Clerks 2: Kevin Smith

The idea that Kevin Smith would actually write and direct a sequel to one of the most important, influential, and beloved independent films of all time seems like sacrilege. After all, isn't the entire idea of a sequel to blatantly make more money? And isn't the entire idea of an independent film to allow a director to capture their specific cinematic vision without the interference of producers and a studio? So why would Kevin Smith do it?! To make more money? Well, actually, no. It turns out that Kevin Smith decided to make a sequel because he had actual ideas for a second story involving the same characters. Clerks 2 takes place twelve years after the first film. Dante Hicks and Randal still work at the same convenience store. At least, they do until Dante comes to work one morning to find the store engulfed in flames. After the destruction of the convenience store, the two get employed at a local Mooby's fast food restaurant. They are joined by Elias, a nineteen year old hardcore conservative Christian, and their boss, the beautiful Becky Scott. And, of course, Jay and Silent Bob, who migrate from the convenience store to the Mooby's. Much like Clerks, this film is largely composed of raunchy and surprisingly insightful dialogue. This may be sacrilege, but I think that the dialogue in Clerks 2 is better and more memorable than in the original. You don't just remember lines from Clerks 2, you remember entire exchanges. Porch Monkey. Pillowpants. The Trilogy. Just saying these lines is enough to stir up vivid memories of the dialogue in Clerk 2. But again, it isn't just the dialogue that makes this film remarkable, its the underlying story. The two twenty-something slackers from the 90s are now thirty-somethings from the 00s. Their lives haven't moved on. They have sunk even deeper into a quagmire in their personal lives. But Dante thinks he has a way out: marry Emma Bunting, a controlling, domineering woman who promises a life, business, and home in Florida. But Dante is obviously with her for the wrong reasons. Who he REALLY loves is Becky. Too bad he thinks self-sacrifice and marriage to the wrong woman is more responsible. What's remarkable about Clerks 2 is the way that Smith endears his characters to us. We emphasize with them. During the film's denouement, the revelations that the characters experience carry genuine weight that had been authentically earned. Smith has stated that he might make a third Clerks in another ten years when Dante and Randal are in their 40s or 50s. I hope he does, because I have a feeling that Kevin Smith has plenty of stories and wisdom left in him.

8/10