Chasing Amy (1997)

Director:

Kevin Smith

Writer (WGA):

Kevin Smith (written by)

Release Date:

4 April 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

It's not who you love. It's how.

Plot:

Holden and Banky are comic book artists. Everything's going good for them until they meet Alyssa, also a comic book artist. Holden falls for her, but his hopes are crushed when he finds out she's a lesbian.

Plot Keywords:

Comic Book | Lesbian | Friendship | Gay | Jealousy

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 5 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Ethan Suplee	...	Fan
Ben Affleck	...	Holden McNeil
Scott Mosier	...	Collector
Jason Lee	...	Banky Edwards
Casey Affleck	...	Little Kid
Dwight Ewell	...	Hooper X
Joey Lauren Adams	...	Alyssa Jones
Guinevere Turner	...	Singer
Carmen Llywelyn	...	Kim (as Carmen Lee)
Brian O'Halloran	...	Jim Hicks - Executive #1
Matt Damon	...	Shawn Oran - Executive #2
Alexander Goebel	...	Train Kid
Tony Torn	...	Cashier
Rebecca Waxman	...	Dalia
Paris Petrick	...	Tory

MPAA:

Rated R for strong graphic sex-related dialogue, language, sexuality and drug content.

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #35184) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:14 (original rating) | New Zealand:R16 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | USA:R | Sweden:15 (video rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:MA | Brazil:18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A | Chile:18 | Finland:K-12 (original rating) | Finland:S (video rating) | Germany:16 | Israel:16 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 (video premiere) | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | UK:18

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Too Askew Prod. Inc.

Trivia:

When Kevin Smith pitched the idea to Miramax, he also said that he had written the parts with his friends Ben Affleck, Jason Lee and Joey Lauren Adams in mind. Miramax, however, wanted to cast people who already had celebrity status, such as Jon Stewart, David Schwimmer and Drew Barrymore (these three were actually suggested). The film's original budget of $3,000,000 depended on Miramax's support. Ultimately, Smith suggested that he make the movie with his three original actors on his own, and Miramax could buy it for distribution if they liked it. Miramax owners Bob Weinstein and Harvey Weinstein liked this idea, and gave him $250,000 to make the movie (1/24 of the budget of his previous film, Mallrats (1995)).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Holden and Banky are in the office with the executives, Exec. #1 isn't wearing a watch, but can be seen later on in this scene, where we can see a watch on his left wrist.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Comic Book Writer #1: I don't know. I love Chow Yun Fat. I just don't see him playing Madman.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in An Evening with Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

My Stomp, My Beat

Great!

"Chasing Amy" is a clever and engaging urban love story that just exudes with Kevin Smith's gritty humour. The film's examination of sexuality, and everything involved with it, doesn't for one second sound untrue, even when it makes sure that everything being pointed out is expressed frankly and colourfully. It's not everyday we get a story of a heterosexual man falling in love with a homosexual woman, and although the concept could easily have resulted in a disaster of a movie, "Chasing Amy" manages to layer everything almost flawlessly. There are no predictable pitfalls in this film, and nothing is wrapped up in a neat little package. We are offered a group of characters that are likable but flawed, who don't always get, or give, what we would usually expect. I have to say, I never knew what was going to happen next, it manages to be consistenly offbeat without being unrealistic. Ben Affleck and Joey Lauren Adams have incredible chemistry together, perfectly displaying all the emotional complications a relationship as eccentric as theirs would have. Jason Lee was also outstanding in his role of the vaguely jealous best friend. The only thing that bothered me about this film was there was too much YELLING!! and it was slightly uneven at times. But generally I liked it a lot, and I'm just thankful that Kevin Smith is producing such fine work like this, it is truly a refreshing escape from Hollywood's formulaic sap.