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69% Critic Match
The Jerk
“A rags to riches to rags story.”
6.9 / 10• 1979• 1h 34m•R• English
Comedy
Storyline
After discovering he's not really black like the rest of his family, likable dimwit Navin Johnson sets off on a hilarious misadventure that takes him from rags to riches and back 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.
Cast & Crew
Steve Martin
Navin R. Johnson
Lead
Bernadette Peters
Marie Kimble Johnson
Catlin Adams
Patty Bernstein
Mabel King
Mother
Richard Ward
Father
Carl Gottlieb
Iron Balls McGinty
Dick Anthony Williams
Taj
Bill Macy
Stan Fox
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Carl Reiner's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
3.0
“Every frame feels alive. The Jerk is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
