The Jerk - One of the Funniest EVER!

This has got to be one of my favorite movies of all time. A true rags-to-riches-to-rags tale, this gem of a film, directed by Carl Reiner, is entertaining from beginning to end. The story, written by Steve Martin and Carl Gottlieb, stars Steve Martin (before he got into his more serious "Father of the Bride", etc. mode), as Navin Johnson, who is raised as the son of a poor black family. He goes out to seek his fortune and every step along the way is funny. The story line focuses on Navin being naive (don't know if the name is meant to offer some connotation of this) and trusting in his interactions along the way, from getting shot at in a service station, "wow, he must really hate these cans" (as the shooter is missing Navin and hitting oil cans), to his charitable contributions as the successful inventor of the Opti-Grab (as he is approached for philanthropy by an organization to prevent cat-juggling). This movie takes you on a wild and crazy journey with many interesting characters along the way. Bernadette Peters is endearing as his primary love interest, with that part of the story line evolving into a pleasant love story. This is one movie that you can watch over and over again and never get bored! The writing is excellent, the humor makes you remember how to truly laugh, the story line keeps you engaged. A true comedy.