Fellman's Movie Reviews

Clerks is a 1994 independent comedy written and directed by Kevin Smith. It is Kevin Smith’s first movie and begins what he calls the “View Askewniverse”. The collection of films that contain all of Kevin Smith’s movies and characters. Clerks stars Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Marilyn Ghigliotti, Lisa Spoonauer, Jason Mewes, and Kevin Smith himself as Silent Bob. The film was shot for a measly $28,000 which Smith raised by maxing out over 8 credit cards and borrowing money from his parents. It then grossed over $4 million after being released at the Sundance Film Festival and being picked up by Miramax Films.  

I think Clerks is one of the funniest movies ever made. It’s a perfect period piece. Telling the story of how people in that age group were thinking in that place and time. It’s a tale of ennui and frustration, mixed with just the right amount of real life to make it feel like a story that you can relate to. That’s why I’ve always loved Clerks. It just always made sense to me.  

The dialogue between not only Dante and Randall, but between them and the customers is so beautifully written. You can see it happening in a real convenience store. You can see those sorts of interactions happening while you’re standing in line waiting to pay for your gas or something. I’ve bought cigarettes before. I could imagine somebody asking me and engaging me after I bought a pack and getting caught up in some sort of conversation. It’s not beyond the realm of possibility.  

To go through an entire day in the life of somebody who stands behind a counter and interacts with people, especially people they don’t want to interact with, is a good basis for a story. Conflict makes stories. And this premise is just rife with conflict. There’s no limit to what kind of customer could walk into a convenience store. As this script obviously shows.  

And the fact that the movie is shot in black and white makes it all the more prescient. Like, it has this low-key feeling about it. Because they’re stuck in this convenience store. And there’s nowhere to go. So, to keep it black and white gives it an almost dreary feeling. Juxtapose that with the witty comedy throughout the movie, and it more than makes up for the low production value of this high class, low-cost independent movie.  

So, yeah. Go and watch Clerks. It’s been chosen for preservation in the National Film Registry because of how important it is to the history of filmmaking. It’s a landmark in comedy and independent film. It’s easily one of the funniest comedies I’ve ever seen. And I’m pretty sure you’ll like it too. And as always, keep on watching, with a smile on your face…