Clerks Screenplay

The film was shot at the actual Quick Stop Groceries convenience store in Leonardo, New Jersey, where Kevin Smith worked. Because the store remained open during the day, Smith could only film at night, which is why the metal shutters are famously down throughout the movie—Smith wrote this limitation into the screenplay as a plot point (gum in the locks). The store remains a pilgrimage site for fans and appears in several subsequent View Askewniverse films.

The screenplay introduces Dante Hicks and Randal Graves, two store clerks, as well as Jay and Silent Bob, played by Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith respectively. Jay and Silent Bob became recurring characters throughout Smith's interconnected "View Askewniverse," appearing in Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. The screenplay's witty, profane dialogue about pop culture topics like Star Wars became a signature of Smith's writing style.

Clerks won the Filmmakers Trophy at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival, which helped launch Smith's career and attract Miramax's attention for distribution. The screenplay was also nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards, including Best First Feature and Best Screenplay. While it did not win the Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay, its commercial success from a micro-budget made it one of the most celebrated debuts in American independent cinema.