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The Jerk
A disheveled man in a bathrobe holding a chair, his trousers fallen around his ankles
Theatrical release poster
Directed byCarl Reiner
Screenplay by
Story by
  • Steve Martin
  • Carl Gottlieb
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyVictor J. Kemper
Edited by
Music byJack Elliott
Production
company
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • December 14, 1979 (1979-12-14)
Running time
95 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4 million[2]
Box office$100 million[2]

The Jerk is a 1979 American comedy film directed by Carl Reiner and written by Steve Martin, Carl Gottlieb, and Michael Elias (from a story by Martin and Gottlieb). This was Martin's first starring role in a feature film. The film also features Bernadette Peters, M. Emmet Walsh, Catlin Adams, Maurice Evans, and Jackie Mason. Critical reviews were mostly positive, and The Jerk was a major financial success.

Plot

[edit]

Navin Johnson, a homeless person sleeping in a stairwell in Los Angeles, addresses the camera directly to tell his life story.

The white adopted son of black sharecroppers in Mississippi, Navin grows to adulthood naïvely unaware of these circumstances. He is unable to dance in rhythm to the spirited folk songs played by the family, but finds that he can do so perfectly to a champagne-style song on the radio. Seeing this moment as a calling, he excitedly decides to leave home and travel to St. Louis, where the broadcast originated. Along the way, he adopts a dog and names it "Shithead" after angering the guests at a motel by waking them up in the middle of the night, having misinterpreted the dog's barking at his door as a warning of a fire.

Navin finds a job as a gas station attendant, where he attempts to detain some thieves but accidentally destroys a nearby church. Later, a madman chooses his name at random from the telephone book and decides to kill him. As the gunman waits for an opportunity, Navin solders a brace to a customer's eyeglasses to stop them from slipping down his nose. The customer, Stan Fox, is an inventor who promises to try to market the device and split any profits with Navin. The gunman opens fire at Navin but misses, and Navin flees to the grounds of a traveling carnival.

Navin is hired as a weight guesser and is brusquely seduced by Patty Bernstein, an intimidating daredevil motorcyclist. Later, while operating a miniature railway, he meets a cosmetologist named Marie Kimble and arranges a date with her. When a jealous Patty interrupts and starts to beat Navin, Marie easily knocks her unconscious. The two begin a relationship, and Navin decides to ask Marie to marry him. Before he can do so, though, she leaves him because he cannot provide financial security. Devastated, Navin takes Shithead and travels to Los Angeles. There, the gunman who tried to kill him—now sane and working as a private investigator—tracks him down and gives him a letter from Stan requesting a meeting.

Stan has been able to market Navin's device, now branded as the Opti-Grab, and gives him a check for $250,000 as the first installment on his share of the profits. Navin finds and marries Marie, and the two adopt a life of extravagant spending as his wealth continues to grow. However, Navin is soon named as defendant in a class action lawsuit brought by director Carl Reiner and millions of other Opti-Grab customers who have become permanently cross-eyed after using the device. Navin loses the suit and is ordered to pay $10 million in damages, leaving him broke, and he storms out into the street after an argument with Marie.

Having finished his story, Navin resigns himself to living in poverty, only to be found by his adoptive family, who have brought Marie and Shithead with them. The family has become wealthy by investing the money Navin sent them from time to time, and they take him and Marie home to live in their new house, which is nearly identical to their old shack but larger and sturdier. Once again Navin dances on the porch to folk songs, this time with perfect rhythm.

Cast

[edit]

Director Carl Reiner, credited as "Carl Reiner, the Celebrity", plays himself. Former Playboy Playmate Sharon Johansen plays Mrs. Hartounian, while Alfred Dennis has a small role as Irving. In addition there are uncredited appearances by Reiner's son Rob Reiner as the truck driver who picks up Navin and character actor Larry Hankin briefly appears as a circus hand.

