The Jerk 1979
7.1 / 10
The Jerk
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.
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.
Videos & Photos
All 1 Videos & 24 Photos
cast
Full Cast & Crew
... Navin R. Johnson
... Marie Kimble Johnson
... Patty Bernstein
... Mother
... Father
... Iron Balls McGinty
User reviews
See All 1 Reviews23 Jun 2021 by Wuchak
***Steve Martin’s breakout comedy*** A homeless mentally-challenged man (Steve Martin) shares his amusing tale of rags-to-riches-to-hobo with flashbacks. Catlin Adams plays a stunt rider at a carnival who has the hots for Navin (Martin) while Bernadette Peters plays a more important woman in his life. “The Jerk” (1979) has several laugh-out-loud scenes like the eventual confrontation between Patty (Catlin) and Marie (Peters), but there are also some flat, overlong parts, like when Navin departs the mansion in the last act. “Forrest Gump” (1994) was obviously inspired by “The Jerk” and made a more serious, popular picture. Jim Carrey also took a lot of inspiration from Martin and “The Jerk” to forge the even funnier “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” (1994). The movie runs 1 hour, 34 minutes and was shot in the Los Angeles area. GRADE: B
Directors:
Genres:
Release Date:
Dec 14, 1979 (United States)
Run Time:
1hr 34`
MMPA Rating:
R
Original Language:
English
Production Countries:
United States
Status:
Released
Plot Keywords:
Related Movies To
The Jerk
***Steve Martin’s breakout comedy*** A homeless mentally-challenged man (Steve Martin) shares his amusing tale of rags-to-riches-to-hobo with flashbacks. Catlin Adams plays a stunt rider at a carnival who has the hots for Navin (Martin) while Bernadette Peters plays a more important woman in his life. “The Jerk” (1979) has several laugh-out-loud scenes like the eventual confrontation between Patty (Catlin) and Marie (Peters), but there are also some flat, overlong parts, like when Navin departs the mansion in the last act. “Forrest Gump” (1994) was obviously inspired by “The Jerk” and made a more serious, popular picture. Jim Carrey also took a lot of inspiration from Martin and “The Jerk” to forge the even funnier “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” (1994). The movie runs 1 hour, 34 minutes and was shot in the Los Angeles area. GRADE: B
Cast & Crew of
The Jerk
Directors & Credit Writers
... Director
Cast
... Navin R. Johnson
... Marie Kimble Johnson
... Patty Bernstein
... Mother
... Father
... Iron Balls McGinty
... Taj
... Stan Fox
... Madman
... Frosty
... Hobart
... Hester
... Elvira
... Punk #1
... Blues Singer
... Blues Singer
... Harry Hartounian
... Con Man
... Self
... Circus Hand (uncredited)
Produced By
... Casting
... Producer
... Associate Producer
Videos & Photos of
The Jerk
Videos ( 1)
Photos ( 24 )
Related Movies To
The Jerk
Heads of State (2025)
0 /10
The UK Prime Minister and US President have a public rivalry that risks their countries' alliance. But when they become targets of a powerful enemy, they're forced to rely on each other as they go on a wild, multinational run. Allied with Noel, a brilliant MI6 agent, they must find a way to thwart a conspiracy that threatens the free world.
Run Time: 1hr 53` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 02 Jul 2025
Director: Ilya Naishuller , Jo Beckett , Ben Howard
Producer: Idris Elba , André Nemec , Max Jacoby
Stars: Idris Elba , John Cena , Priyanka Chopra Jonas , Paddy Considine , Stephen Root , Carla Gugino
Lilo & Stitch (2025)
0 /10
The wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family.
Run Time: 1hr 48` . MMPA: PG . Release: 17 May 2025
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp , Kate Pulley , Richard Oswald
Producer: Dan Lin , Sande Alessi , Spencer Turley
Stars: Chris Sanders , Maia Kealoha , Zach Galifianakis , Billy Magnussen , Sydney Agudong , Courtney B. Vance
Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado (2025)
0 /10
Dora, Diego, and their new friends trek through the perilous dangers of the Amazonian jungle in search of the ancient and powerful treasure of Sol Dorado to keep it out of enemy hands.
Run Time: 1hr 36` . MMPA: PG . Release: 02 Jul 2025
Director: Alberto Belli
Producer:
Stars: Samantha Lorraine , Jacob Rodriguez , Mariana Garzón Toro , Christian Gnecco Quintero , Tiago Martinez , Daniella Pineda
KPop Demon Hunters (2025)
0 /10
When K-pop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey aren't selling out stadiums, they're using their secret powers to protect their fans from supernatural threats.
