Work Lessons From The Jerk

Comedies are not as common as they once were. I don't think there has been a theatrically released comedy that did well since Girls Trip. It was a relief when Adam Sandler movies went to Netflix. It is easier to not watch them on streaming than to see ads for a movie that does not interest me.

How have I not written a proper article on Steve Martin? Add that to the list. His first starring role- he inspired me to watch Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

His version of Maxwell's Silver Hammer is interesting. Go to YouTube, watch that, Alice Cooper performing Because, Aerosmith's version of Come Together and maybe Earth, Wind and Fire's rendition of Got To Get You Into my Life. The film is one of the most disappointing I ever watched.

There's a reason it was glossed over in The Bee Gees documentary.

Surround Yourself With Talent

Before Deanna Russo spoke of the triangle- I equated it to "Acting, Writing and Directing." No one is more important than the other. Carl Gottlieb wrote a great film. This is better than his next film.

Caveman is only memorable for introducing Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach. They have been married over forty years. Carl Gottlieb also wrote a small adaptation of a book by the name of Jaws.

I recommend The Jaws Log which is his diary of the making of that film. Steve Martin said it would also be a good name for a candy bar. The directing came from Carl Reiner. He collaborated with Steve Martin a few times and those were his best films of that era.

The actors are solid as well. Jackie Mason wasn't in enough movies. He started as a rabbi and moved into comedy.

Take the Journey

This film is strangely similar to Being There. That is coincidental and they were released in 1979. Ending up in a carnival- even there management thinks about profits and loss. I would advise not guessing a woman's weight or age at any time.

Find the Woman Who Will Inspire You To Play Ukulele

How could you not fall in love with Bernadette Peters? Their musicals proclivities were further explored in Pennies From Heaven.

You Never Know Who Will Impact

Small events lead to opportunities. Do glasses fall off the bridge of your nose? I had laser eye surgery and never wanted to find out.

In the rags to riches to rags story- the happy ending is Navin's family finds him. He sent them money when he could. They invested it and did well. While he was on skid row others who appreciated his contributions made something of themselves.

It is a little like one of the mothers in Hoop Dreams who attained her nursing degree. As it looked like her son might go to the NBA (neither William Gates nor Arthur Agee made the pros) she achieved a goal that would lead to better opportunities.

Be Somebody

The kids of today have no idea what it is like to be mentioned in the phone book. There are still phone books. They are smaller and won't inspire random gunman to shoot badly. "He must hate these cans!"

M Emmet Walsh recently passed away. Any movie scene he appears in automatically became better. Do your best in your scene.

Not Everyone Thinks You Are a Jerk

At one point Navin looks at his failures and others do not see him that way. Some might. At least the ones who care about him seek him out. Not everyone has that luxury.

Is The Cause They Want Navin To Resolve The Funniest Scene in a Movie Ever?

You never know what happens south of the border. That scene has to been seen to be believed. The only time I laughed comparably in a film was in Undercover Brother with the first answer to "Behind every great Black man is..."

There were four decent responses. The first one drowned out the others. I had to watch The Princess Bride twice because so many lines were drowned out by laughter. It was a different experience in a less crowded theater.

Good Comedies Can Be Seen Again

Some are funny the first time and seem stale on repeat viewings. Others are as enjoyable if not more so when revisited. Not every stand up comedian receives scripts that are worthy of their talents. Steve Martin no longer appears in movies. Like Goldie Hawn, he stopped and made no announcement. He did enough and made something memorable.