movie, is like the “dumb and dumber” of other films, where the character is oblivious to what’s happening around him and too clueless to notice. But here, Navin’s character starts off dumb and oblivious, yet as he ventures out into the world, we see him grow a little smarter in his actions. Navin goes after the things he wants and tries to balance his life, all while still remaining dumb.

That, to me, is what makes this movie a classic. In other movies, characters go full dumb and oblivious, but here we see something different. It’s amazing that even today, many films haven’t learned from what Martin did in this one.

The movie was written by Martin as his introduction to Hollywood. Aside from the difficulties he faced getting it made, I can imagine Martin didn’t expect his Hollywood career to extend so far that people would remember him more for his movies than his standup.

The movie starts with Navin telling the camera how he became a homeless bum. Navin is an adopted white kid living with an African American family, completely unaware that he’s a white man among black folks.

After hearing an orchestra song on the radio that gets him moving, he decides to hitchhike to St. Louis to chase the music. Navin’s life begins the moment he gets a ride that takes him beyond his home fence. From meeting a dog, getting his first job, running away with the circus, finding a girlfriend, falling in love (in that order), becoming a millionaire, and then losing it all to end up a bum—it’s a wild ride.

The movie is more than just interesting; it was a huge financial success at the box office, raking in over $73 million from a $4 million budget. It was also a critical success, and you’ll find The Jerk on AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Laughs list at number 89. If you haven’t seen The Jerk, you should.