Commentary The Jerk is a hilarious comedy starring Steve Martin. The movie is full of his brand of off-the-wall comedy which made him famous.
Plot Summary
Introduction: Navin Johnson (Steve Martin) is raised as a "poor black child" on a farm in Mississippi. On his 35th birthday, his mother tells him that he's not their natural born child.
Getting Out: The next morning, inspired by a Lawrence Welk song he hears on the radio, he decides to "be somebody" and get out and see the world, starting in St. Louis, which is where the radio broadcast was from. Once he arrives, he gets a job as a gas station attendant, receiving $1.10 an hour, which is a fortune to him.
Falling in Love: Shortly thereafter, he works at a carnival, giving away "crap". There he meets Marie (Bernadette Peters) and shortly thereafter falls in love with her. She ends up leaving him after a month though, whence he moves with his dog Shithead to Los Angeles.
Fame and Fortune: Soon, much to his surprise, he becomes an overnight millionaire for having invented a nose bridge on eyeglasses to prevent them from sliding off. He marries Marie and buys a mansion in Beverly Hills. His fame and fortune is cut short though after Carl Reiner files a class action suit agains him because the nose bridge made him cross-eyed.
Back to Square One: He ends up leaving home and wandering into the ghetto. By the end of the film, however, his family from Mississippi discover him and take him and Marie back to their old home.
Cultural Significance The Jerk was the first of many successful comedy movies for Steve Martin. He's had dozens since, including the following:
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Title: The Jerk 
