From a grainy, black and white film created on location during the off hours of a neighborhood convenience store, a kernel of greatness was born. It has become a cult classic, a 'must have' on the movie shelves of college dorm rooms far and wide, and one of the very few films that a person can watch over and over again without growing tired of it.
Contrary to popular belief, however, Jay and Silent Bob are not the tandem that drove the film's success. From a moral standpoint, I had a hard time accepting two drug dealers as the "lovable losers" that Smith would have us believe they are, but beyond that, Jason Mewes isn't all that talented. He speaks every line as though he's in need of adenoidal surgery, and his long hair and droopy clothing no longer disguise the fact that he's over thirty years old. Mewes basically plays himself in every one of his roles, and should probably consider himself lucky to have a famous friend willing to write entire movies for him to star in.
The dynamic duo who ARE most responsible for the film's success are Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson playing Dante and Randall, respectively. O'Halloran was brilliantly understated in his role; he is sympathetic without ever directly appealing to the audience to be seen that way. When his girlfriend Veronica claims that he's wasting himself at a dead-end job, we can believe it because of his penchant for subtle humor ("I assure you, we're open!" and the "pay by honor system" were both priceless) and his educated vocabulary. Randall was sufficiently smug and condescending to customers, treating them the way many would love to deal with dim people asking inane questions. And to top it off, the dialogue between Dante and Randall just could not have been better: it was snappy, witty, and realistic from start to finish.
"Clerks" is a film intended primarily for college guys (Is there a dorm room in the country that doesn't hold a copy of this film?) but that somehow also appeals to people from all walks of life. Educated people can enjoy it for the vocabulary ("Perspicacity") and incredibly smart writing. Low brow folks can love the off-color humor and graphic controversies regarding Dante's two girlfriends. And anyone who has ever worked in the convenience/fast food industry can appreciate the moronic situations that customers present, along with the ways that Dante and Randall deal with them.
It is easy to become a Kevin Smith fan simply from watching this movie alone; however, he has not even come close to this standard of excellence since, making several truly wretched films ('Mallrats", "Vulgar", "Jersey Girl") in the process. If you're thinking about becoming a Kevin Smith follower, do yourself a favor: rent "Clerks" again instead, sit back and watch it for the umpteenth time, and wistfully ponder how good Smith used to be.
Contrary to popular belief, however, Jay and Silent Bob are not the tandem that drove the film's success. From a moral standpoint, I had a hard time accepting two drug dealers as the "lovable losers" that Smith would have us believe they are, but beyond that, Jason Mewes isn't all that talented. He speaks every line as though he's in need of adenoidal surgery, and his long hair and droopy clothing no longer disguise the fact that he's over thirty years old. Mewes basically plays himself in every one of his roles, and should probably consider himself lucky to have a famous friend willing to write entire movies for him to star in.
The dynamic duo who ARE most responsible for the film's success are Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson playing Dante and Randall, respectively. O'Halloran was brilliantly understated in his role; he is sympathetic without ever directly appealing to the audience to be seen that way. When his girlfriend Veronica claims that he's wasting himself at a dead-end job, we can believe it because of his penchant for subtle humor ("I assure you, we're open!" and the "pay by honor system" were both priceless) and his educated vocabulary. Randall was sufficiently smug and condescending to customers, treating them the way many would love to deal with dim people asking inane questions. And to top it off, the dialogue between Dante and Randall just could not have been better: it was snappy, witty, and realistic from start to finish.
"Clerks" is a film intended primarily for college guys (Is there a dorm room in the country that doesn't hold a copy of this film?) but that somehow also appeals to people from all walks of life. Educated people can enjoy it for the vocabulary ("Perspicacity") and incredibly smart writing. Low brow folks can love the off-color humor and graphic controversies regarding Dante's two girlfriends. And anyone who has ever worked in the convenience/fast food industry can appreciate the moronic situations that customers present, along with the ways that Dante and Randall deal with them.
It is easy to become a Kevin Smith fan simply from watching this movie alone; however, he has not even come close to this standard of excellence since, making several truly wretched films ('Mallrats", "Vulgar", "Jersey Girl") in the process. If you're thinking about becoming a Kevin Smith follower, do yourself a favor: rent "Clerks" again instead, sit back and watch it for the umpteenth time, and wistfully ponder how good Smith used to be.