Dear Kevin

To: Kevin Smith
From: Scott Foundas
Re: Clerks II

Tiffs between critics and the subjects of their criticism are nothing new: 30-odd years ago, the actress Sylvia Miles dumped a plate of spaghetti on the head of then-New York magazine theater critic John Simon after enduring one of his famously harsh and personal missives. And just last year, in these very pages, Sally Potter had it out with me over my review of her Yes. But to the best of my knowledge, in the decade I've been writing about movies for various publications in this city, I'd never done anything to engender your ire. So imagine my surprise when I took my seat at a press screening of Clerks II last Monday morning, only to be tapped on the shoulder by a publicist and kindly, albeit firmly, asked to leave.

In truth, this teacup tempest had begun to brew the week before, when a different publicist (one I've known for years) phoned to coerce/threaten me into assigning someone other than myself to review the film.

“Kevin reads everything that's written about him,” she told me, before going on to explain that apparently certain things I'd written in the past had led you to feel I had some kind of personal bias against your work. I was perplexed: True, movies are like their directors' children, and when I reviewed your last film, the nauseatingly saccharine Jersey Girl(2004), I went so far as to say, “The blame for this cosmically self-indulgent disaster lies with Kevin Smith, who directs like a proud father who can't stop showing you pictures of his kids. And here's the thing: The brats are ugly.”

Still, I was hardly that film's harshest detractor and, what's more, I'm on record as having been a fan of yours in the past. Reviewing Chasing Amy(1997), I praised the film's hilariously uncensored sexual dialogue and unexpected pathos. And you and I even did a long interview at the time, in which we came to the conclusion that I harbored greater affection for your much-maligned Mallrats(1995) than you did yourself. Having made these various points to said publicist in an e-mail, and having received no reply, I assumed that the dust had settled between us. Until, that is, I showed up at Monday's screening.

Well, you pretty much know the rest of the story. After some further reflection on your part, and a few diplomatic words of intervention by our mutual friend “Fiji” John Pierson, we kissed and made up—in a strictly heterosexual way, of course—and, by Tuesday morning, I was finally sitting down to watch Clerks II. But perhaps you've guessed, Kevin, that I still entered that screening room with considerable trepidation, not for fear of ejection (this time, I was the only one there), but because it's true that I haven't cared for your last couple of pictures, and I wondered if a sequel to the no-budget gem that first put you on the map would mark a return to form or merely prove that you really can't go home again.

*  *  *

Of course, Kevin, if there's one thing your films have taught us, it's that while you may be able to take the Jersey boy out of Jersey, you can never take Jersey . . . well, you get the idea. Though you packed your bags for L.A. years ago, I suspect your heart will always belong to Red Bank, and maybe that's why Clerks II slips on as comfortably as a well-worn shoe. It is, I think, the best thing you've done in years—the funniest and the most genuine. I say this with the hope that I'm not overstating the case, since it is, at the end of the day, a movie about a couple of guys watching life go by from behind a cash register. As you yourself noted of the original Clerks(1994): “It's certainly not Shakespeare.”

Still, this movie put a broad smile on my face, virtually from the start: a montage sequence set to the Talking Heads' calypso-flavored “(Nothing but) Flowers,” in which you catch us up on everything that's happened in the 12 years since we last hung out with those two knights in plaid-and-denim armor: Dante Hicks (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson). You begin things on a tragic note: The Quick Stop and RST Video have been gutted by fire, prompting our heroes—after a brief moment of panic on Randal's part (“Now where am I going to bring chicks to fuck when my mom's home?”)—to seek out new employment at Mooby's, the fictional fast-food restaurant you introduced in Dogma(1999) and later revisited in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back(2001).

