WTF Happened to Kevin Smith’s Clerks?

WTF Happened To This Movie? – The JoBlo series that looks at troubled productions, curious creative decisions, box-office failures, surprising successes, and cult favorites!

Kevin Smith’s enduring pop-culture prominence all started with a tiny 1994 film called Clerks. Armed with a minuscule budget, the inexperienced filmmaker went through more ups and downs than a rollercoaster. He laboured to complete the movie between working hours and then struggled to get it before audiences. So how did this raunchy black-and-white comedy from a group of friends ultimately ignite the world of independent film and make Smith a nerd icon?

We also examine how Clerks was a part of what would later turn out to be a pivotal moment in the history of American independent film. One of the most significant early breakouts at Robert Redford’s Sundance Film Festival, Kevin Smith’s journey with Clerks, was a Cinderella story for the nineties. At the time, Smith was a convenience store clerk who scraped together $27,000 on credit cards to complete this modest, black and white comedy. The film sold to Miramax for $227,000 and grossed over $3 million in theatres. It became a smash hit on home video, and Smith became the poster boy for indie filmmakers. In the years that followed, legions of wannabe directors would make movies they hoped would land them some of Smith’s success and notoriety, but few succeeded. So why did Smith make it? For one thing, Clerks is relatable and hilarious. Who hasn’t toiled as a wage slave at some point in their lives?

While Smith has since become a divisive cult figure (in our talkbacks, he’s both loved and hated), no one can deny that he’s a genius as far as self-marketing goes, and his follow-ups, Mallrats and Chasing Amy were just as iconic in their way. So let’s take a trip back to where it all started in WTF Happened to Clerks?

And, while you’re here, check out our Kevin Smith Movies Ranked list!