Reception
Mallrats was the subject of much critical derision when it was released, with many critics comparing it unfavorably to Smith's first film, Clerks. In his negative review of the film, critic Roger Ebert said "Before Mallrats was released, I chaired a panel that Smith participated in and Kevin Smith cheerfully said he'd be happy to do whatever the studios wanted, if they'd pay for his films. At the time, I thought he was joking." Kevin Smith responded by apologizing for Mallrats at the 1996 Independent Spirit Awards, though he later stated that the apology was made in jest. Nevertheless, the film developed a strong cult following after it was released on video. Rotten Tomatoes maintains Mallrats with a 54% Tomatometer rating.
The film did not fare well at the box office, grossing only $2,122,561 with an additional $331,916 in Spain for a total of $2,454,447, on a $6 million budget.
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