Dante Hicks
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Dante Hicks is a fictional character in Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse, played by Brian O'Halloran. He was introduced in Clerks. He is based loosely on the poet Dante (the movie itself is loosely based on the first section of The Divine Comedy, Inferno.)
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[edit] Dante in Clerks.
In Clerks., Dante is in his early 20s, works at the Quick Stop Market in Leonardo, New Jersey, and lives with his parents. He feels that because he runs the store, he is independent and in control of his life, yet is a big push-over who often agrees to work when he doesn't have to (hence his catch phrase, "I'm not even supposed to be here today!")
He frequently gets into debates ranging from philosophy to Star Wars with lifelong best friend Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson), who works at the adjacent RST Video.
The film centers around the chaotic events of a day at the Quick Stop that Dante must deal with. Among other problems: Dante becomes the target of an anti-smoking mob who pelt him with cigarettes; he is fined for selling cigarettes to a four-year-old, a crime Randal had in fact committed; and he is continually harassed by Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith), two drug dealers who loiter in front of the store all day. The film also deals with Dante's problematic romantic relationships. He has difficulty dealing with his girlfriend Veronica (Marilyn Ghigliotti), especially her extensive history of performing fellatio (on 37 different men, including him) — even though she seems to genuinely care for him, going so far as to bring him lasagna at work and help him fix a tire. At the same time, Dante is infatuated with ex-girlfriend Caitlin Bree (Lisa Spoonhauer) and seems intent on rekindling that relationship. In the end, Dante ends up with neither woman; Veronica ditches him after learning that Dante never got over Caitlin, and Caitlin is hospitalized after accidentally having sex in a dark bathroom with a corpse, whom she had believed to be Dante.
Toward the end of the film, Dante laments his lot in life, only to be left speechless when Randal explodes at him, accusing him of blaming everyone else for his lack of initiative in getting what he wants. In the final scene, he tells Randal that he is going to try and work things out with Veronica, and it is implied that he will try to find direction in his life.
[edit] Dante in Clerks II
In Clerks II, Dante is now in his 30s. Despite the epiphany at the end the first film, Dante still works at the Quick Stop, until Randal accidentally burns it down. The two then get jobs at Mooby's, a fast food joint. A year later, however, Dante looks like he is finally ready to move on with his life: he is engaged and is set to move to Florida, where a job as a carwash manager awaits him. Much like the first film, he is still plagued by indecision.
Clerks II follows Dante during his last day at work at Mooby's. Dante is engaged to Emma (Jennifer Schwalbach Smith), a domineering woman who makes all his decisions for him. They are set to leave New Jersey the next day and move to Florida, where Dante has been offered a job running one of his future father in law's carwashes.
As his last day at work unfolds, it is revealed that he had a drunken one night stand with his boss, Becky (Rosario Dawson), a young woman who claims not to believe in romantic love. As the day progresses, he comes to the realization that he is in love with Becky and, in an unguarded moment, confesses his feelings to her. In turn she reveals that she got pregnant as a result of their fling.
After Dante confides in Randal about his problem, Randal predictably confronts Becky about the situation, causing her to storm off in her car. Randal encourages Dante to try and find her, but to come back an hour later to help him close up the place. While driving around alone, Dante has time to think and decides that he wants a family with Becky.
As he comes back to work, he sees smoke coming from inside the Mooby's and dials 9-1-1 for help. Inside, instead of a fire, he finds his friends waiting for him for a surprise farewell party, as Randal had secretly booked a donkey show as Dante's going away surprise. During the party, Becky returns, and finally admits to Dante that she loves him. They start kissing passionately, only to be surprised by Emma. She kicks him in the groin, throws the cake she had prepared for him in his face (encouraged on by Jay of Jay and Silent Bob) and leaves after throwing her engagement ring at Becky. Immediately following this, the police and fire department show up, and the entire group, save Becky, is arrested.
