Review of The Jerk (1979) by Tom R — 26 Aug 2009

There's very few movies I know almost every line to. But I've seen the jerk since I was tiny, and I just watched it again tonight to realise it's a damn amazing piece of work.

At first glance it's a great gag a minute comedy in a mel brooks tradition - some weak jokes interpolate strong and brilliant scenes. But there's a latent quality to it that creeps up on you, and makes you realise why Kubrick was such a big fan of it (convinced him to approach Steve Martin for Eyes Wide shut in the 70's, even though this was Martin's only role at the time). There's these small and quiet emotions that you catch glimpses of through the comedy that make it strangely moving and deeply charming.

For anyone who doesn't know it's about Navin Johnston, an orphan who grows up in a black family but then, realising he isn't their natural son, goes to discover the world, encountering sex, love, murderers, incredible wealth and flamboyance along the way. The incongruity of an awkward white guy thinking a large black family are his family is never too crude, and there's always a hint of sadness at not quite fitting in that grounds it.

Martin's comic timing and physical abilities are at a level he never reached again after this big role debut (and his awful roles these days are even more embarassing by comparison). Navin's mix of naivety, big heartedness and pretensions to suave control are fleshed out to the full. When he loses his virginity he writes an enthusiastic letter home to the family telling them how he wished they all could've been there but maybe in the future they could be as he 'intends to do this a lot' then promises them more money next week from employment as his girlfriend promises him a blow job. It's moments like this - almost sick and twisted but saved by the buoyant optimism of navin and made endearingly funny somehow.

Once he meets his love, a cosmotologist ('wow, that's impressive. how do you handle all the weightlessness'), the film manages something very few laugh out loud comedies ever achieve - a sincere sense of affection which is also side splittingly funny. Navin's 'I've only known you four weeks and three days but it feels like 6 weeks and 8 days' scene is one of my favourites but watching it again there's a real unique feel of a lost guy finally finding something, finally at rest. It's times like this, so rare in comedies, that transcend all the scrappy plotting and silly characters to hit at something key, yet something a drama couldn't get at maybe - the skillful dovetailing of comedy and feeling gets at a buoyany joy in a calm moment.

It's damn good.