The JerkSome people are born for greatness; others like Navin R. Johnson (Steve Martin), stumble and pratfall into success. The Jerk is a comedy about the aforementioned Navin, who sets out to discover his place in the world--from his backwater origins in Mississippi to St. Louis and even Los Angeles, moving west as his fortunes improve. One day, he meets a lovely young woman named Marie (Bernadette Peters), and the two are smitten with one another. As Navin and Marie finally come to terms with their feelings for one another, their future of opulence and success seem assured, until the strength of their love is tested by financial hardship.
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The humor of The Jerk primarily comes from seeing just how overwhelmingly stupid Navin can be, and how utterly naive he is when exposed to the real world. But rather than being a series of endless moments of eye-rolling idiocy, Navin's simple-minded foolishness--combined with this jovial, good-natured attitude--make him tolerable, even sympathetic. Even though it defies all logic, the audience can't help but root for this lovable buffoon in his quest to make it on his own. Steve Martin's guileless and fearless depiction of the vacuous Navin paradoxically adds depth to the doofus; without his winsome smile and deft performance, Navin would just be an obnoxious clown--in other words, a "jerk". Who else could get away with delivering a line without an iota of irony like "I was born a poor, black child" like Steve Martin? While Steve Martin is the star of this absurd comedy, his co-star, Bernadette Peters shines as the attractive yet shy Marie, possessing a kind of vintage silent film era allure, with her all too cute, "little girl voice". Marie's innocent charm begins to fade in the glamorous lifestyle Navin's success affords, strutting around their palatial estate in seductive designer dresses, and dancing up a storm in their in-house disco. When Navin and Marie become stinking rich, they become "new money" types of jerks that flaunt their wealth in gratuitous, tacky ways, which pays off with some truly funny sight gags--a personal favorite are the water coolers filled with red and white wine, with disposable crystal glasses instead of Dixie cups. But after Navin and Marie find themselves on the wrong end of a class action lawsuit for his invention of the "Opti-Grab" glasses enhancement, it is her old persona--the shy girl in the flower dress--which underscores why Navin fell in love with her. There is a real chemistry between Navin and Marie; coincidentally, Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters dated after The Jerk, working together on films like Pennies from Heaven. Their duet of "Tonight You Belong to Me"--with Navin on ukulele and Marie on trumpet--is one of the more touching moments in the film. But before becoming too schmaltzy, the scene bounces back into the absurd with surprisingly deft grace, keeping The Jerk rooted in wackiness while telling a poignant love story.
Navin's journey across America follows his birthday party with his family, where his mother (Mabel King) finally breaks it to Navin that he's adopted, at which point he finally realizes he's going to "stay this color". Navin never feels like he "fits in", and gets it into his head to trek to the Midwest after hearing music on the radio that is a far cry from the blues and soul music at home. His adventure is filled with the various sights and colors that make up our nation, from a gas station run by the impatient Harry Hartounian (Jackie Mason), to the carnival where he guesses patrons weight and discovers his "special purpose" with the aggressive motorcycle stuntwoman, Patty (Catlin Adams). He adopts a stray mutt at a hotel, convinced he is trying to warn him of a fire; when this is proven to be a false alarm, the dog gets saddled with an unfortunate name--quite different than "Lifesaver". When Navin first meets Stan Fox (Bill Macy), an inventor and salesman, at Hartounian's gas station, Navin fixes a design flaw in his glasses, which Stan subsequently patents and--true to his word--cuts him in on half the profits at a later time. Unforeseen consequences aside, his ingenuity at developing a device that would later make (then lose) millions is a stroke of inspired genius, suggesting that Navin's real special purpose should be to invent things. Sadly, Navin may be a lucky savant with glasses, but he is a fool first, and this is an isolated moment of random fortune for him. Navin is somebody who is driven to find his place in the world; to wit, he gets excited about seemingly trivial things, like his name being published in the phone book...he even seems honored when Patty tells him that she got his name tattooed (alongside others) on a particular part of her anatomy.
