At New York Comic Con in 1997 Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck) and Banky Edwards (Jason Lee), comic book artists, show off their work. During the long, tiresome day, they meet a fellow comic book artist, Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams), and she and Holden quickly hit it off. Unfortunately for Holden, who has almost immediately fallen in love with Alyssa, she’s a lesbian. Absolutely crushed, Holden attempts to find a way to get over his heartbreak. Chasing Amy is the story of the fractured threeway relationship between Alyssa, Holden, and Banky.
Yes, I’m going to compare Chasing Amy to Kevin Smith’s previous films Clerks and Mallrats, regardless of whether or not it’s fair. Each of the prior installments of the Askewniverse contained a dynamic duo. First viewers were introduced to Dante (Bill O’Halloran) and Randall (Jeff Anderson), then they met TS (Jeremy London) and Brodie (Jason Lee). Each of those characters were (and still are) relatable and ultimately entertaining. Viewers almost immediately fell in love with those characters and here those same viewers are, trying to fall in love with these actors in new roles.
The writing has moments of dullness, but has moments that are equally thrilling as well. There is a point about halfway through the film when Affleck has a monologue and Smith abandons his comedy. He throws his typical delivery of information to the wayside and presents his viewers with a more genuine, sincere approach. This particular moment in Chasing Amy, regardless of the fact that it’s massively different from what viewers have come to expect from Smith, is the star point of his writing. Similarly, this feels like the epitome of Affleck’s career. I’ve always struggled to see him in the same light that most of Hollywood does, but here, in this debilitating moment of affection, Affleck shines more brightly than he ever has or probably ever will. However, the saddest part of this entire ordeal is that, as beautifully scripted and touching as it is, I don’t care. I just don’t care about the characters here; and it’s not because they are poorly written or unrelatable, but simply because they aren’t the characters from the previous films. Lee was already Brodie and Affleck was Shannon Hamilton; these were the characters that viewers had fallen in love with, and that’s what they wanted more of. Chasing Amy sees Affleck, Lee, and Adams attempting to transition into something that viewers don’t necessarily want.
Chasing Amy is more sentimentally driven than previous films, taking a sharp left turn in relation to what people expected coming in. Interestingly, as much as the character disaster is a turn off to the film, Chasing Amy is more relatable and personal than Smith had been before. There were certainly moments of intimacy in the past, but the human connection present throughout this particular film is leaps and bounds ahead of what viewers had previously seen. The writing is something that has led to Smith’s success, and he, again, finds a way to slightly alter what he is good at and connect with his viewers on an emotional level.
Comically, Chasing Amy falls far off the beaten path of what viewers have come to want and expect from Smith, but it provides those viewers with the understanding that he has more in his utility belt than may have been clear prior to this film. The issue with the characters survives the length of the film, but it surprisingly doesn’t ruin it. Smith truly is brilliant in his writing, particularly with his dialogue, and provides his audience with, as much as they might not want it at certain points throughout Chasing Amy, a genuine appreciation of what Affleck, Adams, and Lee say in this emotional comedy.
Written & Directed by Kevin Smith.
Starring Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Joey Lauren Adams, Dwight Ewell, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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