Clerks is a 1994 independently produced comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith. The film takes place over the course of a single day in the lives of two friends, Dante and Randal, who work at a convenience store and neighboring video rental store in New Jersey. The film explores their mundane daily life, their relationships with each other and the customers who visit the store, and their frustrations with their dead-end jobs.
The story begins with Dante being called in to work on his day off to cover for a sick employee, much to his frustration. Randal, his best friend and the video rental store employee, comes to hang out and makes fun of Dante for being a "slave" to his job. Throughout the day, the two argue with customers, discuss their love lives, and come up with outlandish schemes to make their jobs more interesting.
One of the major plot points of the film is Dante's complicated romantic life. He is torn between his current girlfriend, Veronica, and his ex-girlfriend, Caitlin, who is engaged to be married. Dante's struggles with his love life and his dissatisfaction with his job ultimately lead him to consider leaving town and starting fresh.
The climax of the film takes place at a wake for a friend who has died unexpectedly. Dante and Randal decide to make a bold move and steal a car to attend the wake, which leads to a disastrous series of events. In the end, Dante realizes the value of his current life and decides to stay in town, but he and Randal end up quitting their current jobs and taking positions at Mooby's, a fictional Disney-McDonald's-style fast-food empire.
Overall, Clerks is a low-budget, dialogue-driven film that is known for its raunchy humor and sharp wit. It has since become a cult classic and launched Kevin Smith's career as a filmmaker.