Review – The Jerk

In the pantheon of deliberately stupid comedies, this one holds an exalted seat. Certainly to an extent it’s the creature of a more naïve time, depending heavily on Steve Martin’s unique late-70s comedy style. But I still remember laughing my ass off when I first saw this in a theater back in 1979. I was a little easier to amuse back then, so there’s a chance that I like this more than I really should because of fond memories. That notwithstanding, at least some parts of the tale of mentally-atypical Nathan Johnson’s rise to fame and fall from same manages to be funny, sometimes even clever. So if you can get past the dated material – and the presence of Jackie Mason early on – you should enjoy the experience. Mildly amusing