On the Set of "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" with Kevin Smith
Writer/director Kevin Smith lights what seems like his sixth cigarette in the past half hour, ignoring the many 'No Smoking' signs posted on the soundstage. As he smokes, he watches footage of the scene he just shot for his latest film, "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," on the playback monitor. His on-screen partner in crime Jason Mewes sits next to him in a matching "Jay and Silent Bob" director's chair-- the only notable difference being the name on back. As the two laugh and comment over the scene, one of Smith's many assistants brings over an exact replica of the chair Smith and Mewes is sitting in, only small enough to hold a baby. The back of the chair has 'Harley Quinn' on it, and the crew of the film oohs and aahs over how tiny it is.
"Hey Jay, is that your new chair?" one of the assistants asks.
Mewes just laughs as Smith's wife Jennifer brings over their baby girl.
"Are you sure her crying isn't being picked up by the cameras?" she asks. "I just wanted her to see the dog before the trainer takes him home for the day."
"No, she's fine," Smith replies. "Here-" Smith motions to the tiny director's chair that now sits between him and Mewes, "this is for her."
As Harley Quinn Smith happily toddles her way to the chair, it's easy to note how far Smith has come as a director-- all thanks to two bumbling idiots no one, not even Smith, expected to develop as much fame as they have.
In 1994, Smith was an independent director who sold his childhood comic book collection in order to follow his dream-- a dream to be a famous director. Alongside a group of high school buddies, Smith made "Clerks," a black and white film following a day in the life of two store clerks, one who worked at a convenience store called the Quick Stop while the other one worked across the street at the local video store.
Not knowing if his film would ever be seen by anyone, Smith decided to use "Clerks" as his one chance to make his mark in cinema as both a director and an actor by taking on one of the main roles in the film, the part of the video store clerk named Randall. However, Smith soon discovered that both acting and directing a film simultainiously was a bit too much for him.
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