Run Time: 1hr 36` . MMPA: PG . Release: 20 Jun 2025
Director: Chris Appelhans , Elizabeth Schantz , Maggie Kang
Producer: Aron Warner , Lori Anna Elagozian , Julia Kim
Stars: Rolando Davila-Beltran , Arden Cho , May Hong , Ji-young Yoo , Ahn Hyo-seop , Yunjin Kim
A Minecraft Movie (2025)
0 /10
Four misfits find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they'll have to master this world while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve.
Run Time: 1hr 41` . MMPA: PG . Release: 31 Mar 2025
Director: Jared Hess , Maddy Powell , Laura Hutton
Producer: Cale Boyter , Rachel Tenner , Lydia Winters
Stars: Jason Momoa , Jack Black , Matt Berry , Pauline Chalamet , Jennifer Coolidge , Danielle Brooks
Long Distance (2024)
0 /10
After crash-landing on an alien planet, an asteroid miner must contend with the challenges of his new surroundings, while making his way across the harsh terrain to the only other survivor – a woman who is trapped in her escape pod.
Run Time: 1hr 27` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 12 Jul 2024
Director: Josh Gordon , Will Speck , Cliff Lanning
Producer: Josh Gordon , Kevin Vafi , Fred Berger
Stars: Anthony Ramos , Naomi Scott , Kristofer Hivju , Zachary Quinto , Izzy Jones , Leon Nurse-Joseph
Baby Blue (2023)
5 /10
A group of teens stumble across the story of now dead serial killer Baby Blue and decide he'd be the perfect subject of a true crime vodcast. But when they start digging, they quickly discover that his murder spree never stopped. Now they are being targeted from beyond the grave.
Run Time: 1hr 30` . MMPA: . Release: 16 Apr 2023
Director: Adam Mason
Producer: Johannes Roberts , Bradley Pilz
Stars: Dylan Sprayberry , Lia McHugh , Anthony Turpel , Aramis Knight , Alexia Ioannides , Oliver Cooper
Open (2025)
0 /10
The perfect summer turns into a blood-soaked nightmare as counselors at an isolated camp are hunted by a killer and the truth behind the murders is darker than anyone imagined. If the killer doesn't get you, the drama definitely will.
Run Time: 1hr 4` . MMPA: . Release: 14 Jun 2025
Director: David Saban
Producer: Eliot Schuler
Stars: Kayla Decilio , Ethan Michaels , Dimitry Bilanicz , Kylie Rose Collins , Marlee Lewis , Mike Lavit
Moana 2 (2024)
0 /10
After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana journeys alongside Maui and a new crew to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she's ever faced.
Run Time: 1hr 40` . MMPA: PG . Release: 21 Nov 2024
Director: David G. Derrick Jr. , Jason Hand , Dana Ledoux Miller
Producer: Osnat Shurer , Jared Bush , Christina Chen
Stars: Auli'i Cravalho , Dwayne Johnson , Alan Tudyk , Temuera Morrison , Rachel House , Nicole Scherzinger
Jack in Time for Christmas (2024)
0 /10
Christmas is approaching and Jack Whitehall is racing to get home in time to spend it with his family. Stranded on the other side of the world, he enlists the help of some famous faces and embarks on a far-fetched quest across the globe. His cast of celebrity do-gooders includes Jimmy Fallon, Dave Bautista, Rebel Wilson, Tom Davis, and Michael Bublé. But will they get him back in time for Christmas?
Run Time: 1hr 5` . MMPA: . Release: 02 Dec 2024
Director: Phil Ashton
Producer: Richard Ackerman
Stars: Jack Whitehall , Michael Bublé , Dave Bautista , Rebel Wilson , Jimmy Fallon , Daisy May Cooper
Deep Cover (2025)
0 /10
Kat is an improv comedy teacher beginning to question if she’s missed her shot at success. When an undercover cop offers her the role of a lifetime, she recruits two of her students to infiltrate London’s gangland by impersonating dangerous criminals.
Run Time: 1hr 39` . MMPA: R . Release: 12 Jun 2025
Director: Tom Kingsley , Kelly Maracin Krieg
Producer: Walter F. Parkes , Tim Dennison , Annys Hamilton
Stars: Bryce Dallas Howard , Orlando Bloom , Sean Bean , Paddy Considine , Ian McShane , Nick Mohammed
Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation (2024)
0 /10
When thrill-seeker Cricket tricks his family into taking a "road trip" in space, chaos in the cosmos quickly ensues. Despite growing frustrations between Cricket and his dad, Bill, the two must learn to appreciate each other's unique perspectives in order to prevent Big City from being destroyed by an interstellar disaster.
Run Time: 1hr 22` . MMPA: PG . Release: 06 Jun 2024
Director: Anna O'Brian
Producer: Stephen Sandoval , Mike Coughlin , Michael Coughlin
Stars: Chris Houghton , Artemis Pebdani , Marieve Herington , Bob Joles , Wendi McLendon-Covey , Zeno Robinson