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	...	Himself
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 | comic | jay and silent bob | magic eye | shopping | 

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Taglines:

They're not there to shop. - They're not there to work. - They're just there.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language, including sexual dialogue, and for some scenes of sexuality and drug content

Details

Official Sites:

View Askew's "Mallrats" page

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 October 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Aylak fareler

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

Kevin Smith:  [star wars]  Many visual and spoken references throughout.

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Goofs

When Shannon Hamilton and Brodie collide, you hear liquid hitting the floor from Brodie's cup, but you never see anything fall from the cup.

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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

End credits finish with: Jay and Silent Bob will return in "Chasing Amy"

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Connections

Referenced in Moby Presents: Alien Sex Party (2003)

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Soundtracks

"Easy Beat"
Written by Malcolm Lockyer
Courtesy of Zomba Music Services

User Reviews

Very funny if you live in Smith's world

I guess that people can be split in two ways - those that like Kevin Smith's films and those that don't. From watching his films, he seems to like his characters to exist in his strange world where things are exaggerated and ridiculous characters do unrealistic things.

That sums up Mallrats - it's the story of two friends who both lose their girlfriends and then spend the rest of the day hanging around in the local mall. Whilst hanging around they meet friends and get into scrapes as they strive to get their girlfriends back.

I suppose if you looked at it coolly it's all a bit silly - fully of ridiculous situations and scrapes that are resolved in unbelievable ways. But then if you accept Smith's world of comic book style adventures and cartoon film making then this is great. Whereas his later Chasing Amy brings adult subjects into the comedy - this is pure cartoon comedy, although understand it's not dumb like slapstick - but crazy, clever humour with plenty of jokes occuring all around the main action.

OK the overall plot is weak at best, but the story is more about the characters and the situations along the journey to the end of the film and here is where Smith wins. He has created crazy characters that are funny and often exaggerated versions of people or of people's reactions to situations (witness the magic-eye poster guy for an example of exaggerated humour).

Lee is fantastic, this is the role he was made for - he reacts in an exaggerated way to everything and really hams it up. I suppose he's a comic-book reading loser but in this world he is funny and in control. He is loud and abusive to others and it's great! Jeremy London is a weak straight man and doesn't really convince.

Jay & Silent Bob are good as always - although for most of the movie they exist in their own little subplot of taking on the mall police. Again their adventures are exaggerated for humour.

If you hated Clerks and Smith's other movies then you'll hate this. However if this world is one that appeals to you then you'll love this movie's reckless abandonment of reality and enjoy the adventures involved in a trip to the mall.