The Jerk

1979 · 1h34 · Film

Directed by Carl Reiner

Starring Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Catlin Adams, Mabel King, Richard Ward, Carl Gottlieb, Dick Anthony Williams, Bill Macy, M. Emmet Walsh, Dick O'Neill

Ideal when you feel… Happy Romantic Angry

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.

Original language

English

Screenplay

Carl Gottlieb, Steve Martin, Michael Elias

Music

Jack Elliott

Cinematography

Victor J. Kemper

Cast

Mabel King, Richard Ward, Carl Gottlieb, Dick Anthony Williams, Bill Macy, M. Emmet Walsh, Dick O'Neill, Maurice Evans, Helena Carroll

Updated July 22, 2026

Trailer

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