Mallrats (1995)

Both dumped by their girlfriends, two best friends seek refuge in the local mall.

Director:

Kevin Smith

Writer:

Kevin Smith

Stars:

Shannen Doherty, Jeremy London, Jason Lee

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shannen Doherty	...	Rene
Jeremy London	...	TS Quint
Jason Lee	...	Brodie
Claire Forlani	...	Brandi
Ben Affleck	...	Shannon
Joey Lauren Adams	...	Gwen
Renée Humphrey	...	Tricia (as Renee Humphrey)
Jason Mewes	...	Jay
Ethan Suplee	...	Willam
Stan Lee	...	Stan Lee
Priscilla Barnes	...	Ivannah
Michael Rooker	...	Svenning
Carol Banker	...	Security Guard
Steven Blackwell	...	Arresting Cop #2
Kyle Boe	...	Pull Toy Kid

Storyline

Brodie Bruce, a Sega and comic book obsessed college student, and his best friend, TS Quint, are both dumped by their girlfriends on the same day, and to deal with their loss, they both go to the local mall. Along the way, they meet up with some friends, including Willam, a guy who stares at Magic Eye pictures, desprately trying to see the hidden image; Gwen, one of TS's ex-girlfriends; and Jay & Silent Bob, of Clerks fame. Eventually, they decide to try and win back their significant others, and take care of their respective nemesises (TS's girlfriend's father, and a store clerk who hates the two for not having any shopping agenda).

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Plot Keywords:

mall | jay and silent bob | comic | shopping | magic eye | 

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Taglines:

It's mall or nothing

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

14A

Details

Official Sites:

View Askew's "Mallrats" page

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 October 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Les flâneurs

Filming Locations:

Eden Prairie Center Mall - 8251 Flying Cloud Drive, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$2,122,561 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gramercy Pictures (I), Alphaville Films, View Askew Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min 123 min (extended)

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The MagicEye "sailboat" picture is actually a 4 x 3 matrix of geometric shapes consisting of a cross, a circle, a diamond, a star, 4 segmented circles and 4 cones.

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Goofs

When Jay and Silent Bob are chased to the food-court, in the space of a few moments, T.S.'s drink changes from a regular Coke before they arrive, to a Diet Coke after they arrive.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Brodie: [voice-over] One time my cousin Walter got this cat stuck up his ass. True story. He bought it at our local mall, so the whole fiasco wound up on the news. It was embarrasing for my relatives and all, but next week, he did it again. Different cat, same results, complete with another trip to the emergency room. So, I run into him a week later in the mall and he's buying another cat. And I says to him, "Jesus, Walt! What are you doing? You know you're just gonna get this cat stuck up ...

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Crazy Credits

La Fours' security team (the one that arrests Brodie and TS at the stage after the "stinkpalm" bit) is listed as Team LaFours (at their request).

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Connections

References The Night of the Hunter (1955)

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Soundtracks

Susanne
Written by Rivers Cuomo
Performed by Weezer
Courtesy of DGC Records

User Reviews

Wacky Comedy in a Shopping Mall

'Mallrats' but is the kind of film you either like or don't like which is pretty much the case with any Kevin Smith movie. I liked it. I enjoyed all the dirty street humour, the awkwardness, the characters and the concept.

It's full of slapstick comedies, comic book 'adventure' and some witty (and dirty) dialogues. Even though many of the situations are unrealistic, it's hilarious.

'Mallrats' is about two friends who both lose their girlfriends. The two friends spend the rest of the day in the mall discussing things and what to do about them. In the mall they meet some friends, enemies, and weirdos. Though the plot isn't what would be referred to as a work of 'genius', it's more the characters and the funny situations that will stick to mind.

The only sequence I didn't like was the toilet humour bit, about making the hand stink. That sort of brought down the film a little. The film was already on the right track with its funny characters and funny situations. There was no need for toilet humour.

London and Lee play the two friends. London is okay while Lee is very good. He pretty much steals every scene. Doherty and Forlani are adequate. Lauren Adams is brilliant in a brief role and Affleck is good as the evil Salesman. Mewes and Smith are alright (though some may feel that they go a little over the top).

So all in all, you'll meet some very weird (and not-so-weird) characters and exaggerated situations but I think you'll at least have some good laughs. It's one of the better comedies from a country that has made dozens of blockbuster garbage like 'American Pie'.