Clerks 3's Budget Meant Rosario Dawson Couldn't Have A Full-On Star Wars Moment [Exclusive]
This article contains spoilers for "Clerks III."
In Kevin Smith's newest film, "Clerks III," he catches up with Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randall (Jeff Anderson) about a decade after the events of "Clerks II." At the end of the previous chapter, Dante and Randall, after struggling through a painful span as low-paying fast-food employees, came to the conclusion that they were happiest back when they were hanging out together in the convenience store where they worked in their 20s. With a loan from Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith), Dante and Randall bought the Quick Stop outright, and hunkered down in a familiar setting. Sometimes, stagnating can be a positive thing.
Additionally, Dante had split up with his mean-spirited fiancée, and was all set to settle down with his new fiancée Becky (Roasrio Dawson), his manager at the burger joint in "Clerks II." Becky and Dante are a good pair, as he is something of a romantic sad sack and she is a spirited and frank cynic who announces that she doesn't believe in romantic love. The two bolster and strengthen one another. In a tragic twist, the pregnant Becky is killed by a drunk driver between "Clerks II" and "Clerks III." Becky still appears in "Clerks III," however, appearing to Dante to have conversations — fun, dirty ones — from the afterlife.
/Film's own Ethan Anderton recently sat down to talk with Dawson, and she revealed that Smith, true to his position as a "Star Wars" aficionado, had originally envisioned Becky's afterlife visitations as visually resembling the Force Ghosts seen in those movies. It was only the film's low budget that prevented it.
Force Ghost
At the heart of "Clerks III" is a good deal of sadness. Not only is Dante wrestling with the loss of Becky, but Randall has had a heart attack (very similar to the one Smith experienced in 2019) and is finally, at the age of 50, feeling the squeeze of his own mortality. Randall outruns his mortality by immortalizing his life on film. Dante hasn't the same outlet, and can only mourn privately. To leaven the pain, Becky appears to him in a cemetery to talk about their relationship, but also how the afterlife is a nonstop orgy of sex with celebrities (Frederick Douglass and Cleopatra are among the celebrities Becky claims to have supernaturally bedded).
When Dawson received the script for "Clerks III," she — knowing Smith's "Star Wars" obsessions — asked if she was going to appear as a glowing apparition like Obi-Wan Kenobi. She was even concerned that her scenes would need to be filmed in private, à la the greenscreen filmmaking from the "Star Wars" prequels. Dawson says that conversations were had, and some clarification was needed. She said:
"Well, it was actually, I think, even in the script. It was implied or something. We definitely spoke about it to the point where when I showed up there and we were filming, and I was asking how he was going to do the special effect to make me look like a Force ghost. Are we going to do takes where I'm there and I'm not there? He was like, 'Oh, we don't have the budget for that. No, you're just going to be there. It'll be fine.'
Becky's fate
Dawson had agreed to reprise Becky in "Clerks III" prior to knowing the character's fate. Indeed, Dawson was taken aback when she finally saw the extent of her role in the movie. Early in "Clerks III," a memorial photograph for Becky is seen at the Quick Stop, establishing right away that she was gone. Dawson said she was surprised, especially as she, in her words, "really fell in love with Becky." Like many Smith characters, Becky is frank and forthright. One can't help but admire her dazzling confidence.
Smith and Dawson's conversations were more about "Star Wars" and the nature of Becky's ghost. Smith liked that he could bring Becky back. Dawson, however, was seemingly saddened, having to look over the final draft to learn what happened to Becky. She said:
"Obviously, he's got the Force ghost sort of thing ... He's always had 'Star Wars' be such a big part of all of this. He really loved being able to bring Becky back in that way. But no, he didn't tell me. I had to read the script to find out what happened. I was really surprised because I saw it at the premiere, it was the first time I'd seen it and I hadn't seen the cut or anything, so I didn't know that they had brought in the photo so early on and kind of break the news really quickly in the film."
"Clerks III" is currently making the rounds as a Fathom Event. Check the Fathom website to find where it's paying near you.