Skip to content
HOLLYWOOD METRICS
HomeAboutCraftNewsAnalyticsScriptsBooksPricingAPIMCP
Catalog/Comedy/The Jerk
The Jerk poster
S
Masterwork
MASTER SCORE 88.3 / 100
1979·Comedy·1h 34m

THE JERK

“A rags to riches to rags story.”

After 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.

Above the Line
Carl Reiner·DirectorSteve Martin·ScreenplayCarl Gottlieb·ScreenplayVictor J. Kemper·Director of PhotographyJack Elliott·Original Music ComposerBud Molin·Editor
Cast
Steve Martin·Navin R. JohnsonBernadette Peters·Marie Kimble JohnsonCatlin Adams·Patty BernsteinMabel King·MotherRichard Ward·FatherCarl Gottlieb·Iron Balls McGintyDick Anthony Williams·TajBill Macy·Stan FoxM. Emmet Walsh·MadmanDick O'Neill·Frosty
Full Crew
(10 credits)
Directing· 1
Carl Reiner·Director
Writing· 3
Steve Martin·ScreenplayCarl Gottlieb·ScreenplayMichael Elias·Screenplay
Camera· 1
Victor J. Kemper·Director of Photography
Editing· 2
Bud Molin·EditorRon Spang·Editor
Sound & Music· 1
Jack Elliott·Original Music Composer
Production· 2
David V. Picker·ProducerWilliam E. McEuen·Producer
By the Numbers
88.3
OF 100
Master Score
7.1
OF 10
IMDb
83%
CRITICS
Rotten Tomatoes
$100M
ROI 2400%
Worldwide Gross
0
Oscar Wins
Where to Watch

THE AVAILABILITY MAP

The canonical record of where this film lives across the streaming map.

Provider Index In Progress

Streaming, rental, and purchase availability for this title is being ingested from the TMDB watch-providers feed and will appear here once the next catalog refresh runs. Until then, the canonical source links below remain the fastest route.

Find on TMDB
Poster DNA

THE VISUAL DECONSTRUCTION

A bespoke vision agent's reading of the design language behind The Jerk's key art.

Dominant Palette
3 colors
#F7E800
#999999
#C80000
Mood
Comedic, Quirky
Composition
Centered
Era
1970s
Visual Style
Photographic

“A man with graying hair and a light-colored robe stands on a red floor against a bright yellow background. He is holding a red folding chair in his left arm and”

comedy
Key Elements
Red Folding ChairPaddleball GameScope Camera AttachmentDark Liquid Spill
Atmosphere
Bright, Warm
Color Mood
Mixed
Setting
Abstract
Design Score
7/10
More Like This

THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Neighboring films in the catalog's similarity graph.

Keep Going

THREE WAYS DEEPER

Auteur
AUT
MORE BY CARL REINER

Every catalog entry where Carl Reiner is credited as director.

Open
Family
GEN
MORE COMEDY

Top-ranked films inside comedy, sorted by master score.

Open
Era
DEC
MORE FROM THE 1970S

The best films of the 1970s, ranked across every available metric.

Open
View on IMDbView on TMDBCatalog
HOLLYWOOD METRICS

The definitive mathematical oracle for cinematic success and creative script intelligence.

74,000+ Films100 Years1.1M+ Reviews
PRODUCT
  • The Hollywood Record · Books
  • Bookshop
  • Dashboard
  • Pricing
  • Script Analysis
  • Watch the Demo
  • The Red List
  • News
  • Analytics
  • API
  • MCP Connector
COMPANY
  • About
  • Track Record
  • Trust & Script Privacy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
CONNECT
  • ▶YouTube
  • ◉Instagram
  • ♪TikTok
  • @Threads
  • fFacebook
Get Started Free →
© 2026 Hollywood Metrics. All rights reserved.Powered by bespoke agents and autonomous agentic workflows