Since bursting onto the scene with the indie hit Clerks, filmmaker Kevin Smith has forged one of the most unique careers in Hollywood with involvement in films, television, podcasts, comic books, and more. The recent documentary Clerk gives fans an honest look behind the scenes at Smith, revealing some interesting facts about his life and career.
The film examines the influences that helped shape him, exploring the origin of his love for movies and the film that inspired him to start directing, while also revealing some interesting details about his movies, like his role in saving Good Will Hunting and the film that led to him receiving death threats.
The Source Of His Love Of Movies
Throughout the documentary, Smith repeatedly talks about the important role that his late father played in his life. He reveals that one of the biggest ways his father helped shape him was by instilling in him a love of movies. Smith speaks fondly about the way that his father used to let him ditch school to take him to the movies.
With all the movie spoofs and references in his films, Smith’s love of cinema is clear. Considering his personal connection to movies and the fond memories he shared with his father, it is not hard to see how he developed his affinity for filmmaking.
Where It All Began
Like many directors, Smith has a habit of working with the same people on many of his projects. The documentary explains that he met several of these important collaborators, such as Walt Flanagan, Bryan Johnson, and Jason Mewes, at a local recreation center.
Smith’s friends all describe him as being a natural entertainer who was involved with theater. While they were all fairly different from him, they were able to connect over their shared interests in comics and form lifelong friendships that would evolve into creative partnerships over the years.
How He Came To Work At The Convenience Store
Prior to making Clerks, Smith worked at the actual Quick Stop convenience store where the film was shot. In the documentary, he talks about how he came to work at the store. He originally applied at the video store next to the Quick Stop and got “catfished” into picking up shifts at the Quick Stop.
It is a funny behind-the-scenes story for Smith that ended up being a blessing in disguise. While he may have been more at home at the video store, working at that Quick Stop would end up inspiring him to make the film that made him a star.
His Inspiration To Start Making Movies
While Smith had always dreamed of becoming a writer, he had not previously considered directing movies until he went and saw Richard Linklater’s Slacker. On the drive home, Smith realized that Linklater did not wait for someone to pick up his script and instead just made it himself.
This experience inspired Smith to follow a similar path and shoot his own script instead of trying to get someone else to buy it. With this in mind, he was able to write and direct Clerks, inspiring a whole generation to go make movies, even without a big budget.
Lofty Expectations
Throughout the documentary, Smith repeatedly talks about wanting one of his films to cross the $100 million threshold. But every time he made a movie that he thought would be a box office success, such as Mallrats or Jersey Girl, the failure would deeply impact him.
While the process was painful for Smith, it taught him to be more authentic in his filmmaking rather than trying to produce movies he thought others would like. As a result, Smith has pivoted towards making movies he finds interesting. Although the result has not always led to the best films, Kevin Smith’s recent projects have been undeniably true to who he is as an artist.
How He Became A Producer On Good Will Hunting
Considering his connection to Ben Affleck as well as his frequent collaboration with Miramax, it is not surprising that Smith is listed as a co-executive producer on the acclaimed hit Good Will Hunting. However, Damon reveals that the film was close to losing its deal with Miramax when Smith read the script and stepped in to advocate for the project, in essence saving the movie.
Although Good Will Hunting is fairly different than anything Smith has ever made, he was able to recognize the value of the script and ensure that the film got made. Smith’s instincts were correct and Affleck and Damon would go on to win an Oscar for their screenplay.
The Backlash To Dogma
Smith mentions multiple times throughout the documentary that he was raised religious and still held those beliefs while writing Dogma. However, this did not stop people from protesting the film and sending hate mail to Smith. He reveals that he even received multiple death threats for the movie’s perceived blasphemy.
Smith was not going to take the hate mail laying down ad even went undercover at one of the protests to talk the movie up. Because of all the stars involved in the film, Dogma was another movie that Smith thought would have more commercial success than it did, possibly in part due to the backlash.
His Role In Reviving Comics
From his youth, Smith has been a huge comic book fan and has often used his fame to shine a spotlight on geek culture. Because of this, he was a natural fit to get involved with Marvel Comics.
From his work on Daredevil to his television show promoting comic book stores, he helped revitalize interest in Marvel during a tumultuous time in the company’s history. The documentary highlights his connection to Stan Lee and even shows the Mallrats easter egg in Captain Marvel.
His Favorite Movie He Ever Made
After a slew of disappointing movies that Smith thought would be successful, he decided to go back to his roots and make Clerks 2. The decision proved to be a fulfilling one and Smith describes the movie as his favorite film that he has ever made. He also said that the scene with Randal and Dante in jail helped him come to terms with being himself instead of trying to be who everyone else wanted him to be.
Watching Smith struggle with bigger budget movies, raised expectations, and added criticism makes Smith’s burnout and frustration understandable. Fortunately for him, he was able to get back to what worked for him to begin with and rediscover his vision for filmmaking.
The Way Seth Rogen Changed His Life
While working on Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Seth Rogen introduced Smith to marijuana. In the documentary, Smith says he has smoked every single day since then. He also addresses the ways that this has potentially impacted his work.
Smith describes Zack and Miri as the film that broke him because the movie failed to find box office success despite its similarities to other, more successful films like Knocked Up. Because of this, it makes sense he was willing to make major changes and try something new.
