Kevin Smith: His Films and Fans

Gati, a film editor and short film director, sifts through Kevin Smith interviews, stories, and podcasts to track the envelope-pushing movie director’s evolution. The book follows the director from his teenage years in suburban New Jersey and a sojourn at the Vancouver Film School to surprising acclaim for his first feature Clerks. Descriptions of Smith’s subsequent films are also included. Gati sets the stage for each film with a short preface and then lets Smith and those around him take over with unflinching honesty as they comment on both the process and the content of the films. A changing cast of supporting characters—ranging from Smith’s mother to superstar actors like Ben Affleck and Bruce Willis—populate the narrative as Smith’s erstwhile indie credentials are validated by Miramax and other Hollywood power studios. A panoply of candid photos and drawings help bring the various subjects to vibrant life.