'The Jerk'

I imagine there are funnier films out there. But it's a short list.

Few have put forth a comedic effort quite like Steve Martin does in The Jerk and he's never come close to replicating that effort.

Yes, there's the writing. It's perfectly irreverent without having to be Mel Brooks, slap you across the face.

Foremost, I think Martin's delivery clearly turns this into an instant classic in terms of comedies. The way he can distort his fact. The way he scampers around like a woman being chased by a bee as the sniper is taking out the oil cans ("Stay away from the caa-uns!"). His gawky, geeked-out way he danced on the disco dance floor.

Martin's character, Navin Johnson, makes you completely forget that he's a fictional character being created out of thin air by a comic genius. The way he lights up when he thinks something good is happening or his utter disappointment (like a kid seeing a puppy kicked) when he thinks something is going wrong. It was a role and an opportunity of a lifetime.

Moreso, I like the title. The Jerk. We often use that term for someone who is discourteous or mean. However, it's used here to describe someone who is clueless, foolish, naive and ignorant. Kind of an archaic denotation that couldn't describe Navin Johnson any more perfectly.