Although some of the humor and content make this one problematic for kids, for mature teens and older folks, The Jerk is a comedy that improves with age and repeated viewings. The stuntwoman's trailer is shown from the outside rocking up and down.
He first goes to St. Louis -- where the radio station was based -- and finds a job pumping gas after being hired by a kindly boss (Jackie Mason). Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization, earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes when you use our links to make a purchase. The star rating reflects overall quality. She gets Navin's name tattooed on her rear end and makes a reference to "putting a rubber on it." How is Navin's naiveté revealed in the film, and how is this used as the primary source of the comedy?
We display the minimum age for which content is developmentally appropriate. With Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Catlin Adams, Mabel King. One day his adoptive parents finally break the news to him that he's actually white. He escapes and joins a carnival. How Technology Is Reshaping Democracy and Our Lives, Participate in DigCit Week with your kid by using curated activities from Wide Open School, Online Playdates, Game Nights, and Other Ways to Socialize at a Distance, Keeping Kids Motivated for Online Learning, Set limits for violence and more with Plus, 5 Tips to Make Family Movie Night a Success. "The Jerk", starring Steve Martin, has long been regarded as one of the best comedic films of all time, starring one of the most talented comedians of all time. A petty criminal in the backseat of a car is shown smoking a joint and offers it to Navin.
If you chose to provide an email address, it will only be used to contact you about your comment. The Jerk hearkens back to his days as "Wild & Crazy" Steve and remains laugh-out loud funny. What's striking now is how well the movie has aged, placing it up there with Caddyshack and Airplane! But as success, wealth, and fame go to his head, things start to fall apart -- personally and financially -- and Navin must learn to realize what is really and truly important in this world.
He writes home that he has discovered what his mother meant about his body part's "special purpose" and that he plans to have sex as often as possible. In the beginning of the movie, Navin is sitting outside next to disheveled homeless men passed out with bottles of alcohol at their sides. On this same night, he hears elevator music on the radio for the first time, loves it, and decides he must leave home to learn about the world. In his mansion, white and red wine are dispensed from twin water coolers. A young boy in an amusement park is shown in an extended scene wearing a T-shirt that reads "Bull S--t." Navin's first girlfriend calls his second girlfriend a "gash.". Press J to jump to the feed. Parents need to know that The Jerk is a 1979 Steve Martin comedy that is -- while certainly one of Martin's best and best-loved movies -- filled with frequent profanity as well as the use of racial slurs.
The master of over-exaggeration, Steve Martin, is in-your-face funny, smart and ridiculous at the same time. Is it a joke about race, yes, so I wonder if a white man can say that word in a joking manner in this day and age.
Navin karate-chops three racist financial advisors and hurts his foot on one ("Iron Balls" McGinty). A domineering motorcycle daredevil woman seduces Navin, and the camera shows her trailer bouncing up and down. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Although Navin is a "jerk" who is often oblivious to what's going on around him, he cares for his friends and family, even going so far as to send what money he can back home to his adopted family.
Later, the main character beats the everloving shit out of some real estate developers for being actual racists.
This community was founded by and is actively curated by People of Color. Your privacy is important to us. Get full reviews, ratings, and advice delivered weekly to your inbox. What to Watch, Read, and Play While Your Kids Are Stuck Indoors, Common Sense Selections for family entertainment, Stoke kids' love of reading with great summer stories, Check out new Common Sense Selections for games, Teachers: Find the best edtech tools for your classroom with in-depth expert reviews, 8 videos excelentes que describen el Día de los Muertos, 5 consejos para hablar con tus hijos sobre las elecciones, Which Side of History? Browse titles with similar subject matter. Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners. Classic Steve Martin comedy with frequent profanity. Navin Johnson sets out to travel to Los Angeles to attend the wedding of his pen pal, Marie, but is sidetracked by the leader of a gang of hobos who takes him … Parents: Set preferences and get age-appropriate recommendations with Common Sense Media Plus.
The only thing I can add is a warning. Be warned! Navin is given a bottle of booze from his adopted brother for his birthday. Hilarious, ribald, drug-filled rock send-up. Directed by Michael Schultz. To his credit, the Honorary Academy Award winner did face the wrath of his angry fans.
