Clerks
Most of us have probably worked in a retail store at some point in our lives. And anyone that has ever worked retail can attest that it's usually a pretty shitty working environment. The pay is low while constantly dealing with annoying, often rude, braindead customers. Writer/director Kevin Smith (Mallrats, Chasing Amy) captures this experience in the hilarious comedy Clerks.
Dante Hicks (Brian O'Halloran) is a 22-year-old slacker working at a local convenience store in Ashbury Park, New Jersey. The movie opens first thing in the morning with Dante being called into work on his day off and follows him through a day of work at the Quick Stop.
Besides the usual assortment of irritating customers, Dante must contend with learning that his current girlfriend Veronica (Marilyn Ghigliotti) is not as innocent as he thought (she's sucked 37 dicks), and that his ex-girlfriend is now engaged.
Joining Dante during his nightmarish shift is Randal (Jeff Anderson), a clerk at the video store next door. Randal treats the customers with the same contempt and disdain that anyone in the retail industry wishes they could get away with. Randal steals many scenes with some great lines and a complete disregard for the concept of customer service. Along the way he and Dante close up shop to play hockey on the store's rooftop and attend a funeral (which they are soon chased out of for tipping the casket).
Probably the best thing about Clerks is its brilliant writing. A day in the life of a sales clerk might seem to be a stretch for a full-length feature, but Clerks offers many memorable scenes and smart dialogue that prevent it from floundering. Some may be offended by the crude and graphic dialogue, but it's done at a very fast pace and with a great deal of wit that makes it pretty damn funny. One of my favorite conversations concerns the impact of the uncompleted Death Star's destruction on its various contractors and construction workers. Even in my wildest imagination I would never have dreamed up such a hilarious discussion. You would have to have a lot of free time to start thinking about stuff like this.
Another memorable moment is the singing of the Berserker song by Olaf (see our Top 10 Sing-A-Long Scenes feature). The first time I heard it I thought, "What the fuck was that?" Although twisted and bizarre, it's one of those things that seems to be funnier to think about later than when you actually first see it.
This movie also introduces us to the infamous duo of Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith). While the two have become cult icons, I find Jay to be more obnoxious and annoying than actually funny. With that said, Clerks would not be the same film without them. I have spent enough time in 7-Elevens to know that losers like this do exist.
Clerks represents Kevin Smith's directorial debut and the beginning of his New Jersey Chronicles. Although it was made on a shoestring budget of less than $30,000, this film is probably Smith's best effort. Much of its charm is that it has the genuine look and feel of an independent film. The underground success of Clerks launched Smith's career, and my difficulty in finding an unrented copy of Clerks at my local video stores certainly gives testimony to Clerk's continuing popularity.
Send any comments/ feedback to the author.
Beer and junk food will help recreate the convenience store atmosphere. In the words of Jay, "It's time to drink some beer, smoke some weed and party."
This film raises the age-old question, "Just how many dicks has my girlfriend sucked?" Like Dante, you may not want to know the answer.
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