The Jerk
"A rags to riches to rags story."
AmazonAfter 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.
Box Office
Budget
$4,000,000
Revenue
$100,000,000
Profit/Loss
+ $96,000,000
The Jerk (1979) follows naive Navin R. Johnson (Steve Martin) as he leaves his poor Black family, becomes a millionaire with the "Opti-Grab" invention (which makes people cross-eyed), loses it all, and finds true happiness back with his family and love, Marie, embracing his simple roots and gaining rhythm, while its sequel, The Jerk, Too (1984), sees Navin trying to go straight but getting pulled into a Las Vegas casino heist.
Cast (55)
Writers
Composers
Cinematographers
Original Language
en
Spoken Languages
English
Production Countries
US
Production Companies
Universal Pictures, Aspen Film Society
IMDB
tt0079367