Chasing AmyBeing friends means getting to know someone better and trust someone enough to reveal yourself to them. Being lovers means that you accept the good and the bad of your partner, because your life is richer for them being in it. And there's a line from a Liz Phair song: "It's better to be friends than lovers, and you shouldn't try to mix the two; 'cause if you do it and you're still not happy, then you know that the problem is you." Chasing Amy is a film about disproportionate sexual experience, friendships, sexual identity, and even comic books; it covers a broad spectrum of that great conflict of the heart: love.
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From the opening montage of Chasing Amy--a series of panels from two fictitious works by our key players in this story--the film is firmly entrenched in the subculture of graphic novel enthusiasts and creators. Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck) and Banky Edwards (Jason Lee) are the dynamic duo responsible for the stoner superhero hit, "Bluntman & Chronic", and their ever-growing audience means that their popularity makes them appear as "sellouts" to other "minority" comic artists, like their friend, Hooper X (Dwight Ewell). After Holden and Banky attend a panel for Hooper, Holden meets perchance Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams), creator of an indie romance comic, and Holden is smitten by the attractive woman with at least similar career interests to him. It is worth noting that, made in 1997, comic books were still a niche market then, and indie comics even more so, evidenced when Alyssa describes how she feels like a celebrity if she sells two comics. Creator of Chasing Amy, Kevin Smith, has always had his finger to the pulse of the voice of comic fans, and the diatribes about race in Star Wars, the role of an inker, and even the sexual orientation of the titular character in Archie comics all represent his natural talent for dialogue, which--like comics--may not always be natural, but is distinct and interesting. And even like comic book movies today, Kevin Smith's films are largely of a shared universe; catch his references to Clerks and Mallrats, or the subsequent references to Chasing Amy in his latter films. But comic books are also historically keen at portraying archetypes, heroes who portray distinct images of qualities like masculinity and morality; but even Superman and Batman have an identity crises, and hide their true selves behind a socially-accepted facade, similar to people who are characterized by their sexual identity.
It's funny, but the first time I saw Chasing Amy, Holden's inevitable surprise at Alyssa's "reveal" at the night club was almost as much of a surprise to me as it was for him. But watching Chasing Amy again, it's clear that there are numerous hints--even nigh-overt mentions--which go over Holden's head, simply because he's not interested in what he doesn't want to hear--or is unprepared to imagine--to keep him from scoring the girl he finds so attractive, one who is deliberately framed by the film to portray her like other romantic comedies do: as the eventual love interest for the male lead, in keeping with Holden's viewpoint. And that's Holden's biggest problem: he doesn't really listen to the needs of others, and his arrogance is what proves to be his undoing. Even when he confesses his love for Alyssa, it is an ultimatum--one from the heart, yes, but one which she understands as "do or die". Even after their relationship moves to the next plateau, as Holden puts it, he continues to seek justification for her willingness to abandon her queer lifestyle in favor of a romance with him. And even after Banky jealously investigates Alyssa's past, his revelation that she might be more experienced than Holden in even more sexually diverse ways becomes the proverbial elephant in the room, leading to Holden interrogating the love of his life about "finger cuffs" at a local hockey game, their verbal blows mirroring the fight on the ice. Holden claims to have come from a more conservative upbringing than Alyssa, and struggles to cope with the idea that his lover has done things with others which contradict the standards he was taught to believe were "normal", something he and Alyssa talk about following her revelation about being a lesbian. It is Alyssa who approaches Holden to talk about this discovery, because she genuinely likes him, and she believes that they can be friends by getting to know one another better. Alyssa invites Holden to ask questions about her lifestyle, to educate him on the subject and tear down the barriers he has erected; consequently, the two enjoy time with one another, and their friendship blossoms.
The battle of the sexes and gender stereotypes is ubiquitous, and Kevin Smith showcases this throughout Chasing Amy, from subtle allusions such as when Holden and Alyssa are playing darts at the bar outside the men's and women's restrooms, respectively--segregated down the middle--to their discussions about the definition of losing one's virginity. Even Banky, Holden's best friend and creative partner, may have specific viewpoints about sexuality--even weird ones--but he and Alyssa share a humorous scene in the bar, following a frank discussion about oral sex, where the two exchange "war wounds" in a comical nod to a similar scene in Jaws. Chasing Amy provides important social commentary on homosexuality and heterosexuality, as well as about love and trust in relationships. It is alarmingly ahead of its time, in terms of its candor on the subject matter, while also inverting a commonly associated trope of gay cinema via Alyssa, who--already established as a lesbian--finds romance with Holden, who answers this by explaining that she felt that she shouldn't limit her pursuit of love by eliminating half of her potential options by virtue of other people's expectations of her. Honesty is a tricky thing, doubly so when it comes to intimacy. Holden's consultation at the record store with Hooper illuminates a point about love: people's past relationships shouldn't have any bearing on the relationship they have with you. If they still wanted to be that person, they'd still be with that other person, instead. Hooper argues it's better to have all the dirty laundry out in the open, and for partners to effectively disclose the contents of their proverbial "little black books"; and while this is certainly one opinion, for Holden, it might have been simply better to leave the past in the past, given his predilection to adopt a righteous attitude toward Alyssa following her full disclosure under duress. The title of Chasing Amy comes from a rare monologue by Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) of all people, about the fear men (or women) have when confronted with a more experienced lover, feelings of inadequacy that challenge their perceptions of intimacy. Kevin Smith has claimed that Chasing Amy was written following an event not unlike Silent Bob's tale, so this speech especially has the ring of truth to it. Chasing Amy is a reminder that love may come in many forms, but it is less about intimacy than about acceptance.
