Kevin Smith’s Semi-Autobiographical ‘The 4:30 Movie’ Centers on ’80s Teen Cinephiles — Watch Trailer

Samantha Bergeson
·3 min read

Kevin Smith has often blurred the lines between documentary and fiction. With semi-autobiographical film “The 4:30 Movie”, the writer/director is tapping into his New Jersey teen years.

Smith wrote and directed the feature that is billed as his “most personal film to date.” The coming-of-age story stars “Clerks 3” actor Austin Zajur as Brian David, a teen cinephile (and Smith surrogate) who regularly sneaks into movie theaters.

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The official synopsis for “The 4:30 Movie” reads: “Three sixteen-year-old friends who spend their Saturdays sneaking into movies at the local cineplex. When one of the guys invites the girl of his dreams to see an R-rated film, all hilarity breaks loose, as a self-important theater manager (Ken Jeong) and teen rivalries interfere with his best-laid plans.”

The film takes place in the summer of 1986, and includes cameos from former Smith collaborators Justin Long, Rosario Dawson, Jason Biggs, Jason Mewes, Jason Lee (all the Jasons), and more. Logic, Rachel Dratch, Adam Pally, Sam Richardson, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, and Smith’s daughter Harley Quinn Smith also star.

The full cast includes Nicholas Cirillo, Reed Northrup, Siena Agudong, Betty Aberlin, Diedrich Bader, Ralph Garman, Kate Micucci, Jenny Mollen, Genesis Rodriguez, and Jennifer Schwalbach.

“The 4:30 Movie” is described in press notes as a “poignant comic valentine to moviegoing and the youth of the ’80s.” Smith thanked audiences for “giving [me] an extended adolescence” in the notes.

In 2022, Smith reflected on his wide-spanning filmography to Forbes. The director looked back on his breakout 1994 film “Clerks,” which later landed sequel “Clerks 2” in 2006 and a long-awaited third film “Clerks 3” in 2022.

“I’ll tell you, for years, I never understood why people liked ‘Clerks’ so much,” Smith said. “It’s in black and white, it’s got nobody famous in it and stuff, looks like it was made by children, and it was. I used to just think, well, we were part of the ’90s, so sentimentally and nostalgically will always be wrapped up in some people’s hearts. But I’m 30 years almost in on the job now, and I think I completely understand why ‘Clerks’ not only connected then, but why people still talk about it today, even though it’s an old ass black and white movie that was made in the ’90s.”

He added at the time, “You don’t make these flicks going like, ‘I hope nobody sees them.’ You hope that the world embraces them. I’m the guy who’s like people still talk about ‘Clerks’ because I still keep the conversation going nearly 30 years later. I’m always like, ‘Remember “Clerks”? Holy crap. “Clerks” was wonderful.'”

“The 4:30 Movie” premieres September 13 in theaters from Saban Films. Check out the trailer below.

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