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...a true
recognition of Smith’s directorial abilities and, at long
last, a mainstream acknowledgement of what Kevin Smith fans have
known since his low-low-low budget opus, Clerks first
smashed open Indies for Generation X:
The man has talent.
Clerks, the
1994 story of one disenchanted convenience store clerk and his
famously disobedient fellow-clerk and friend, Randall, shocked
the film industry and fans alike from its incredible showing at
that year's Sundance Film Festival to its quickly gained cult
status.
Smith followed up
his hit with Mallrats which opened to much lower celebration but
found a home on the DVD and video shelves of all his fans
regardless. A very
funny film, taking place the day before Clerks, the
movie’s humor is a departure in some ways from its
predecessor. Jay
and Silent Bob, Smith’s five time recurring characters, come
off as less ominous and more Looney Tune here, plotting a
dastardly deed to destroy a TV show being filmed in the mall.
While originally viewed as a misstep, the film is now a
well-embraced chapter in Smith’s Jersey love letters. |
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Just when many had
written Smith off as a one hit wonder, he again shocked
audiences and critics with a film that has since received the
much coveted Criterion treatment:
Chasing Amy. The story of a love struck comic book artist (a favorite
topic of comic fan and comic writer Smith) and a wandering
lesbian, Chasing Amy was lauded by many mainstream
critics as the second coming of Smith and the film that would
define him. A major
departure from the pure sophomorics of his first two films, Amy
dealt with major issues like homosexuality, religion, male
jealousy and relationships.
Not what had been expected from the self proclaimed king
of “dick and fart jokes.”
To reassure his fans, however, Smith made sure a hefty
number of these jokes also peppered his film.
At the end of Clerks,
at the end of the credit sequence, a line read, “Look out for
Jay and Silent Bob in Dogma.”
Five years later, way after all his fans had probably
written the line off as one of Smith’s hundreds of in-jokes, Dogma
finally appeared. And
so did the picketers, hate mail, studio strife and intense
controversy. Smith’s
treatment of traditional Catholic issues in his Chaucer-esque
comedy instilled the wrath of thousands of Americans, the
Catholic League and throngs of other people… who hadn’t seen
the movie. Redefining
the term “prejudice,” the Smith movie was deemed blasphemy,
heresy and many other dirty words by people who refused to
defile their eyes with it before they made a comment.
Dropped by Smith’s company Miramax because of the
controversy, Kevin turned to Lion’s Gate and in the process
put the gutsy film company on the map.
Though not a smash hit, the movie did well, all of
Smith’s regulars coming out to see it and became a major hit
on DVD… released by Miramax parent company Disney with bleeped
out names in the commentary for fear of Smith’s famous
honesty. The movie
was again critically hailed as a new step for Smith who, again
not abandoning his “dick and fart jokes,” managed to do a
well-crafted comedy about things many Catholics have often joked
about and talked about with their friends.
Heretical or blasphemous?
Far from it. The film the protestors refused to see showed clearly Kevin
Smith’s love for his religion and his wacky take on it.
But then
controversy struck again.
The homosexual
community, previously his staunch supporters thanks to Chasing
Amy, came out against the finale to his Jay and Silent Bob
films, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
A pure return to nothing but “dick and fart jokes,”
Smith called the film a thank you to his diehard fans for
following through the series and being so supportive.
As his thank you, he gave them a Jay and Bob adventure
like only they could have it… astoundingly vulgar and full of
wacked out humor, ridiculous cameos (particularly Judd Nelson
and George Carlin) and movie references galore.
Unfortunately, Jay’s rather constant commentary on
“fags,” “homos,” and “queers” touched a nerve in the
gay community and led to yet another series of protests. Smith was shocked and dismayed by this new outpouring of hate
mail, stating that he expected his fans to know better, that Jay
was not supposed to be his representation of morality or even
intelligence, but was meant to be a buffoon character.
He staunchly refused to change any thing and expressed
disappointment in the gay community for their rather two
dimensional understanding and willingness to turn on him.
The film was again very well received by fans, quickly
becoming a classic Smith entry and a cockles-warming goodbye to
Jay and Silent Bob.
Smith then decided
to turn mainstream with Jersey Girl, making a PG-13 movie
(which some might have thought impossible), about a man and his
little daughter, the thought of which terrified his diehard fans
who wondered if he’d gone soft.
Well, he had. Except the movie is perfect, an excellent story heart-warming
but not in any of the wussy ways his fans had feared… a fear
that should never really entered their minds about the king of
“dick and fart jokes,” many of which he still managed to get
in. His most
character driven movie yet with emotional and very comedic
dialogue, Smith moved another step closer to his favorite movie
of all time, A Man for All Seasons.
Now he turns his
sight to his first love, the comic book, and begins a brand new
chapter for the man who moves the camera only left to right on
occasion, a comic-caper-action flick.
Can he do it?
Doubt not the
Smith. |
