Clerks (1994)

A day in the lives of two convenience clerks named Dante and Randal as they annoy customers, discuss movies, and play hockey on the store roof.

Director:

Kevin Smith

Writer:

Kevin Smith

Stars:

Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Marilyn Ghigliotti

6 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brian O'Halloran	...	Dante Hicks
Jeff Anderson	...	Randal Graves
Marilyn Ghigliotti	...	Veronica
Lisa Spoonauer	...	Caitlin Bree
Jason Mewes	...	Jay
Kevin Smith	...	Silent Bob
Scott Mosier	...	Willam the Idiot Manchild / Angry Hockey-Playing Customer / Angry Mourner
Scott Schiaffo	...	Chewlies Rep
Al Berkowitz	...	Old Man
Walter Flanagan	...	Woolen Cap Smoker / Egg Man / Offended Customer / Cat-Admiring Bitter Customer (as Walt Flanagan)
Ed Hapstak	...	Sanford / Angry Mourner
Lee Bendick	...	#812 Wynarski
David Klein	...	Hunting Cap Smoking Boy / Low I.Q. Video Customer / Hubcap Searching Customer / Angry Mourner / Angry Crowd at Door
Pattijean Csik	...	Coroner
Ken Clark	...	Administer of Fine / Orderly

Storyline

Dante Hicks is not having a good day. He clerks in a small convenience store and is told to come into work on his day off. Dante thinks life is a series of down endings and this day proves to be no different. He reads in the newspaper that his ex-girlfriend Caitlin is getting married. His present girlfriend reveals to have somewhat more experience with sex that he thought. His principal concerns are the hockey game he has that afternoon and the wake for a friend who died. His buddy Randal Graves works as a clerk in the video store next door and he hates his job as much as Dante hates his.

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Plot Keywords:

friendship | low budget film | friend | convenience store | stupidity | 

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Taglines:

A very funny look at the over-the-counter culture.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R on appeal for extensive use of extremely explicit sex-related dialogue

Did You Know?

Trivia

A Miramax employee read the screenplay to determine if the company wished to pick up the film for distribution. The reader came to the scene where Dante, angry over his girlfriend's sexual past, yells at an oblivious customer "My girlfriend sucked 37 dicks!" and the customer curiously says "In a row?" He laughed so hard that he stopped reading the script. He immediately visited the Vice President of Production and had him read the scene too. The VP green-lit the film for buying approval by Harvey Weinstein and Bob Weinstein on the spot.

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Goofs

When Veronica chases the gum salesman and the customers, she says "Don't you have jobs to commute to?" She also is supposed to be in class all day. Later when Randal and Dante go to the wake, Randal says to Dante "It's 4 o'clock on a Saturday afternoon - how many people come to the store at four on a Saturday afternoon?" If it's a Saturday, how can there be classes all day, and why are the customers supposed to commute to their jobs? And we are told that the funeral is tomorrow which would be a Sunday. Funerals are not usually held on a Sunday.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dante Hicks: [phone rings and Dante falls out of a closet] Hello. What? No, I don't work today. I'm playing hockey at two.

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Crazy Credits

Closing dedication: For Uncle Al

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Alternate Versions

In the original theatrical and early home video versions, the scene where the mom comes in with her kid to rent "Happy Scrappy Hero Pups" had a different child voice dubbed in saying "happy scrappy". However, starting with the 10th anniversary Clerks X DVD, the audio for the girl's line of dialogue was replaced with the girl's actual voice, rather than the dubbed version in the earlier releases.

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Connections

References Class Act (1992)

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Soundtracks

Berserker
Written by Steve Smyth (as S. Smyth), S. Angley and Kevin Smith (as K. Smith)
Performed by Love Among Freaks

User Reviews

I've always wanted to be the assistant manager of a convenience store

Funny, fast paced story of an assortment of pathetic losers, their dreams, girlfriends, and go nowhere lives. I laughed all the way through at the give and take between the two lead characters and their stupid friends and lovers. Both intelligent, sometimes even sagely; the two men lead lives of loneliness and boredom leading to a careless attitude about their jobs which, in time, will become their position on all things unless they choose to reverse the course they are following. I was groaning with glee as the store clerk had it out with his lady friend over how many men she had fellatio with. I liked the way the film was broken up into titled parts, each comprising a small story within the tale. Zany, well worth the price of entry.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 November 1994 (France)

Also Known As:

cLeRKs

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$27,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$31,665, 23 October 1994

Gross USA:

$3,151,130

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,151,130

Company Credits

Production Co:

View Askew Productions, Miramax

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min 87 min (TV) 102 min (extended)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Mono (original Sundance cut)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1