While in jail, Dante says he wants to go back to Emma and move to Florida as planned. He then blames Randal for his predicament, and angrily renounces their friendship. In a rare moment of vulnerability, Randal tearfully tells his best friend that he loves him, and convinces him to stay in New Jersey, buy the Quick Stop and re-open it. After his release from jail, Dante pulls up to the drive through window where Becky works and offers her an engagement ring. She enthusiastically accepts. He and Randal buy the building where the Quick Stop and RST Video store used to be (with financial assistance from Jay and Silent Bob) and re-open them.
[edit] Other appearances
A Clerks live action TV pilot was made, without Smith's permission, by the Walt Disney company. O' Halloran originally auditioned for his role, but was eventually portrayed by Andrew Lowery. O'Halloran later said he was glad not to get the part, as the pilot was not of great quality.
Dante also appears in the three Clerks comic books Smith has written: Clerks: The Comic Book, Clerks: Holiday Special and Clerks: The Lost Scene, as well as a comic strip, "On the Perils of Cinema", that appeared in the November 1999 issue of Talk magazine. He makes very brief appearances in Smith's other comic book serials, Chasing Dogma, Bluntman and Chronic and Walt Flanagan's Dog.
He has a cameo in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back in which Randal loses his temper with the title characters and banishes them from the Quick Stop, where he still works. Later, when the pair are described as terrorists on the news, Randal acknowledges that the restraining order was a good idea with Dante across from him. He is among the various Askewniverse characters seen exiting the premiere of Bluntman & Chronic at the end of the film, incredulous that his character in the film was played by Judi Dench. In a scene in which Jay raves about super monkeys taking over the world, Dante is seen having his brain taken out by monkeys exclaiming "I'm not even supposed to be here today!"
He appears in animated form in Clerks: The Animated Series, of which six episodes were produced (with only two airing on ABC before the series was cancelled). Still employed at the Quick Stop, his adventures throughout the series' short existence include managing a Junior Little League baseball team, being sued by Jay for $10 million, and being forced to admit he is gay on national television in order to save Leonardo from being destroyed by a military bomber.
He also appears in the 2002 short film The Flying Car, in which he's asked by Randal what he would sacrifice for marketing rights to the eponymous technology.
Dante is featured in Clerks: The Lost Scene, a short animated in the style of the TV series, which, like the comic book of the same name, depicts the events at Julie Dwyer's wake that were cut from the film.
[edit] Trivia
- In the original ending of Clerks., Dante is shot and killed by an armed robber after Randal leaves, cementing the fact that he was "not supposed to be here today."
- Dante's goatee changes throughout Clerks. Kevin Smith had asked O'Halloran to shave it off; once he saw O'Halloran without it, Smith asked him to grow it back.
- Subsequent Askewniverse films feature characters named Hicks who are played by O'Halloran; all are said to be cousins of Dante, including Gil Hicks, a university scholar who appeared in Mallrats on the TV show "Truth or Date"; Grant Hicks, a news reporter seen in Dogma, and Jim Hicks, a television producer seen in Chasing Amy,
| Kevin Smith |
|---|
| Films |
| The View Askewniverse: Clerks | Mallrats | Chasing Amy | Dogma | Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back | Clerks II Other: Jersey Girl | An Evening with Kevin Smith | An Evening With Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder Upcoming: Untitled Horror Project | Untitled non-Askewniverse comedy | Clerks: Sell Out Abandoned: The Green Hornet | Superman Lives | Fletch Won |
| Comics |
| Clerks | Walt Flanagan's Dog | Chasing Dogma | Bluntman and Chronic | Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil that Men Do | Daredevil/Bullseye: The Target |
| Notable characters |
| Jay and Silent Bob | Dante | Randal | Banky | Alyssa | Leonardo | Bluntman and Chronic | Mooby | Buddy Christ | Brodie | Willam | Minor characters |
| Miscellaneous |
| View Askew Productions | View Askewniverse motifs | View Askew Media | The Flying Car | Clerks: The Animated Series | Clerks: The Lost Scene | Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash | Silent Bob Speaks | Sucks Less With Kevin Smith | My Name Is Earl |
