MovieChat Forums > The Jerk (1979) Discussion > Was Nathaniel adopted by a rich family?

Was Nathaniel adopted by a rich family?


I think so... I think they would have to be 'wealthy' for the movie to work but they are PROBABLY rich monetarily (not just spiritually wealthy) too when you think all those people are living in a house that's probably been paid off forever, they could easily save money well...

And then when his wife comes back to him after seeing how his family invested funds (smart lady - it's true love but it's not stupid) it just gets kind of hard to believe that his bro got this money and just knew how to invest it right away... when you get into that stuff it is expected that you lose first before you win...

When you look at the first point, it's not that strong.... But when you think about the second point with the first point it is more likely than not that he came from money but the parents wanted him to understand basic principles of *wealth creation* because that creates the feelings more than money. Therefore he did not know he was rich, but acted wealthy, and that gave him the creative power for the money to come to him...

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^^^^^^^
Did you ingest some bad mushrooms before you wrote this?

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no mushrooms bunny rabbit. you can look at this movie as a stereotype or you can crunch the numbers. that many people living in that house they were loaded and the reverse joke is that's why he's purposeful and superior - because he has rich people values.

it really is the joke so much but the joke is such that the guy spending his money on stuff isn't actually better if he doesn't have the money too.... but that's the whole joke...

the mafia coming saying racist stuff out of frustation that they can't explain poor people are inferior and don't know what good is so we'll just get racist then... it's a dual sided joke, it could work two ways diversified but you really don't know if one is the predominant reason. because he really was rich at the beginning of the movie if you try to size them up...

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i got something else to say to you bunny.

the thing is there are two jokes going on here. one is that he's better cuz he's black or he's better cuz he's rich even though they dont spend their money. but the first joke is kind of silly. it's that he's rich. cuz the movie is sort of making a point that even if he started from scratch or got broke he would just get rich again because he's purposeful... that's why it's so pompous but it's ok if they are black or don't spend their money on crap....

but there's no way you can make wine in the box bad or are you some square that don't like roller disco? it just wouldn't make sense if you were thinking... the worst thing he did was not eat the snails but materially speaking that was not his money, i mean he even had them take it back and what does he know about snails if he doesn't eat them but the other side of it is if he's polite he might get bullied and have to so i still see him as affluent.

but if he didn't think about what he was buying even when he was wasting money he would always end up broke unlike his rich family who had many children that were full grown that they told to be purposeful too....

but that's the point their wealth corresponded to their bank account, but you can't see it as poor people are better... cuz then it would be black people are better before poor people cuz they are rich...

the wife was brilliant i want stuff cuz she wanted good tasteful things and she had a partner to explain the other half of the story but nathaniel's story is like trading places the other way... the rich would always be that way but you can't tell unless you were really trying to size a guy up, it might actually invert...

not saying it's true but that's the joke not poor people are better... that one no way...

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