Production

[edit]
Director Carl Reiner (1976 photograph)

By 1977, comedian Steve Martin was experiencing wild success. He wanted to cross over to a film career, believing it promised more longevity.[3] Basing his film proposal on a line from his act — "It wasn't always easy for me; I was born a poor black child" — he fleshed out his ideas into a series of notes he intended to deliver to studios. With confidence in his budding standup career, he imagined it would not be difficult to break into Hollywood. Instead, he found it more difficult than expected.[3] Bill McEuen was acquainted with Paramount Pictures president David Picker, and convinced Picker to sign Martin for a three-year contract at the studio after showing him one of his routines at the Boarding House comedy club in San Francisco.[4]

Martin passed along his notes, which the studio read carefully. It described a series of odd jobs lead character "Steve" would hold in his saga. Martin developed this concept into the first draft of The Jerk, but Paramount passed on the project after Picker left the studio.[5] However, Picker convinced his new employer Universal Studios to sign a distribution deal for the film, which would leave Martin in creative control of the project. Martin was able to pick which director he wanted to work with. Martin initially chose Mike Nichols, but Nichols then "bowed out" of the project in 1978. Martin's next choice was Carl Reiner, famous for his work on The Dick Van Dyke Show.[4][6]

The duo met constantly, and the film's title grew out of their conversations. Martin recounts in his memoir:

It needs to be something short, yet have the feeling of an epic tale. Like Dostoyevsky's The Idiot, but not that. Like The Jerk.[6]

Martin wrote the part of "Marie" with Bernadette Peters in mind.[7] He adapted several bits of his standup act to fit within the film, such as a monologue in which he emotionally exits a scene, remarking "I don't need anything", but nevertheless picking up each object he passes on his way out.[6] In co-writing the script with Carl Gottlieb and Michael Elias, their goal was to provide a laugh on each page of the screenplay.[8]

Principal photography took 45 days using 85 locations in Greater Los Angeles, on a $4.6 million budget. This included Mohammed al Fassi's mansion in Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Westlake Village and Devonshire Downs in Northridge.[4] In shooting the film, Reiner "ran a joyful set", according to Martin, with the cast and crew eating lunch together each day.[9] Martin's favorite moment of the film, as he detailed in his 2007 memoir Born Standing Up, was the scene in which he and Peters sing "Tonight You Belong to Me". Martin felt the moment was touching, and waited in anticipation at the film's premiere screening in St. Louis. Unfortunately, much of the audience left during the scene to buy more popcorn.[9]

Deleted scenes

[edit]

A scene in which Bill Murray was to have made a cameo was cut from the final film.[10][11]

An alternate, comic introduction of Marie (Peters), near the train ride Navin was running at the carnival, was shot. When her nephew takes off on the train, Navin rescues him, and in returning the boy to Marie, has the bill of his engineer's cap pulled down over his eyes so he cannot see the toy village he (Navin) destroys like a lunatic. This scene might have been edited due to a reference to Godzilla.[citation needed]

Another scene that was cut featured Gailard Sartain as a Texas oil millionaire who tearfully begs Navin for money to replace the cracked, dried-out leather seats on his private jet. Navin grants his request and he gratefully states: "Now I can fly my friends to the Super Bowl like a MAN, and not some damned BUM!"[12]

The television version features a scene in which a forlorn Navin, trying to forget Marie, spends six hours on the Round Up carnival ride. The boss orders the ride stopped, and Navin is removed by two carnival workers, who sit him down on the ride's stairs. "What are you looking at?", he asks them. "Haven't you seen a man so broken he needed to spin?".

Reception

[edit]

Box office

[edit]

The film was a hit, earning over $73 million domestically,[13] (making the movie the eighth highest-grossing of 1979) and $100 million worldwide, having been produced on a relatively low budget of $4 million.[2]

Critical response

[edit]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 82% based on 44 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Crude, crass, and oh so quotable, The Jerk is nothing short of an all-out comedic showcase for Steve Martin."[14] On Metacritic, the film received a score of 61 based on 14 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[15]

Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote that The Jerk "is by turns funny, vulgar and backhandedly clever, never more so than when it aspires to absolute stupidity. And Mr. Martin, who began his career with an arrow stuck through his head, has since developed a real genius for playing dumb ... Even when it's crude—which is quite a lot of the time—it's not mean-spirited ... Mr. Martin and his co-star, Bernadette Peters, work very sweetly together, even when they sing a duet of 'Tonight You Belong to Me,' carrying sweetness to what could easily have become an intolerable extreme."[16]

BBC film review rated the movie two out of five stars and described the film as an "early watered-down version of the crude comedy the Farrelly Brothers would later take to new extremes" and made references to it having similar themes to the early 1980s parody film Airplane![17] Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun-Times also gave the film a mixed review, stating The Jerk was "all gags and very little comedy" and built of "gag situations [which] are milked for one-time laughs. They don't grow out of his character, or contribute to it."[18]

VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever reviewed the film for its book and rated the movie as being two and a half stars. The author of the review referred to Steve Martin's silly, exaggerated acting as complementary to the early comedian Jerry Lewis.[19]

Legacy

[edit]

The Jerk has been praised as not only one of Martin's best comedic efforts, but also one of the funniest films ever made. In 2000, readers of Total Film voted The Jerk the 48th greatest comedy film of all time. This film is No. 20 on Bravo's 100 Funniest Movies[20] and No. 89 on the American Film Institute list AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs.[21] IGN ranked the film as the tenth top comedy film of all time.[22] Premiere voted Steve Martin's performance of Navin Johnson No. 99 on their list, "The 100 Greatest Performances of All Time".[23] A BBC poll of more than 250 critics rated the film as the 99th greatest comedy of all time.[24]

Christiane Kubrick hailed it as one of Stanley Kubrick's favorite films of all time. It led to Kubrick meeting with Martin to discuss working together on his film Eyes Wide Shut.[25]

In a 2015 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Steve Martin was asked if the film would be accepted in this day and age with all of the "heightened racial sensitivity." His response was that he had not watched the movie himself in a very long time, but when he reflects on his experience with making the movie he recalls everyone being treated "with such respect" throughout the filming process.[26]

Sequel

[edit]

The Jerk had a television film sequel, The Jerk, Too (1984), starring Mark Blankfield as Navin and co-starring Stacey Nelkin. Steve Martin was executive producer, but did not write the screenplay.[27]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

The Jerk

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
is a 1979 American directed by and co-written by , , and , featuring Martin in his first leading film role as Navin R. Johnson, an ingenuous young man raised by an African-American family in who ventures into the world beyond his sheltered upbringing. Released on December 14, 1979, the film follows Navin's absurd misadventures in the city, including menial jobs, fleeting wealth from an invented "opti-grab" device, and romantic entanglements with a woman played by , culminating in chaotic escapades driven by his childlike naivety and literal-mindedness. Despite divided critical responses—such as Roger Ebert's dismissal of it as a collection of gags lacking coherent —the movie showcased Martin's distinctive physical humor and stand-up-derived bits, earning an 82% approval rating from critics on for its quotable, crass energy. Commercially, it succeeded by grossing over $70 million at the U.S. box office on a modest budget, propelling Martin's transition from television and stand-up to cinematic stardom and attaining status through memorable sequences like the "phone book" sniper gag and the eyeglasses invention frenzy. While some modern viewers critique isolated elements as crude or insensitive, reflecting comedic norms, the film's enduring appeal lies in its unpretentious satire of innocence amid urban folly, unburdened by later sensitivities.

Synopsis

Plot

Navin R. Johnson (), a white man raised in poverty by a family in , learns on his 30th birthday that he was adopted as an infant, prompting him to question his identity and decide to to "be somebody" in the wider world. Inspired by a radio broadcast, he hitchhikes to , where he takes a job as an attendant at a gas station owned by Harry Hartounian (). While working, Navin experiences childlike wonder upon finding his name listed in phone book and faces a bizarre attempt by a gunman (M. Emmett Walsh) who repeatedly shoots at him but hits oil cans instead, leading Navin to famously declare, "He hates these cans! Stay away from the cans!" At a nearby , Navin encounters a daredevil performer, Ruth (Catlin Adams), with whom he has his first sexual experience, discovering what he calls his "special purpose." He then meets and falls in love with Marie (Bernadette Peters), a skilled cosmetologist and player performing at the . To win over Marie's skeptical family, Navin invents the "Opti-Grab," a simple clip to prevent eyeglasses from slipping down the nose, which catches the eye of a manufacturer and propels him to sudden wealth—initially $250,000 in royalties. The couple marries and indulges in extravagant excess, purchasing a Beverly Hills mansion filled with unnecessary luxuries like a remote-controlled drawer of fine silverware. However, lawsuits arise after users of the Opti-Grab suffer injuries from its unintended effects, bankrupting Navin and leaving him penniless and homeless. In despair on , Navin reunites with his adoptive , who reveal they invested his early earnings wisely and offer support; he also reconciles with Marie, recognizing that their relationship holds greater value than material success. The film concludes with Navin embracing simplicity and love over fleeting riches.