Recommended for: Fans of a personal romantic comedy which defies practically all conventions, as is fitting with the subject matter. It is a story about the individuality of love, managing to be sometimes raunchy, sometimes challenging, and sometimes touching, and sometimes all at the same time.
It's funny, but the first time I saw Chasing Amy, Holden's inevitable surprise at Alyssa's "reveal" at the night club was almost as much of a surprise to me as it was for him. But watching Chasing Amy again, it's clear that there are numerous hints--even nigh-overt mentions--which go over Holden's head, simply because he's not interested in what he doesn't want to hear--or is unprepared to imagine--to keep him from scoring the girl he finds so attractive, one who is deliberately framed by the film to portray her like other romantic comedies do: as the eventual love interest for the male lead, in keeping with Holden's viewpoint. And that's Holden's biggest problem: he doesn't really listen to the needs of others, and his arrogance is what proves to be his undoing. Even when he confesses his love for Alyssa, it is an ultimatum--one from the heart, yes, but one which she understands as "do or die". Even after their relationship moves to the next plateau, as Holden puts it, he continues to seek justification for her willingness to abandon her queer lifestyle in favor of a romance with him. And even after Banky jealously investigates Alyssa's past, his revelation that she might be more experienced than Holden in even more sexually diverse ways becomes the proverbial elephant in the room, leading to Holden interrogating the love of his life about "finger cuffs" at a local hockey game, their verbal blows mirroring the fight on the ice. Holden claims to have come from a more conservative upbringing than Alyssa, and struggles to cope with the idea that his lover has done things with others which contradict the standards he was taught to believe were "normal", something he and Alyssa talk about following her revelation about being a lesbian. It is Alyssa who approaches Holden to talk about this discovery, because she genuinely likes him, and she believes that they can be friends by getting to know one another better. Alyssa invites Holden to ask questions about her lifestyle, to educate him on the subject and tear down the barriers he has erected; consequently, the two enjoy time with one another, and their friendship blossoms.
The battle of the sexes and gender stereotypes is ubiquitous, and Kevin Smith showcases this throughout Chasing Amy, from subtle allusions such as when Holden and Alyssa are playing darts at the bar outside the men's and women's restrooms, respectively--segregated down the middle--to their discussions about the definition of losing one's virginity. Even Banky, Holden's best friend and creative partner, may have specific viewpoints about sexuality--even weird ones--but he and Alyssa share a humorous scene in the bar, following a frank discussion about oral sex, where the two exchange "war wounds" in a comical nod to a similar scene in Jaws. Chasing Amy provides important social commentary on homosexuality and heterosexuality, as well as about love and trust in relationships. It is alarmingly ahead of its time, in terms of its candor on the subject matter, while also inverting a commonly associated trope of gay cinema via Alyssa, who--already established as a lesbian--finds romance with Holden, who answers this by explaining that she felt that she shouldn't limit her pursuit of love by eliminating half of her potential options by virtue of other people's expectations of her. Honesty is a tricky thing, doubly so when it comes to intimacy. Holden's consultation at the record store with Hooper illuminates a point about love: people's past relationships shouldn't have any bearing on the relationship they have with you. If they still wanted to be that person, they'd still be with that other person, instead. Hooper argues it's better to have all the dirty laundry out in the open, and for partners to effectively disclose the contents of their proverbial "little black books"; and while this is certainly one opinion, for Holden, it might have been simply better to leave the past in the past, given his predilection to adopt a righteous attitude toward Alyssa following her full disclosure under duress. The title of Chasing Amy comes from a rare monologue by Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) of all people, about the fear men (or women) have when confronted with a more experienced lover, feelings of inadequacy that challenge their perceptions of intimacy. Kevin Smith has claimed that Chasing Amy was written following an event not unlike Silent Bob's tale, so this speech especially has the ring of truth to it. Chasing Amy is a reminder that love may come in many forms, but it is less about intimacy than about acceptance.
Recommended for: Fans of a personal romantic comedy which defies practically all conventions, as is fitting with the subject matter. It is a story about the individuality of love, managing to be sometimes raunchy, sometimes challenging, and sometimes touching, and sometimes all at the same time.