This irreverent, crass, and realistic look at the everyday struggles of an apathetic New Jersey retail worker is not just funny, but strangely relatable.
After I finished watching Clerks (1994), I told my mom about it. She told me she had been in graduate school when she saw this, and I was amazed, despite knowing my mom has been alive for the last fiftysomething years. I also know she was a fan of Beavis and Butt-Head, so maybe it’s not so much of a stretch that she liked Clerks.
Surprisingly, I liked it a lot too. It’s one of the few pieces of media we can connect over, since her interest lies in British period mini-series no one’s ever heard of and I’m more of an existential horror enthusiast.
Clerks has a relatively simple plot: Dante, played by Brian O’Halloran, is called into work unexpectedly on his day off. Since the shutters won’t open on the convenience store he’s working at, he paints a makeshift sign with shoe polish saying “I assure you, we’re open!” Throughout the day, he encounters a collection of strange customers, including an obnoxious gum salesman, a guidance counselor having a nervous breakdown, drug dealers Jay and Silent Bob, and his friend Randal, who runs the video store next door with the same amount of care as a deadbeat dad. There’s also Veronica and Caitlin, Dante’s current and former girlfriend, respectively, who are the subject of frequent conversations between himself and Randal.
I feel like the one way to describe this film is that it’s obnoxiously endearing. We’ve all had those days at work that despite being very lousy, it’s made somewhat bearable by the people you’re with. Sometimes the people you’re with make your day lousier, but it’s better than being with no one. Dante is a bonafide slacker, with Randal being quite a terrible friend, but the two blend well together despite everything they put each other through. They put each other through so much shit, and yet it’s clear they love each other to the ends of the earth. And we feel like we’re a part of that friendship in the process.
I also love how the VHS generation was captured in this film. Granted, it’s on the VHS Forever collection on the Criterion Channel, but even when you’re in the Quick Stop, the constant discussions of pop culture filter in. Randal’s a clear example of this. You would think he’s a renowned film enthusiast, but he is more than happy to abandon his video store to go to a bigger, more successful one with a fuller pornography section. He even orders a ton of them right in front of a mother and daughter as they’re renting a family-friendly movie. He’s crass, but he also sees that “title does not dictate behavior.” Sure, he and Dante are stuck in dead-end jobs with no prospect in site, but they have the power to change their outlook. At least for Dante. Randal’s still content.
I love it when films that deal with ennui, disenchantment or disillusionment manage to find some spark of hope. I guess that’s why I love 90s films so much, despite my strong desire to explore other decades. After how crazy the 1980s were, the 1990s represented this shift where the excitement rubbed off, and people started realizing the promises of upward mobility and dance clubs forever were not what they used to be. People were still stuck in the same positions they were before, and a younger generation wanted something more.
But there was one issue with this line of thinking. Apathy only works for so long. Even when you’re unhappy with your station in life, you might have to keep working at it to earn a living. Dante, on the other hand, wants something more. But his slacker mentality keeps him from doing so. His life keeps throwing hints that he can get out of Quick Stop and return to school, explore the world, get laid and get married, etc. Yet he still whines about how he “wasn’t supposed to come in today.” This is a perfect example of a character that you can dislike as a person yet admire as a fully-fledged individual. You may not want to have a drink with him, you may hate his guts, but you understand where he’s coming from. He’s blind to the signs life is throwing at him because he’s so caught up in his own unhappiness. He’s not necessarily depressed, but his own inclination to blame others and the state of the world isn’t fixing anything for him. It’s just condemning him to the same fate.
Clerks proposes the one solution to Gen X’s apathy is finding your own community. Dante is stuck in his own self-sabotaging ways, but he has friends that recognize his potential when he doesn’t want to see it. He’s dissatisfied with his job? Great, then find something else. He doesn’t like how his girlfriend had an active sex life? Okay, but he’s still not over the girlfriend who was frequently cheating on him in high school. He wasn’t supposed to come in today? Fine, but a lot of people have things they’d rather not do but still must.
If anything, Clerks might be the best film to watch after college. Looking for jobs day after day after day after day after day can be incredibly demoralizing for the soul. Finding your shtick as you see all your friends get incredible jobs can feel like Sisyphus pushing the boulder up the hill. But everyone’s on their own journey. Everyone’s looking through the VHS store for their prime movie. Everyone’s still annoying as hell, sure. But ultimately, everyone’s figuring it out.
FURTHER THOUGHTS
- This has to be the most unlikely film to ever gain a franchise.
- Something must be truly wrong with my brain, because I was about to say Kevin Smith was deep in Star Wars when I realized it was Dave Filoni. Good grief.
- That black cat was the true MVP.
BEYOND THE FRAME 
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