But the more things change, you seem to be saying, the more they stay the same: Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (you) still have their backs against the wall. Dante and Randal continue to stare across the counter at a barrage of imbecilic customers and old high school jerk-offs (one of them memorably named Picklefucker). Dante again finds himself torn between the affections of two unreasonably sexy women: the pert Mooby's manager, Becky (the ineluctably charming Roasrio Dawson), and the WASP-y princess Emma, who happens to be Dante's fiance. Strapping and blond and perfectly proportioned, Emma is exactly the kind of girl who wouldn't have given a guy like Dante the time of day back in high school, but who's now been around the block enough times to know that nice guys are, well, nicer than pretty boys. And Kevin, if I'm not being too presumptuous, I would suggest it's hardly accidental that you've cast your own wife, Jennifer Schwalbach, in the role. You lucky dog.

[

Set on Dante's last day at Mooby's before Emma whisks him off to married life in Florida, Clerks IIis about the end of something—a slacker Iceman Cometh in a drive-thru Harry Hope's. But it's above all a romance, and the dialogue in the scenes between Dante and Becky, as you slowly reveal to us the depths of their relationship, is tender and wise in the way of Chasing Amy. Watching the film, I was reminded that, for all your outward irreverence, you're a big old softie at heart, and when you're on your game, you don't have to work nearly so hard at reaching out and touching an audience as you did in Jersey Girl. There, you gave us straight-faced heartstrings and tears; here, you stage Dante and Becky's climactic heart-to-heart against the backdrop of a male-on-male bestiality show, and I can't think of many other filmmakers who could pull that off. (Actually, I'm not sure that youpull it off, but you certainly come closer than most.)

The grandest romance in Clerks II, however, is reserved for Dante and Randal themselves, and if the latter's third-act admission of heterosexual man-love will doubtless strike some as a self-conscious retread over Banky-Holden territory, I personally found it more affecting than anything in Brokeback Mountain. Randal is really the star attraction this time around, and the screen seems to light up extra bright whenever he's on it, whether he's flashing that devilish glint in his eyes or feeling the bottom drop out of his modest existence when he realizes that his one true friend in the universe may be about to disappear forever. And Jeff Anderson, well, he's just terrific in the role—so much so that I started to wonder why he isn't in more movies, until it dawned on me that, like the character he plays, he may be the brightest underachiever around.

Clerks IIis far from perfect—I could have done without the geek debate over the relative merits of the Star Warsand Lord of the Ringstrilogies, and the running conversation about “going ass to mouth” is only half as funny as Chasing Amy's memorable discussion about going down on girls. That said, this is the umpteenth movie I've seen this year about guys in their 30s who aren't quite sure what they want to do with their lives, and it's the only one that strikes a real chord, because it's neither an exaltation nor a condemnation of slackerdom, but rather just a sweet little fable about how sometimes the life that you think could be so much better is actually pretty damn good already. That's a sentiment, I'd wager, as coveted by you, Kevin, as it is by Dante and Randal, and there's certainly nothing wrong with it.

Still, I hope you won't take offense if I close with a few words of brotherly advice, even if this is a case of the younger brother advising the older one: I said before that you've never really left Jersey, and for the most part I mean it as a compliment—like the original, Clerks IIhas a lived-in, blue-collar feel that Hollywood almost never gets right. At the same time, I can't quite shake the feeling that you haven't much wanted to set foot outside of your self-created View Askewniverse, even though there's a great big Mooby's-less world out there full of stories that could benefit from your telling. In the end credits of Clerks, you thanked Richard Linklater, Spike Lee and Jim Jarmusch “for leading the way,” and 12 years later, they're still leading and you're still following. But for now, I take comfort in the knowledge that, in these crazy, mixed-up times of ours, Dante and Randal are still clerking, and Jay and Silent Bob are still dealing. May they live long and prosper.

CLERKS II WAS WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY KEVIN SMITH; PRODUCED BY SCOTT MOSIER AND SMITH. OPENS COUNTYWIDE ON JULY 21.

