Clerks Quotes
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Source: Clerks
Speaker: Dante Hicks
I'm not even supposed to be here today.
Context
This line was spoken by Dante Hicks (played by Brian O'Halloran) in the movie Clerks, directed by Kevin Smith (1994).
Dante Hicks works at Leonardo, New Jersey's Quick Stop, which was also the name of the actual convenience store that writer/director Kevin Smith worked at while he was making this movie. Dante had a day off to play hockey, whine about his relationship with his girlfriend, and maybe watch a movie or two. But nope, he decided to come in for his manager, and he spends the entire movie moaning about coming in to work.
But honestly we don't blame him. Over the course of the day, he has to deal with not one, but two ex-girlfriends, an overzealous anti-smoking advocate, a dead guy on the toilet, and a loudmouthed stoner with his taciturn friend, Silent Bob, who is played by the usually chatty Kevin Smith.
Though he gets to hang out with his cynical, sarcastic buddy, Randal, and chat about private contractors on the Death Star in Star Wars, Clerks is definitely Dante's version of a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
And his trials and tribulations aren't even filmed in color, as Smith could only afford black and white film.
Where you've heard it
This is a quote beloved by all retail, food service, and convenience store workers, who make the not-so-correct call of coming to work on their day off.
Additional Notable References:
- Brian O'Halloran appears in Kevin Smith's other movies as Dante's family members, like hapless game show contestant Gill Hicks in Mallrats and hapless journalist Grant Hicks in the religious themed fantasy thriller Dogma.
- Prepare to gape at the breakdown of the movie's original $27,575 budgest that Kevin Smith recently posted online.
Pretentious Factor
If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.
Working on your day off is pretty terrible, and this quote makes it just a tiny bit better, because hopefully your day won't be as dramatic as Dante's.