The Jerk

Name: The Jerk
Genre: Comedy
Released: 1979-12-14
Duration: 1 h 34 min
Rating: 6.9
Cast: Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Catlin Adams, Mabel King, Richard Ward

1979·Movie·R·94 min·★ 6.9(906)

Comedy More English titles

“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.

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Where to watch The Jerk in United States

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Click a service to open The Jerk there. Availability last verified on June 21, 2026.

Where is The Jerk streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
India	—	Amazon Video
United Kingdom	—	Apple TV Store, Rakuten TV, Amazon Video
Canada	—	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, CosmoGo
Australia	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
Germany	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
France	—	Apple TV Store, LaCinetek, Amazon Video
Japan	—	FOD

About The Jerk

The Jerk is a 1979 English-language comedy film directed by Carl Reiner. The cast is led by Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Catlin Adams. It has a runtime of 1h 34m. Viewers rate it 6.9/10 across 900 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.

The Jerk was produced by Universal Pictures and Aspen Film Society and made in United States of America. It was released on December 14, 1979, and carries a R certification. Made on a budget of about $4 million, it went on to gross $100 million worldwide.

Director: Carl Reiner
Writers: Steve Martin, Carl Gottlieb, Michael Elias
Release date: December 14, 1979
Original language: English
Age rating: R
Status: Released
Country: United States of America
Budget: $4 million
Box office: $100 million
Production: Universal Pictures, Aspen Film Society

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The Jerk cast & crew

The Jerk was directed by Carl Reiner and written by Steve Martin, Carl Gottlieb, and Michael Elias.

The cast features Steve Martin as Navin R. Johnson, Bernadette Peters as Marie Kimble Johnson, Catlin Adams as Patty Bernstein, Mabel King as Mother, Richard Ward as Father, and Carl Gottlieb as Iron Balls McGinty.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Jack Elliott, cinematography is by Victor J. Kemper, and it was produced by David V. Picker and William E. McEuen.

Is The Jerk worth watching?

The Jerk holds an audience score of 6.9/10 from 906 ratings, a solidly received comedy films.

At 1h 34m, it's an easy, time-light watch.

If you enjoy comedy, The Jerk is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch The Jerk

In United States, you can stream The Jerk on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.