Last Saturday I had the pleasure to see Kevin Smith at Roy Thompson Hall.
If there was a running theme for last nights’ performance, it would easily be Wayne Gretzky (and his dad Walter) whom Smith seems to have a new found love for. And an apparent fixation on smoking weed – something he’s been doing with enthusiasm since wrapping Zack And Miri, by his own admission. Smith has been watching dvds and YouTube footage of the great one’s past glories for the past few months, and illustrated last night that Gretzky’s dad could be the greatest father figure alive. Smith even discused that Gretzky was not unlike Christ with his ability to try and do the right thing whenever he could (at least, this seems to be what the dvds Smith is watching would have him believe). Phrases like ‘It’s the Gretzky way’ and WWWD (What Would Wayne do?) popped up throughout the night, providing an easy go-to subject to help steer the evening through it’s three hour running time.
I’m sure seeing Smith live isn’t everyone’s idea of a fun night out. I know people who outright hate his movies, and his happy-go-lucky attitude in life. I’m quite the opposite. I find Smith’s honesty through his characters and dialog is always refreshing. He’s one of the few authors who has brought me to tears by laughing so hard at some of his writings. I’d liken Smith as a hero to most of his fans, as he’s somebody who’s carved out a fine career for himself by simply pursuing his dreams. In just over 15 years, he’s gone from a low-budget filmmaker to a respected film director & actor.