There are moments in The Jerk which leave room for speculation. Consider when Marie chooses to leave Navin; it seems like their romance is going so well, and as Marie later recalls, she preferred things "the way they were". My interpretation is that Navin is not really the jerk he is made out to be; he is assured of his feelings for Marie, and confesses them without restraint, even writing songs about thermoses for her out of his wellspring of love. It's more likely that Marie isn't prepared for this kind of total honesty and unrestrained trust, perhaps as a result of baggage from a prior relationship hinted at when they first meet. When Navin loses millions in the lawsuit, he becomes embittered and angry at having lost his fortune--at this moment, it is Navin who has changed. Marie realizes the mistake she made when she first left him, eventually seeking him out as he sought her before. Navin's story may be a rags-to-riches-to-rags story, but it is one that drives home the importance of love, and how pursuing false idols can mislead you from your, ahem, "special purpose".
Recommended for: Fans of an absurd and hysterical comedy which highlights all of the crazy humor of Steve Martin. The outrageous collections of gut-busting scenes make The Jerk a tight comedy with lots of laughs, and one which has a moral about discovering what is truly important and your place in the world.
Navin's journey across America follows his birthday party with his family, where his mother (Mabel King) finally breaks it to Navin that he's adopted, at which point he finally realizes he's going to "stay this color". Navin never feels like he "fits in", and gets it into his head to trek to the Midwest after hearing music on the radio that is a far cry from the blues and soul music at home. His adventure is filled with the various sights and colors that make up our nation, from a gas station run by the impatient Harry Hartounian (Jackie Mason), to the carnival where he guesses patrons weight and discovers his "special purpose" with the aggressive motorcycle stuntwoman, Patty (Catlin Adams). He adopts a stray mutt at a hotel, convinced he is trying to warn him of a fire; when this is proven to be a false alarm, the dog gets saddled with an unfortunate name--quite different than "Lifesaver". When Navin first meets Stan Fox (Bill Macy), an inventor and salesman, at Hartounian's gas station, Navin fixes a design flaw in his glasses, which Stan subsequently patents and--true to his word--cuts him in on half the profits at a later time. Unforeseen consequences aside, his ingenuity at developing a device that would later make (then lose) millions is a stroke of inspired genius, suggesting that Navin's real special purpose should be to invent things. Sadly, Navin may be a lucky savant with glasses, but he is a fool first, and this is an isolated moment of random fortune for him. Navin is somebody who is driven to find his place in the world; to wit, he gets excited about seemingly trivial things, like his name being published in the phone book...he even seems honored when Patty tells him that she got his name tattooed (alongside others) on a particular part of her anatomy.
There are moments in The Jerk which leave room for speculation. Consider when Marie chooses to leave Navin; it seems like their romance is going so well, and as Marie later recalls, she preferred things "the way they were". My interpretation is that Navin is not really the jerk he is made out to be; he is assured of his feelings for Marie, and confesses them without restraint, even writing songs about thermoses for her out of his wellspring of love. It's more likely that Marie isn't prepared for this kind of total honesty and unrestrained trust, perhaps as a result of baggage from a prior relationship hinted at when they first meet. When Navin loses millions in the lawsuit, he becomes embittered and angry at having lost his fortune--at this moment, it is Navin who has changed. Marie realizes the mistake she made when she first left him, eventually seeking him out as he sought her before. Navin's story may be a rags-to-riches-to-rags story, but it is one that drives home the importance of love, and how pursuing false idols can mislead you from your, ahem, "special purpose".
Recommended for: Fans of an absurd and hysterical comedy which highlights all of the crazy humor of Steve Martin. The outrageous collections of gut-busting scenes make The Jerk a tight comedy with lots of laughs, and one which has a moral about discovering what is truly important and your place in the world.