Cast

The principal cast of The Jerk (1979) is led by as Navin R. Johnson, a white raised by a family who discovers his origins and ventures into the world, experiencing a series of comedic misadventures. portrays Marie Kimble Johnson, Navin's love interest and eventual wife, a he meets while working at a gas station. plays Patty Bernard, a seductive neighbor who briefly complicates Navin's life. Supporting roles include Mabel King as Mama, the matriarch of Navin's adoptive family; Dick Anthony Williams as Taj, Navin's adoptive brother; and Richard Ward as the Father. Additional notable performers are M. Emmet Walsh as the gas station owner, Maurice Evans as a rich inventor, and Jackie Mason as the Harry Hartounian, a blind man whose glasses invention brings Navin fortune.
ActorRole
Steve MartinNavin R. Johnson
Bernadette PetersMarie Kimble Johnson
Catlin AdamsPatty Bernard
Mabel KingMama
Dick Anthony WilliamsTaj
Richard WardFather
M. Emmet WalshGas Station Proprietor
Maurice EvansRich Man
Jackie MasonHarry Hartounian

Production

Development

Following the success of his albums, which sold millions and earned Grammy Awards in 1978 and 1979, sought to transition to feature films by developing a project centered on his signature naive, optimistic character archetype from live performances. The story originated from Martin's basic premise of an innocent protagonist discovering his white heritage amid a Black family, without a fully formed initially; he collaborated with Carl Gottlieb, who had directed Martin's 1977 The Absent-Minded Waiter, to outline the core idea. The screenplay, credited to Martin, Gottlieb, and , was developed through intensive daily writing sessions lasting about a month, initially under the Easy Money while in early talks at . Martin later advocated changing the title to The Jerk, drawing inspiration from Fyodor Dostoevsky's for its brevity and punch, rejecting alternatives like Money to Burn. The project shifted to production under Aspen Film Society, established by Martin's manager William E. McEuen to capitalize on the momentum from The Absent-Minded Waiter, which had demonstrated Martin's viability on screen and secured distribution interest from . David V. Picker joined as a , facilitating the greenlight with a budget around $4 million. Carl Reiner was selected as director due to Martin's admiration for his work on and ability to handle character-driven comedy without over-explaining gags, aligning with Martin's vision for a that prioritized visual and verbal absurdity over conventional plotting. Pre-production emphasized Martin's lead role as both star and co-writer, with the script structured to evoke relentless laughter on every page, reflecting the episodic style of his stage routines. This approach, rooted in Martin's proven live appeal rather than studio formulas, minimized risks despite the untested feature format, as McEuen leveraged Martin's concert draw to attract financing.

Filming

Principal photography for The Jerk took place extensively on location in the area during 1979. The production utilized a large number of real-world sites to capture the film's peripatetic narrative, with reports indicating over 80 distinct locations were employed. Key sequences were shot at specific venues, including the grounds of Navin's opulent mansion at the , 1011 North Beverly Drive in —a property then owned by Saudi businessman Mohammed al-Fassi and previously used in films such as . The climactic gas station explosion was filmed in . Carnival scenes featuring Navin's encounter with Marie were captured at the Devonshire Downs Fairgrounds in Northridge. Owing to the 1979 energy crisis, director and lead actor carpooled to daily shoots, a routine that fostered creative collaboration as they brainstormed one to two new jokes per commute. Certain moments incorporated , such as an unscripted instance in which Martin licks co-star during a scene. Actor shot a cameo as a flamboyant interior decorator for Navin's home, though the sequence was excised in .

Post-production and deleted scenes

The editing of The Jerk emphasized tight comedic rhythm, with a final runtime of 94 minutes achieved through selective cuts to maintain momentum. The film utilized a mono sound mix and processing, with original music composed by Jack Elliott to underscore its absurd humor. No major controversies or extensive reshoots were reported by principal collaborators. Several scenes were deleted or unshot to refine the story's focus. Co-writer described a cut sequence featuring a $1,000-per-night revealed as a prominent Beverly Hills , framed as on class hypocrisy and social perceptions. Co-writer noted an unfilmed diner encounter between Navin Johnson and Marie, where Navin enthusiastically recites the full menu as she transcribes it, sparking their attraction. These omissions prioritized the core rags-to-riches arc over extraneous subplots. Reports also indicate a cameo by was filmed but excised, though details on its content remain unconfirmed in primary accounts.

