A comic book artist falls in love with the perfect woman only to
find out she's a lesbian, but that doesn't change his feelings for her. COMEDY/DRAMA
|
Chasing Amy (1997)Written and Directed by Kevin Smith
Starring Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, Jason Lee, Dwight Ewell, Ethan Suplee, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith |
Chasing Amy is the rare sort of movie that successfully balances comedy and drama without going too far into either genre. It's a film I never expected could come from Kevin Smith, most recently the director of Tusk and Yoga Hosers. There was a time when he had passion for filmmaking and he cared about the story he wanted to tell. Never has this been more prevalent than with Chasing Amy. Not only was this movie hilarious, but it's one of the most realistic and well-told love stories I've ever enjoyed watching. I don't know if this miracle comes from the chemistry between Ben Affleck and Joey Lauren Adams or from Kevin Smith's obviously personal script, but this is something special. It just might be his secret masterpiece.
Chasing Amy tells the story of two comic book artists, Holden (Affleck) and Banky (Jason Lee) who've been friends for years. Their friendship is challenged, however, when Holden meets Alyssa (Adams), a fellow artist that he falls hard for. Despite learning that she's a lesbian, Holden continues to see her as friends, falling deeper in love with her. Slowly, Banky starts to resent their connection and attempts to sabotage it when it's revealed that she reciprocates his feelings, in a scene that features some remarkably passionate acting from Affleck. This is a film that doesn't care about traditional gender roles or society's vision of love. In Chasing Amy, Kevin Smith showed us that love can come from anywhere, when you least expect it, and it can upheave your entire world. I'm stunned by how fiercely dramatic the third act of the film was, even though it was still peppered with Smith's signature style of pothead and sexual humor. As I said, it's not your traditional love story. People make mistakes. People get hurt. Sometimes you lose the person you were meant to be with and you have to live with that. Chasing Amy shows us an impossible love connection that disintegrated because of something stupid and inconsequential, just like a real relationship. Personally, I wish this Kevin Smith would start making films again. He could wind up with an Oscar one day. |