Perhaps searching, or one of the links below, can help. It's uncomfortable. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free. As the film is a raw comedy, the characters aren't really meant to be role models. Directed by Carl Reiner. A crazed gunman is shown pursuing Navin with a rifle and scope, trying to kill him from a distance. Our ratings are based on child development best practices.
We're updating our reviews to better highlight authentic stories and accurate, diverse representations. Characters are shown smoking cigarettes. Navin names his dog "S--thead." In an extended scene, a young boy is shown wearing a T-shirt that reads "Bull S--t." There is some sexual innuendo: Navin's adopted mother had referred to his penis as having a "special purpose," and he finds out just what that means when he loses his virginity to a tough-acting, foul-mouthed motorcycle stuntwoman. Toward the end of the movie, mafia goons refer to African Americans as "jungle bunnies" and use the "N" word, which inspires Navin to say that he also is an "N" word since he was raised by an African American family. With comedy legend Carl Reiner directing and unforgettable supporting roles from Jackie Mason and Bernadette Peters, the result is an incredible mix of barbed satire, silly pratfalls, and, at its core, sweetness. Searching for streaming and purchasing options ... Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Patty hits Navin, and Marie punches her out.
Although the use of racial slurs is used to heighten a scene in which mob goons are trying to keep minorities out of real estate in more upscale neighborhoods, the nuance of the scene might be lost on younger viewers.
It trades on stereotypes, some loving, some not. It opens with some southern black sterotypes, but they're depicted as a functional, loving family... and the only member of the family with questionable capabilities is the white child they adopted. Suggest an update to this review.
The wife of Navin's butler is executed by firing squad (not shown) as a penalty for an early bank withdrawal. We won't share this comment without your permission. Wondering if The Jerk is OK for your kids?
If this movie were to be remade today, what do you think would be different about it? It's at this time when the salesman returns with the news that Navin's invention is a lucrative success, and Navin is now a millionaire. A simpleminded, sheltered country boy suddenly decides to leave his family home to experience life in the big city, where his naivete is both his best friend and his worst enemy. Much later, the aforementioned black family is shown to have done very well with financial investments. Parents need to know that The Jerk is a 1979 Steve Martin comedy that is -- while certainly one of Martin's best and best-loved movies -- filled with frequent profanity as well as the use of racial slurs. Parents and caregivers: Set limits for violence and more with Plus. the jerk racist. Reddit's anti-racism community, a safe(r) space for People of Color and their supporters. Thank you for your support.
The Jerk hearkens back to his days as "Wild & Crazy" Steve and remains laugh-out loud funny. © 2020 The Unemployed Chefs. THE JERK is a classic Steve Martin vehicle -- and certainly the part he was born to play, especially in his late-'70s "wild and crazy guy" heyday. We are conscious that race intersects with sex, class, disability, age, and more, and intend this space to be safe(r) for *all* POC.
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A young boy in an amusement park is shown in an extended scene wearing a T-shirt that reads "Bull S--t." Navin's first girlfriend calls his second girlfriend a "gash. Later in the movie, after Navin has become successful, he and his girlfriend are shown drinking wine in a fancy restaurant and then are surrounded by drinkers at a disco party. How is racial stereotyping explored in serious and not-so-serious ways? as one of the great comedies from that era.
Characters are shown drinking, smoking cigarettes, and, in one scene, smoking a joint. With Mark Blankfield, Ray Walston, Robert Sampson, Patricia Barry. Toward the end of the film, a sports car is shown losing control, driving off a cliff and exploding -- the result of a movie director becoming cross-eyed. A crazed gunman points a rifle and scope at Navin with intent to kill him. Families can talk about how race is depicted in the movie. This community was founded by and is actively curated by People of Color.
Love this guy, One of the best ever and this is his... Great movie.Some profanity and sex but good other than that. All discussions are expected to be from a post-"racism 101" and postcolonial point of view. At the carnival, he loses his virginity to a foul-mouthed and violent motorcycle stuntwoman but falls in love with a sweet woman named Marie (Bernadette Peters). Reddit's anti-racism community, a safe(r) space for People of Color and their supporters. Just wondering if this movie is seen as an artifact of racist times, or if it seems to be more progressive than other movies of its era.