One of Steve Martin’s Absolute Best Comedies Has a Forgotten Remake

The big picture

• The Jerk too
  it was not a sequel but a complete remake with no connection to the original film.
• In
  the idiot too
  Navin's motives feel forced and his character arc feels hollow compared to the original.
• A key twist
  The Jerk too
  switches the role of Navin's “jerk” to Count Marco, providing an unconventional but satisfying conclusion.

There are certain movies that just tick all the boxes. Whether it's a movie that makes audiences cry, laugh, or takes them on an unforgettable adventure, these blockbuster movies are gold for both the viewers and the studios that make them. Of couse, when an image reaches a certain level of success, a follow-up is almost inevitable. Sequels to audience favorites often deliver mixed results, while remakes tend to fare even worse.

Whether it's the endless chain of sequels alien or the blasphemous remake of Alfred Hitchcockthe seminal class, psychology, shameless sequels or reboots seem inevitable and, unfortunately, unforgettable in the world of cinema. However, there is one cheeky revamp that seems to have been completely erased from the memory of fans of its original film. when The Jerk was released in December 1979, gave rise to the now iconic comicSteven Martin his first major leading role. The film was a huge hit at the box office, which of course led to a sequel. Despite this, The Jerk, tooit was less of a sequel and more of a full blown remake. Premiering on January 6, 1984 on NBC, the film featured a mostly new cast in the iconic roles played by the likes of Martin and Bernadette Peters and also gave his titular “jerk” a surprising twist.

'The Jerk' was a big break for Steve Martin

Before acting, Steve Martin began his career in comedy as a writer The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. He was also on staff from 1967-68, according to Biography.com. After his departure, Martin played footy and wrote for The Sony and Cher Show. Then, in 1972, it started appearing The show tonight, giving him more influence as a comic. 1976 saw Martin host Saturday night live for the first time. According to Biography, Martin would release several comedy albums over the next few years and even a short film, The distracted waiter, in 1977. The debut even received an Oscar nomination.

But it was 1979 that cemented Martin as a major screen star when The Jerk hit the cinemas. The film saw Martin in the role of Navin Johnson, a simple man who was adopted by Mother Johnson (Mabel King) and Father Johnson (Richard Ward) after being abandoned as a baby. Discovering that he was adopted, Navin is introduced to the world. Along the way, he amasses a fortune and finds love with Marie Kimble (Bernadette Peters) before losing everything, after essentially becoming the eponymous “jerk.” Navin, of course, finds happiness when the Johnsons and Marie rescue him once again and bring him home. As it turns out, Father Johnson is a financial genius, and the family tears down their tiny house and replaces it with a larger version of their beloved original shack.

Directed by the beloved Carl Reiner, The Jerk earned $73,691,419 during its theatrical run, according to BoxOfficeMojo. The film received largely positive reviews, with outlets such as The New York Times praising the film's flamboyant humor and Martin's performance. While some elements of the film have aged badly, it's not hard to see why it remains a classic. The script has a wide sense of humor, from the tongue-in-cheek to the absurd, and even jokes that tug at the audience's heartstrings. Martin and Peters deliver memorable performances that complement each other beautifully While Martin's Navin is a mix of naïveté and playboy, Peters plays Marie as a simple, spoiled, yet lovable partner.

Despite the film's success, it would be a while before the public got a follow up, and when they did, it wasn't exactly what anyone expected.

'The Jerk, Too' was not the expected follow-up

The Jerk, too it would never quite be the expected following. In fact, despite its misleading name, it wasn't a sequel at all. Instead, it was a full-blown remake. There was quite a bit of marketing surrounding the nature of the film. The New York Times published an article prior to the film's broadcast and made it clear that “'The Jerk Too,' which is not a sequel to the 1979 film 'The Jerk,' starring Mr. .Martin, but a fairly complete reworking of it.” There was actually very little connection to the original film. Of the cast, only Mabek King returned (again in the role of Mama). While Steve Martin served as executive producer on the project, Mark Blankfield took on the role of Navin.

The assembly for The Jerk, too it's relatively the same as the original, but with a multiverse-like twist, this Navin doesn't set out to see the world. He already knows Marie (this time her name is Marie Van Buren and she played band Stacey Nelkin). The two are pen pals, and when Navin finds out that Marie is getting married, he offers to attend the wedding. Like the original film, he gets sidetracked on side missions, and at one point ends up in Las Vegas honing his card-playing skills. Using the original film more as a template than an actual basis, the film tries to follow its own story, but loses much of what makes it The Jerk so lovely The jokes and story often feel forced and like they live in the shadow of what came before.

His motives feel strange The Jerk, too. Leaving home to see the world and learn about himself was a much stronger and more relatable venture than trekking across the country to meet Marie in person. Also, his romance with Marie works really well in the first movie because the audience sees it build. Their pen pal friendship and excitement to meet each other effectively takes away from the joy of watching their stupid but loving relationship build and makes Navin's journey and character arc feel hollow.

Eventually, he and Marie meet, and she realizes that she prefers his naïve ways and charming personality to her fiancé, the cold Count Marco (Jean LeClerc). While their romance lacks the charming build-up of the original, the triangle allows the film to execute its best twist The Jerkthe tradition.

“The best moment of The Jerk, Too is its twist on the original film

The Jerkit famously begins with Navin addressing the camera and proclaiming himself a “moron”. And while the overall structure of The Jerk, too may be the same, the best departure from his source material comes when he switches the role from Navin's titular idiot to Marie's fiance, Count Marco. In fact, this Navin is much more of an innocent fool than the original.

Martin's Navin really sheds his innocence fairly quickly, while Blankfield remains largely likable, with his negative actions often manipulated at the hands of others. by Martin moron he needs to be rescued from his own actions, but Blankfield literally rides into Marie's wedding to save her from an unpleasant marriage. As silly and over the top as the ending is, it makes Navin and Marie's relationship that much more satisfying. There's so much turmoil between the pair in the original film that it makes their happy ending a little less sweet. Despite how problematic reimagining is, The Jerk, too his conclusion is correct.

The Jerk, too it is far from the success that was its predecessor. The film did not follow the adventures of Steve Martin's seminal role of Navin, but instead reimagined them all together without most of its original cast. While it's largely an awkward rehashing of the events of the first film, it gets its proper ending by taking the mantle of “Jerk” away from Navin and turning him into an unlikely and lovable hero.

The Jerk, too is available to stream on the Roku channel in the US

Watch it on the Roku channel