Release and commercial performance

Theatrical release

The Jerk was theatrically released in the United States on December 14, 1979, distributed by . The film marked Steve Martin's first leading role in a feature-length motion picture, following his success in and television appearances on . To promote bookings, a unique short trailer titled "For Theater Owners Only" was produced, featuring Martin directly addressing cinema managers and humorously exaggerating the film's appeal to persuade them to screen it. This unconventional marketing tactic highlighted Martin's comedic persona and the movie's absurd humor, positioning it as a showcase for his talents amid competition from other 1979 releases like Kramer vs. Kramer and Alien. The release occurred during the holiday season, with screenings in theaters nationwide, capitalizing on Martin's growing popularity from his comedy albums and live performances. International rollout followed, including on January 12, 1980, the on March 14, 1980, and on June 6, 1980.

Box office

The Jerk was released theatrically in the United States on December 14, , by , opening on 525 screens and earning $5,935,025 in its first weekend, which accounted for approximately 8.1% of its eventual domestic total. The film ultimately grossed $73,691,419 domestically, marking it as the seventh-highest-grossing movie of in the U.S. market. Produced on a of $4 million, the picture achieved substantial commercial , returning over 18 times its production costs through domestic ticket sales alone. No significant international earnings are documented in primary box office tracking, with worldwide totals aligning closely to the domestic figure at approximately $73.7 million.

Reception

Contemporary reviews

Upon its release on December 14, 1979, The Jerk received mixed reviews from critics, who were divided on Steve Martin's as a showcase for anarchic comedy versus substantive storytelling. of described the film as "by turns funny, vulgar and backhandedly clever," praising Martin's "genius for playing dumb" in scenes like sending back wine with the line "Let’s splurge—bring us some fresh wine!" while noting that some gags, such as his character's origins in a sharecropping family, felt overworked and wore thin despite the film's slapdash energy under Carl Reiner's direction. Roger awarded the film two out of four stars, criticizing it as "all gags and very little comedy," reliant on superficial "funny hat" props and repetitive antics rather than character-driven "funny logic" or plot integration, which left the humor feeling aggressive and lacking depth even as audiences laughed at previews. of the similarly rated it two stars, aligning with Ebert's [Sneak Previews](/page/Sneak Previews) assessment that dismissed the film and advised against seeing it, highlighting its failure to sustain laughs beyond isolated bits. Other outlets echoed this ambivalence, with some appreciating Martin's and the film's send-up of rags-to-riches tropes but faulting its crude, episodic structure for prioritizing shock over coherence, contributing to a of the movie as a hit-or-miss extension of Martin's stand-up rather than a fully realized .

Modern assessments and controversies

In retrospective reviews, The Jerk has been lauded for its anarchic humor and Steve Martin's , with critics highlighting its vignette structure as an extension of his stand-up . A 2020 analysis described the film as yearning for "great stupidity," using its rags-to-riches as a scaffold for escalating gags that capture Martin's anti-comedic genius. Similarly, a 2015 framed it as embodying Martin's of absurd detachment, blending post-modern routines with surreal Paramount-style to produce "often hilarious" sequences. Audience metrics reflect enduring appeal, with 84% positive ratings on aggregation sites as of 2023. The film's racial elements, including protagonist Navin Johnson's upbringing in a Black sharecropping family and parodic stereotypes like the optometrist gag, have prompted modern scrutiny amid heightened cultural sensitivities. Reviews note ironic layers in these depictions, walking a "fine line between cultural appreciation and appropriation" without overt malice, as the humor targets Navin's obliviousness rather than endorsing bias. addressed this in a 2015 interview, suggesting the comedy's racial bits succeed because they satirize ignorance non-maliciously, though he questioned its viability in a "PC climate" where context is often stripped. Despite such debates, the film has evaded widespread cancellation, unlike contemporaries, with commentators attributing this to its self-aware absurdity over targeted offense. A 2020 critique acknowledged potentially offensive scenes as artifacts of 1970s outrageousness but affirmed the overall work's comedic integrity.

