SXSW 2021 Review – Clerk – A Kevin Smith Documentary

Full disclosure.  The reviewer of the new documentary, Clerk, is a HUGE Kevin Smith fan.  I, Dragon Movie Guy, have seen EVERY Kevin Smith movie in theaters (except the Yoga Hosers and Jay And Silent Bob Reboot).  I even saw the original ‘Clerks’ at the Crest Theater in Shoreline, WA, in 1994.

And, while I’m totally in the tank for Kevin Smith, documentaries ABOUT Kevin Smith still deserve a critical eye.  Fortunately, Clerk (with no ‘s’) doesn’t disappoint.

The Plot

‘Clerk’ follows the life and career of Writer/Director Kevin Smith; from his childhood in New Jersey, to his biggest successes and heart attack in 2018.

We start Clerk with a home video of a teary-eyed Kevin Smith thanking his parents for their love and support as he’s about to leave town, and the United States, to go to Vancouver Film School.  The opening credits show a montage of newspaper headlines and articles from his High School years in school plays to ‘Clerks’ getting nation-wide attention at Sundance Film Festival.

Kevin Smith drives us around his hometown of Highland, New Jersey.  We meet Kevin’s Mom and older Brother, and learn of his childhood as the youngest of three kids.  Smith’s Dad sparked much of his interest in film and his drive to pursue his passions as a profession.

On the drive around town, we see Smith’s parochial Elementary School, hear his resolve to not become another ‘High School Hero’, and see the Highlands Recreational Center where he met the first people that would lead him on his journey to being a highly successful movie Director.  Among those he met at the Center, ‘Jay’ actor, Jason Mewes.

As Kevin Smith pulls up to the Quick Stop, the convenience store he shot Clerks at and worked in real life, we follow even more of his early journey.  Actor/Director Vincent Pereira also worked at the Quick Stop at the same time, and exposed him to the world of independent cinema.  Reading the Village Voice, seeing Richard Linklater’s ‘Slacker’, going to film school, meeting creative partner/Producer Scott Mosier.

The Good – Clerk

The telling of Kevin Smith’s life is well balanced between visiting locations from his past, many interviews with people from his life along the way, and clips from his movies.

We go to Sundance where Clerks starts to take off.  Critics from the New York Times, Hollywood Reporter, and others start to rally around the film.  Clerks soon finds distributors, and Kevin Smith meets many people in the business, including ‘Slackers’ Producer Jim Jacks.

“Blend of Howard Stern and David Mamet”

Review From Daily Variety

Interviews with Richard Linklater and Jason Reitman paint a picture of the impact of Kevin’s films on fans and inside the industry.  As his circle continues to expand, he meets Ben Affleck, Michael Rooker, Stan Lee, and Joey Lauren Adams on Mall Rats; Matt Damon on Chasing Amy; Chris Rock, Alan Rickman, George Carlin, and Betty Aberlin on Dogma.

Each film builds upon the last, each in the shared View Askew universe.

“We made four movies.  Let’s talk about them in the fifth one.”

Writer/Director Kevin Smith

By the time ‘Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back’ comes along, Kevin Smith’s world has grown and his artistic and business ventures thrive.  He meets his wife during an interview, he joins in with picketers protesting ‘Dogma’, and he builds an internet following before many others in the industry.

Kevin Smith even gets an Executive Producer credit for the Academy Award winning film ‘Good Will Hunting’ for helping Matt Damon and Ben Affleck get the movie made.

“Not only saved my career and Marvel, he contributed to the saving of Comics.”

Comics Legend, Joe Quesada

Smith’s reach in the Comic Book community, as an authority on ‘Geek Culture’, and his public speaking gigs all blossom.

The Bad – Clerk

While I could EASILY watch an eight hour documentary on Kevin Smith, this one comes in at just under two.  I can safely say that I already knew about 80-85% of the stories presented in this doc.  The vast majority of people reading this review or watching the documentary will probably only know about 10% though.

Director Malcolm Ingram does a great job balancing numerous interviews, Kevin Smith narration, and widening the focus to Kevin Smith’s impact; without losing focus as the film goes along.  This even applies during the relatively less successful middle chapter of Smith’s Directing career.

“Judd Apatow movies are ‘Kevin Smith’ movies that are well-made.”

Kevin Smith

After the success of ‘Strike Back’, Smith’s movies find less success.

Jersey Girl gets caught up in the ‘Bennifer’ celebrity couple drama and tanks at the box office.  Producer Scott Mosier takes a hiatis.  Clerks 2 also struggles at the box office, and falters with critics, including me (the ONLY of Smith’s movies I don’t LOVE).  Smith’s success makes Judd Apatow’s success possible, but when Kevin makes ‘Zack And Miri Make A Porno’ with Apatow cohort Seth Rogen, even that can’t ensure box office success.

“He’s been stoned everyday since 2008.”

Kevin Smith

Seth Rogen did, however, have a long lasting effect on Kevin Smith.  He introduced him to marijuana, and Smith now has smoked weed daily for over a decade.

Smith admits the drug has affected many aspects of his life, both good and bad.  His films have been less of his focus (and less memorable), while branching out to other areas of interest has brought new successes.

Kevin Smith hasn’t made films with Scott Mosier since then.  He Directed a Comedy he didn’t write in ‘Cop Out’.  He did TWO horror films that didn’t FEEL like classic Kevin Smith movies in ‘Red State’ and ‘Tusk’, and he Directed his daughter, Harley Quinn in ‘Yoga Hosers’.

Off the big screen, Smith has seen immense successes and impacts continue to be felt.  TWO hit podcasts led to the TV show ‘Comicbook Men’, and his friends launching podcasts of their own.

We even see Smith donating his profits from films made under disgraced Producer Harvey Weinstein to ‘Women In Film”; and his physical transformation after almost dying from a heart attack.

The Review

Ingram tells a compelling, in depth, and fast paced biography of one of my favorite Directors.  The documentary feels like Kevin Smith directed it himself. This is a credit to Ingram’s ability to match Smith’s tone and style; with so many different elements coming together in this quick, two hour biography.

The tone is mostly light and fun, and highly informative.  And, most importantly, we hear PLENTY from the man most know only as ‘Silent Bob’.

Well worth a watch.  And, will make you want to go back and watch Kevin Smith’s COMPLETE filmography!  115 minutes.

Additional Information

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14024448

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