Steve Martin’s early comedy success is presented as a story of a man with intellectual disabilities who experiences a wild journey from poverty to wealth and back again, told through humorous anecdotes and interspersed with memories. Catlin Adams portrays a carnival performer with an attraction to Navin, played by Martin, while Bernadette Peters takes on a more significant role in his life. "The Jerk," released in 1979, features moments that elicit genuine laughter, such as the final disagreement between Patty and Marie. However, it also contains sequences that feel drawn out and fall short, for example, Navin’s exit from the mansion near the end of the film. The later success of "Forrest Gump" in 1994 clearly shows its debt to “The Jerk,” which became a more dramatic and widely-seen movie. Similarly, Jim Carrey drew considerable influence from Martin's work and this particular film when developing his own comedic style for movies like "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective," released in 1994. The film’s length is 1 hour and 34 minutes, and filming took place around Los Angeles. GRADE: B

Source on TMDB