[

* * *

Robert Wilonsky has a different view of Clerks II here

One Reply to “Dear Kevin”

  1. ChnLove Just How Does It Function? You add would certainly favor overall other people to recognize rrn which exactly you can assume or work to spend time. What can you anticipate from the website? “I saw this site at some point earlier when I was surfing the web as well as likewise checked out one of those ChnLove testimonials which I compared with one more ChnLove Review just to see if the entire thing was legit or otherwise. As soon as signed up customers will have the ability to browse accounts according to their very own standards see that saw them send e-mails include favorites write letters see videos exchange photos join forums upload comments check out blogs play video games take tests join polls get guidance view horoscopes rate pictures locate love trips go to events make pals construct connections receive alerts submit photos share experiences download songs get in touch with participants nearby browse matches demand contacts invite someone out develop albums track tasks modify account personalize settings handle account record abuse block call remove account unsubscribe upgrade membership acquisition credit scores transfer funds cancel membership change password update details set personal privacy choices opt-in newsletters reset password validate identity web link accounts recoup username get in coupon codes refer pals examine terms conditions accept plans register procedure full registration login safely protect information follow safety and security suggestions select plan activate solutions start discussions reply messages respond invitations open mails wink flirt program passion initiate chats timetable conferences prepare telephone calls book tickets acquire presents appreciate benefits experience pleasure success satisfy soulmate loss love live gladly ever before after…

    Lastly if ever before require advice concerning exactly how finest utilize this incredible tool after that simply see their website checked out useful write-ups created experts that have years experience on-line dating industry always delighted give help any individual wanting start locating true love today! Nevertheless luckily there’s a remedy to reawake the magic as well as make her love you yet once more. ChnLove’s goal is easy, which is to supply participants with secure, simple, as well as language-and-cultural-barrier-free solutions, such as Live Conversation, Love Call, Video Clip Show, EMF Mail, etc to satisfy their demands. 3. Advanced Interaction Devices: With advanced interaction devices such as video conversation, immediate messaging, voice messages and so on, participants can stay linked despite where they are in the globe! Additionally every account comes geared up anti-scam security tools aid guarantee safety protection all times no matter where your discussions take location. Our powerful Express Mail Forwarding (EMF) solution is an incorporated option that incorporates mail document, translation, dating recommendations and also signaling devices on a robust system. For the costs membership, you will be given a whole lot of privileges such as a hundred bonus offer factors to send the initial fifteen EMF mails, the possibility to see locked images of these Chinese girls, fifteen complimentary chatting minutes with recently presented Chinese ladies, in addition to concern feedback from the site’s consumer service representatives.

    This web page can be accessed from any kind of gadget at any moment, making it an ideal source for fast options without needing to wait in line or chnlove get in touch with customer care directly. Right here, men originating from various parts of the world offer a shot at Asian dating and fulfill beautiful Chinese women whom they can have a partnership with. For example, will certainly they actually have some lady satisfy you in China, bring you into some unknown area and hold you hostage till you offer up your whole savings account. Though every one of them might have these qualities, you can not reject that every person from every place has their distinctions which ought to be recognized and also valued. It does not matter which language it is, there are paid companies the place an internet based trainer will privately collaborate with you each day. I rejoice that I made the effort to look into the website due to the fact that otherwise, I wouldn’t have fulfilled remarkable individuals so maintain up the great work! Exactly How Does ChnLove Job? The advantage chnlove of specific websites is that individuals expect to please singles that are living with various challenges, so marketing your self on a niche disabled dating website makes it a lot more about you than your inability.

    For instance if you simply desire fundamental functions after that authorizing up for one month may be enough whereas if you want advanced ones then deciding into longer memberships could conserve cash over time because a lot of companies offer discounts when buying several months in advance rather than paying monthly individually. Use smart, the app is straightforward and user-friendly – functions are clearly labeled as well as quickly obtainable from the primary food selection bar. As soon as every one of this has actually been finished successfully after that you prepare to begin looking for prospective suits! This is among minority websites where you can really buy and also send out actual gifts to a prospective suit – what better way to thrill a charming lady? Members can rest guaranteed and fully-concentrate on enjoying their time with the women. It wanted a marital relationship last summer time once I chose to start dating substantially. Not was I going to simply find kids to enjoy with; I was asiame mosting likely to start searching for a life affiliate. As soon as you have actually signed up as well as become our participant, you can begin and surf profiles to get accustomed with girls that enhance your passions making use of totally free Perk Details as well as Admirer Mail.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *