THE JERK

US, 1980, 95 minutes, Colour.
Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Caitlin Adams, Carl Reiner.
Directed by Carl Reiner.

The Jerk: Comedy is always a matter of taste, local style and reference. Comedians often don't travel too well. The Jerk, apart from constant silly coarseness, has its moments as does Steve Martin in a heavy parody of a U.S. rags-to riches story of a naive, frantically enthusiastic white from a Missouri black family. Carl Reiner is an enjoyable actor, writer-director (Oh God, One And Only), but this film is only average. He himself does a funny cross-eyed turn. Martin is part Jerry Lewis antics, part clever parodist; the two don't seem to jell, although for the U.S., perhaps just right.

1. The tone of the title and the credits sequence and Navin introducing himself? The slapstick tone? The jerk treatment? The success of the film in America, outside America?

2. The appeal of American comedy styles? Familiarity from films over the decades, television series? American comedy in characters, local references? how well do they transplant?

3. The themes of American comedy: the black and white traditions, poverty, rags to riches, madness, carnivals, big business, gangsters? The background in the film of California and Missouri?

4. A typical American success story, in parody? The rags to riches, the introduction to Navin, the flashbacks? Sympathy? Poor origins, hard work, chance and success, wealth and problems, failure?

5. Steve Martin and his comic style? The opening comments, the parody of the hoboes? The humour of the white man in the black family, being out of rhythm with the music, the discovery of white music? The humorous satire on the discovery of origins within the family? The hitch-hiking and not moving? A naive young man, enthusiastic and frantic? Good natured? People automatically good to him? A comic persona American style?

6. The arrival at the garage, Harry and his befriending him, the room and the parody of his admiration of the toilet? The robbery and the bank cards? The booking the car to the church? The madman and his choosing Navin from the 'phone book - and Navin's wanting to have his name in print? The shootings and the escape?

7. The work in the carnival, the guessing of weights? Patty and her violence and masculinity? Sexual style? The contrast with Marie? Patty and her domination, her physical violence?

8. The discovery of Marie, Navin's courting her, outings, eating, on the beach and the songs? The confrontation with Patty? Marie and her work, the demonstration of the change of make-up for men and Navin substituting himself? Courtship and marriage? The humour of the religious ceremony California style? The repercussions of wealth?

9. The background of the family - the black family and Missouri, leaving home, the letters and their being read? The humour of the father and his investments and the new house?

10. The precarious nature of success? The humour of Navin's invention about the glasses? Sudden wealth, the house, parties, gangsters? having a butler - and the point about the death of his wife and his recovery? The taking away of the house? Navin and his leaving home - and the parody on taking the few possessions and the elaborate building up of these?

11. The comedy in the court case, the point about people going cross-eyed? Carl Reiner and his presence in his own film, his comedy turn? The eviction, his wandering the streets, the hoboes?

13. The humour of the comedy touches and routines? American style humour on American styles?