Legacy

Cultural impact

The Jerk has left a lasting mark on American comedy through its iconic lines and scenes, which continue to be quoted and referenced in . Navin Johnson's exclamation, "The new phone book's here! The new phone book's here!", captures the film's theme of wide-eyed innocence amid mundanity and has entered colloquial usage to denote unbridled enthusiasm over trivial achievements. The sniper sequence's escalating absurdity, culminating in "He hates these cans! Stay away from the cans!", exemplifies the movie's escalation of peril from the improbable, a rooted in Carl Reiner's adaptation of a saying and frequently invoked to highlight irrational fears or overreactions. The film's portrayal of Navin's bumbling ascent from rural to fleeting wealth satirized the American Dream's fragility, influencing portrayals of hapless protagonists in later comedies and underscoring comedy's capacity for social observation without preachiness. Released on , , it grossed over $100 million worldwide on a $4 million budget, amplifying its reach and embedding its rhythms—repetitive escalation, physical , and ironic detachment—into the lexicon of Hollywood humor. Named among the funniest American films by the in its 2000 "100 Years...100 Laughs" compilation, The Jerk endures as a benchmark for performer-led absurdity, with its resilience against modern reevaluations noted for avoiding widespread retroactive condemnation despite racial and class satires that predate heightened sensitivities around such tropes. This longevity stems from its unpretentious execution, prioritizing punchline precision over ideological messaging, which has sustained fan appreciation and periodic revivals in discussions of pre-1980s comedy.

Influence on comedy and Steve Martin's career

The Jerk served as a breakthrough for , representing his first starring role in a and catalyzing his shift from sold-out stand-up tours to a sustained Hollywood career. Prior to the film's December 14, 1979, release, Martin's comedy primarily thrived through live performances and appearances, but its commercial triumph—grossing $73.7 million domestically on a $4 million budget—validated his potential as a box-office draw and convinced him to retire from stand-up, which he viewed as an unsustainable "fad." This pivot enabled subsequent films, including three more directed by , such as (1982), where Martin refined his on-screen persona beyond stage exhaustion. The character's depiction as a naive, moronic extension of Martin's "wild and crazy" stage bridged his live act to cinema, exhausting the persona in a framework while establishing Martin as a versatile comedic lead capable of sustaining absurd premises across vignettes rather than isolated sketches. Co-writer attributed this to Martin's ingrained "life or death" approach to eliciting laughs, honed from arena-filling tours, which infused the film with relentless gag density. In broader comedy, The Jerk advanced absurdist humor through its skit-like odyssey of escalating idiocy, , and one-liners, prioritizing perpetual tension via gags over plot cohesion and influencing films by normalizing "intelligent silliness"—a fusion of cerebral with physical that amplified the everyman's incompetence for sustained laughs. Participants like Reiner highlighted how Martin's deliberate "whiteness" heightened racial and social absurdities, rendering the film a classic that reshaped Hollywood's approach to non-sequitur-driven narratives.

Sequel

"The Jerk, Too" is a 1984 American made-for-television presented as a to the 1979 theatrical release The Jerk. Aired on on January 6, 1984, it runs 100 minutes and was directed by from a teleplay by Ziggy Steinberg. The production recasts the lead role of Navin Johnson with , who had previously impersonated on stage, rather than featuring Martin himself; supporting actors include as a leader, , , and reprising her role as Navin's adoptive mother from the original film. The storyline resets Navin's arc, functioning more as a reimagining than a direct continuation, with the character depicted as more sympathetic and less abrasively oblivious than in the 1979 version. Navin departs his home to attend the wedding of his Marie, only to be waylaid by a of hobos who recognize his innate at cards and reroute him to for gambling exploits, leading to encounters with swindlers, , and chaotic schemes. This alteration aims to soften the original's caustic edge but abandons the prior film's plot resolutions, such as Navin's and relationships. Reception was overwhelmingly negative, with audiences and reviewers decrying the lack of Steve Martin's irreplaceable and timing, rendering Blankfield's earnest mimicry insufficient to recapture the original's anarchic appeal. The film earned a 2.7 out of 10 rating on from 375 user votes, reflecting consensus on its status as an ill-advised cash-in that failed to replicate the source material's cultural spark. No major theatrical or rereleases followed, cementing its obscurity beyond niche discussions of misguided sequels.

References

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  37. https://www.slashfilm.com/1079243/how-steve-martin-came-up-with-one-of-the-jerks-best-quotes/
  38. https://www.afi.com/news/the-jerk-afi-movie-club/
  39. https://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/31/magazine/cool-jerk.html
  40. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087499/
  41. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_jerk_too
  42. https://collider.com/the-jerk-remake/
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