Kevin Smith’s ‘CLERKS’ – 30 Years Later: A Retro Review

Some movies catch my attention and make me fall in love. The first time I saw Clerks, I was 11 years old, and it fit so well. I understood the one-liners and the comedic value, mainly because I was raised around angry retail workers. However, a Clerks discussion is always a fun topic for anyone. That’s how iconic this movie is; everyone attached themselves to taking all the sarcastic comments they lived for and mentioning that one line repeatedly. It becomes an instant obsession, the same as Beavis and Butthead; that’s how much I loved this movie. It wasn’t appropriate for my age, but nothing back then really was.

Synopsis

On his day off, Dante Hicks, a retail clerk at the Quick Stop Groceries convenience store in Leonardo, New Jersey, is instructed by his boss via phone call to cover another employee’s morning shift. Dante asks to end early at noon to play a hockey game with friends later that day, with the boss coming in himself. Arriving to find the locks to the security shutters jammed closed with gum, he drapes a sheet over the shutters with “I ASSURE YOU; WE’RE OPEN!” in shoe polish; he repeatedly laments, “I’m not even supposed to be here today.”

The Backstory

The raw attitude makes the film so great, which I could relate to as a sarcastic little kid. I can also relate to this because I have worked at gas stations, among other things. However, I hated my gas station, and to relax, I would watch Clerks just for the laughs and good vibes. It’s such a feel-good movie for me, and I love that fact. I only have a few movies I relate to, and Clerks is at the top of that food chain. To this day, it is still my favorite movie from Kevin Smith.

The black-and-white concept prevails. It may sound strange, but it captures the essence of the people stuck in this job—like a college project that became an unforgettable experience. I often wonder what Clerks would look like in color, but I never want to see that because it would ruin the ambiance. The intensity is high as you witness Dante’s day progressively worsening and his reaction to it all. Clerks are the quintessential coming-of-age movie, even for those too young to comprehend the job market. 

In The End

Clerks will always be in the pantheon of cult classics. The fandom is serious, like throwing a brick at a window. Some people really liked bringing the cast back in full color with Clerks II. I feel like although Clerks II was still a riot, Clerks III is a buzzkill. Clerks doesn’t have too much plot aside from Dante’s troubles. That makes it fun; so many moments add to the aesthetic that has nothing to do with the story but one scene, such as the gum salesman down to finding the perfect milk. The film will always be iconic in the entire film industry.

I am glad I grew up in the same time Clerks was released.