Mario’s Musings (Anniversary Edition): Clerks
“I’m not even supposed to be here today!”
“This job would be great if it wasn’t for the ****ing customers.”
If you ever worked in retail, these lines REALLY stick with you. It’s the worst feeling in the world knowing you were supposed to be able to sleep in only to get that call saying your presence is needed. And then there’s dealing with the customers themselves. This film shows ALL of the terrors of retail. It’s the film that put Kevin Smith on the map 30 years ago.
Smith filmed Clerks while he was working at the Quick Stop itself. A majority of the film was shot after the store closed, hence the plot point of the shutters being closed throughout the film due to gum being stuck in the locks. He had a shoestring budget, which meant colorizing the film cost too much, so the film is in black and white, and to this day, remains that way. It’s honestly hard to imagine the film ever being in color. However, the sequel, Clerks 2, is in color.
The story of Clerks focuses on Dante, an employee of the Quick Stop convenience store who gets called in last minute to cover a shift, and what follows is his entire day getting upended as a result. He had plans that day; to play hockey with some friends, hang out with his girlfriend, etc. Luckily for him, his best friend Randal works next door at the video store, and he’s always there to keep him company, but unlike Dante, Randall doesn’t take his job seriously, much to Dante’s annoyance at times.
Throughout the film, Dante and Randal have conversations ranging from their general annoyance with the job, their love lives, Star Wars, and whether or not they should leave work briefly in order to attend a funeral of a friend. This doesn’t sound like thrilling stuff, but trust me, it’s wild. And of course, this movie introduced the world to Jay and Silent Bob, two drug dealers that hang outside of the stores and seem to have their own adventures (more on that in later movies like Mallrats, Dogma, and the two Jay & Silent Bob movies). Of course, Silent Bob never speaks, except when it’s needed, and that’s at the very end when Dante needs to hear him the most.
All in all, this is a great indie film to give a watch. Each actor brings something different to the table, and the laughs are plentiful. The story is basic, just a day in the life of two clerks, but the horrors of retail are all too real when presented here. Dante and Randal are characters I always enjoyed revisiting over the years, to the point where I even gave the Clerks cartoon a chance and wasn’t disappointed either. Opinions vary on Clerks 2, but I enjoy the hell out of it and it’s a great follow up to this movie. Your mileage may vary on Clerks 3, but that movie hit me right in the stomach (in a good way).