…Even better, Smith taps into the universal memory maker known as music to deliver montages (and even a full-blown dance number) to remind us of the release, and the realities, of life’s surrounding soundtrack. When Dante goes after Becky, the director places The Smashing Pumpkins’ amazing “1979″ in the background, letting Billy Corgan’s wistful lyrics about misspent youth lost paint the picture. The resonance of both the filmmaking and the sonic backdrop are just sensational. Even better, Becky tries to teach Dante to dance in preparation for his big betrothed day. As the Jackson 5’s sensationally celebratory “ABC” blasts out of Silent Bob’s boombox, Mooby’s suddenly becomes a stage for everyone to rejoice in the all-out spirit of life. Sure, it may seem cheesy and sort of fuddy-duddy-ish to take a 30-plus-year-old track and accent it with some “Thriller”-style choreography, but the more important moment is Dante’s response to Becky’s moves. Rosario Dawson, who seems to exude sex appeal from every pore, does a few sly solo moves, and as Smith pulls in on actor Brian O’Halloran’s face, we instantly recognize the significance of the moment. In essence, Smith is arguing for the simplification of life—a simple melody, a simple workday afternoon, a simple physical exchange between two smitten friends. It’s the main message of Clerks II, a lesson this director hopes we all learn.

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Smith is finally maturing into the modern voice of a disaffected generation, a label he earned rather haphazardly a decade before. Clerks II takes a stand against the notion that personal happiness is a hindrance to social advancement, as if the two concepts were so mutually exclusive that they could never live happily in the same sentiment. As his own career has proved, one can stay true to his talents and still become bigger than his own individual ideology. Clerks II should be the movie that makes Kevin Smith more than just a known name in certain households. It’s a wonderful work of jokey genius.