4/5 A pleasant, insightful surprise
  by T. Fisher (Washington DC)
I have recently been looking at more Kevin Smith movies, and this one is really miles away from his other films I had seen -- "Clerks" (loved it), "Mallrats" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" (kind of sophomoric and cliched).

Ben Affleck plays a comic book artist who falls in love with another comic book artist (Joey Lauren Adams), who happens to be a lesbian. If you're thinking that's not a recipe for a happy end, you're right -- but the reason it's not a happy end may be a surprise.

One of the film's best features is its use and examination of some straight and gay stereotypes to look at the actual emotional content of human sexual relationships. It doesn't necessarily do this in an incredibly sophisticated way, but it's still insightful and entertaining.

I was pretty impressed overall with the story, the dialogue, the acting, as well as the fact that this movie was made for just a quarter of a million dollars. In all, it is a good example of a cheap, story-driven, Miramax-style film that has something to say, combined with Kevin-Smith-style (i.e. sometimes pretty crude) comic relief.

The DVD extras are practically all taken from an earlier Criterion Laserdisc issue. They include a commentary by about six people involved in making the film, including Smith, Affleck, and Jason Mewes (who played "Jay"). There is also a set of deleted scenes and outtakes.

This movie is definitely worth seeing, but falls short of being a must-see. Recommended.


4/5 "Sure, it's crazy, it's rude, it's self-absorbed, but, uh, you know, it's love. "
  by trashcanman (Hanford, CA United States)
"Chasing Amy" is an oddity of a film and this review will be a real challenge for me, which is why I'm doing it. It's nearly physically impossible not to love Kevin Smith. The critics and detractors are lying to themselves. How do you not love a director who actually takes to the internet to outflame the web trolls talking smack about him? You can't do it. He's the very image of the self-made man and as much as critics may dog his films, they know as well as I do that behind all of the scatological humor and donkey shows his films run on pure brains and heart. And most of them will readily admit to enjoying this film. Many say it's his best work. I disagree, but it's still a film I believe any person considering ever entering into a romantic relationship should view at least once. Smith takes his Askewniverse cast to a whole different place on this one. And I don't just mean New York.

"Chasing Amy" is what a romantic comedy would be if they were written for intelligent adults and didn't present a ridiculous, unrealistic, sanitized, idealistic, and somewhat insulting view of love. It's the story of a comic book writer whose artistic dreams aren't being fulfilled by the populist "d!ck and fart jokes" that make up his commercial success so far. Trying to tell us something about yourself, Mr. Smith? He meets a charming girl from his hometown, falls for her, and gets all ready and set for his happily ever after. Then she starts making out with some chick at a bar. For a long time. Well, at least his friend gets to see what he usually pays to watch for free and in person. But sexuality is a funny and -with some people- fluid thing. Maybe he's got a shot. After all, aren't all lesbians just spinning their wheels until a big strong man comes along to protect them? Not bloody likely. And even if he could snag such a goddess, could he really deal with the sordid past of a former wild child? Would it be worth his friendship with his a-hole of a co-writer? These are all versions of the basic questions you need to ask yourself before entering into a serious relationship. Diving in headfirst is the #1 cause of heartbreak. Hindsight is always 20/20, isn' it?

If there is one thing Kevin Smith knows it is people. No film writer or director has the psychology of interpersonal dynamics down like that man does. He understands both the value and pitfalls of friendship and romance in a way that other directors and most people in general simply will never consciously grasp. This is a big part of what makes his films so poignant even in the midst of juvenile gross-out humor and shocking sex-talk and allows him to outclass everyone else who touches the genre, Judd Appatow included. In that sense, I can see why this film is a bit of a critical darling. It does away with much of the childish antics (Jay and Silent bob are only in one scene) and really focuses on the relationship between the leads. But while this may ingratiate "Chasing Amy" to the critics, I found a lot not to like.

First off: Ben Affleck. It actually shocks me that Affleck ever got another leading role after this film. And it's not all his fault, either. Sure his acting was beyond unlikable, but honestly his character was written as a complete idiot to begin with. A true-to-life idiot, but I still found both Holden and his partner-in-crime Banky (played by Jason Lee) to be completely unrelatable malcontent characters. On the other hand, I'm surprised that Joey Lauren Adams hasn't had more mainstream success after such a smashing performance as the lovable Alyssa. Then again, her voice makes the screaming scenes almost unbearable to listen too. Another gaffe I'd attribute to Smith. While Smith does have great taste in music, the soundtrack becomes a bit distracting at times in this one and his preferences have become too uninspired and predictable. I love Run DMC and Soul Asylum as well, but I wouldn't put their music in every film I made because then they'd all sound the same. He needs to mix it up a little more and get out of the late-80's early-90's alternative stuff once in a while. The film's climax comes off as really half-baked and I actually had my head in my hands out of embarrassment for parts of it. Any love you may have had for Holden will just simply evaporate when you hear how he's going to fix all of their problems. A major, major WTF moment.

Yeah, so there's lots of bad. But there are so many more reasons to see this film. To offset the damage done by Affleck's cringe-inducing performance in the climax, the film ends with an extremely convincing relationship coda that thankfully veers away from the sap you believe is about to burst forth and produces a truly touching finale thanks to Adams. Well played, all around. And there are some sick laughs as well, including a character introducing a young child to bestiality porn. So wrong, you have to laugh. Frank discussions about lesbian sex and homosexuality in general also deliver some funny-awkward moments. Seeing Holden get uncomfortable while Alyssa and Banky compare scars they got while performing cunnilingus is just too funny. The best has got to be Dwight Ewell as a gay black man who has to pretend to be militant to sell his afrocentric comics. His staged altercation with Holden and Banky over racism in Star Wars is classic.

