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Trailer

The Jerk

1979Movie1 h 34 minR

Comedy
72
GoodGoodWatch score
IMDb7.1Letterboxd3.5/5Metacritic617.2Rotten Tomatoes82%84%

A hopeful, wholesome comedy movie about everyday modern life.

Good for date night · family movie night · friends night

Where to watch

Fingerprint

Not for scares, brutality or tears.

Movies with

Story

A rags to riches to rags story.

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.

Feels like

  • Slapstick Comedy
  • Rags to Riches Story
  • Naive Protagonist
  • Silly Humor
  • Pop Culture Parody
  • Feel-Good
  • Simple Narrative
  • 1970s Nostalgia

Cast

24 of 35

Crew

Directed by
Carl Reiner
Written by
Steve Martin, Carl Gottlieb, Michael Elias
Produced by
David V. Picker, William E. McEuen
Music by
Jack Elliott

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

December 14, 1979 · 1 h 34 min · R

Released
December 14, 1979
Runtime
1 h 34 min
Age rating
R
Genres
Comedy
Original language
English
Made in
United States
Budget
$4 million
Box office
$100 million
Available in
39 countries

Tropes

Dinner Order Flub, Double Standard: Rape, Female on Male, Kindhearted Simpleton +9

  • Dinner Order Flub
  • Double Standard: Rape, Female on Male
  • Kindhearted Simpleton
  • Exorcist Head
  • Just the Introduction to the Opposites
  • Ugly Guy, Hot Wife
  • Lawful Stupid
  • Doorstop Baby
  • Overly Long Gag
  • Heel–Face Turn
  • Betty and Veronica
  • Felony Misdemeanor

12 of 80 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

7 questions, like "Where can I stream The Jerk?"

Questions about The Jerk

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Jerk?

YouTube TV

In the United States, The Jerk streams on YouTube TV. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, and Spectrum On Demand.

Is The Jerk worth watching?

72
GoodGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 72 (IMDb 7.1, Letterboxd 3.5 out of 5, Rotten Tomatoes 82%, and Metacritic 61).

Is there a sequel to The Jerk?

  1. The Jerk (1979)
  2. The Jerk, Too (1984)

Yes: it's movie 1 of 2 in its series, followed by The Jerk, Too (1984).

Is The Jerk okay for kids?

R

Yes: it's rated R in the United States, and the viewing guide lists it for family nights.

Will The Jerk make me laugh?

Funny

Yes: the humor is mostly slapstick (9 of 10) and situational comedy (8 of 10).

Can I half-watch The Jerk?

Easy watchDemanding

Yes: it's easy to follow, with complexity at only 4 of 10, and the viewing guide calls it good for background watching.

Was The Jerk a box office hit?

Budget$4 million
Box office$100 million

Yes, a big one: it cost about $4 million to make and earned $100 million worldwide, 25.0 times its budget.