Mallrats - The Story of How Yondu and Batman Were Defeated By A Bearded Man In A Trench-Coat And Other Less Important Characters

Kevin Smith's "Mallrats" is a whimsical portrayal of shopping mall 

culture.  Filled with pop-culture references and held together by Smith's 

brand of humor, the movie tells the tale of two young men who go to the 

mall after being dumped by their respective girlfriends.  As the story 

progresses, the characterization of the mall itself begins to take shape.  As 

presented in the movie, the mall is a place of opportunity, freedom, 

entertainment, and comradery.  The movie makes it clear, however, 

that the mall is utterly and completely artificial, even going so far as to 

violently expose some of the typical mall mystic as being fake.  

The character of the mall is reflected and reinforced by the character of 

Brodie Bruce, portrayed by Jason Lee.  Brodie, an unmotivated, vapid, 

and immature young man, treats the mall with the same intimacy as 

his own home, and his expressive and outgoing character adds to the 

nature of the mall.  At the same time, however, the shallowness of Brodie's 

character enhances the shallowness of the mall itself; though the mall is 

vibrant and fun, it is ultimately meaningless.