I remember the first time I saw this I was floored by a scene where Alyssa's gay friends all shun her for considering dating a man. At that point in my life, it never occurred to me that an oppressed minority could have deep-seeded bigotries of their own. In fact, the hypocrisy of insisting that gay people are born the way they are and then using their sexuality as a political statement to the point where a gay woman who experiments with dating a man would be outcast contradicts the entire premise of the gay rights movement. Political statements are choices, biology is not; pick a side. I love that this film made me think about things like that. Also, who could ever forget Fingercuffs? If you don't get that reference, you must see this now.

"Chasing Amy" is a film that shows what love really is and can be. It hurts, it scars, it makes you act like an idiot and self-destruct; but in the end it's what we all crave more then anything else. But as human beings to actually get exactly what we want and feel there's nothing left to attain is to risk indulging those subconscious self-destructive urges. Even with a character like Holden as the lead, I still find the story itself to be extremely relatable. Early in our relationship I had fights with my wife similar in theme to the ones in this film; so similar it makes me physically uncomfortable and self-conscious to watch them. In hindsight, I was an idiot. Like Holden. Okay, not nearly as bad, but I didn't have any pearls of wisdom from Silent Bob to guide me either. The all-or-nothing approach we expect due to the idealized, fictionalized versions of love we are bombarded with in music, television, literature, and film is and will never be a model for a healthy relationship. Only unconditional acceptance of who your partner is and what they've done can provide that. It's too often that we only realize that after people have driven off the ones they love with thoughtless self-indulgent pride.

While it is my least favorite film in Smith's Askewniverse so far, "Chasing Amy" is still must-see material. It's another very hard film for me to rate because there are so many pros and cons and there isn't really another film like it that I've seen. That alone should make it worth a look. It's not often you're going to hear a Kevin Smith movie described as "bittersweet", but that's what this is. It's got all the charm of an indie flick, the shocking humor of a sex comedy, the heart and soul of the most authentic romances, and all the relationship advice you will ever need rolled into a single film. Too bad it also has Ben Affleck.

3 1/2 stars rounded up for putting every mainstream romantic comedy to shame. "


5/5 A much smarter approach to the world of relationships than I expected...
  by Andrew Ellington (Mulholland Drive)
Much smarter than I thought it would be, `Chasing Amy' truly has a lot going for it; not the least of which happens to be its attractive star couple. The film is no where near the low-brow comedy it could have been, but it actually transcends its very own abrasive subject to tap into something very substantial and very honest about human relationships, whether it be male/female, male/male or female/female.

`Chasing Amy' is actually a really good movie.

Holden and Banky are comic book artists. At a convention they happen to run into Alyssa Jones, a fellow comic book artist who happens to catch Holden's eye. Convinced they shared a moment and that she is in love with him, Holden pursues Alyssa only to uncover that she is playing for the `other team'. Despite slim chances that they would ever `hook up', Holden and Alyssa become great friends and soon fall in love. Their new relationship proves to be a difficult transition for the two of them, surprisingly more difficult for Holden than he expected. As he starts hearing twisted stories from her past, of her past relationships and past `experiences' he begins to feel as if maybe, just maybe, this relationship won't work.

And soon he finds himself `chasing Amy'.

While the film follows a similar romantic comedy formula (boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, boy gets with girl, boy loses girl) it has a few aces up its sleeve that make it a little more than that.

First of all, the performances for the most part are really good, at times even superb. Joey Lauren Adams is a complete revelation as Alyssa, a gem of an actress who is so charming and so sincere and so genuine. I'm ashamed that she didn't receive an Oscar nomination for this, but then again this is the type of film and or performances that rarely gets more than a Golden Globe nomination (which she did receive). Ben Affleck works some of the time, but at times the films dialog can trip him up. When he's not being witty he loses himself in the syrupy parts of the film. Jason Lee is playing the same character he plays quite often, but he's hysterical so why complain. I also thought that Dwight Ewell was very, very funny here.

Second, the film is much smarter than one would generally think. Yes, the film has some frank dialog that can come off as rather offensive, but it is not without purpose. This is a serious and smart look at relationships from the young adult perspective. There is lots of language and lots of off-color references, but none of it seems out of place because this is the audience it is reaching for. It all seems very, very real. The insight into love is remarkably handled here, especially when the subject of virginity is broached. There is a tenderness that permeates the conversation despite the blunt way of speaking.

The film has a few issues with the script, or should I say some of the dialog, but it's minor. Like I said, Affleck tends to get tripped up when he's trying to be sincere, but those moments are not predominant enough to really take away from the film. Adams is usually there moving him along and keeping us entirely devoted to her.

She keeps us `chasing Alyssa'.

4/5 Chasing Amy - Criterion Collection
  by Kyla M. G. Aquino (Guam, USA)
" Definitely one of Kevin Smith's best. A great comeback after the Cult Classic Mall Rats. A perfect blend of drama and comedy. "

5/5 Chasing Amy Rocks!
  by David R. Burris (Oregon)
Having seen Chasing Amy on the premium movie channels a number of times I knew I had to purchase it for my film library. This film just works on so many levels. The characters are so interesting and the relationships to intense and real. A definate must have....