The good people at Miramax Films, obviously not content with the honors and awards that The English Patient and their other films brought them, have unleashed another terrific film upon us. Chasing Amy, the story of comic book artist "Holden," Ben Affleck, who falls in love with fellow comic artist "Alyssa" (Joey Lauren Adams), only to discover that she is Gay, is Miramax's latest gift to us from independent writer/director Kevin Smith. Miramax may very well strike Oscar® gold next spring with this film.
Smith, who considers Chasing Amy to be the third installment of his "New Jersey Trilogy," which began with Clerks, continued with Mallrats (which I liked, other- critics-be-damned)
and will conclude (maybe) with the upcoming Dogma, reintroduces many familiar faces in Chasing Amy: Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, and ex-skateboard champion Jason Lee were all in Mallrats, and Jason Mewes and Smith himself reprise their roles as "Jay" and "Silent Bob," the characters whom they have played in all three films in the "trilogy," and will presumably play again in the fourth film.
Smith avoids falling into many clichéd traps in Chasing Amy - this is not one of those "all a dyke needs is one good man" films (although that tends to be the attitude of Lee's character, Holden's partner and life-long friend, "Banky"). Instead, Smith has created many deep and complex characters for his actors: Holden, for example, learns to deal with Alyssa's Lesbianism, but completely freaks when he learns that he is not the first man in her life; Alyssa, although she falls in love with Holden, vehemently defends her right to make her own choices as a woman, and joins with fellow minority comic artist "Hooper" (played by Dwight Ewell), whose creation, "White Hating Coon," gives one an idea of where he is coming from, in recognizing that Banky's opposition to Holden and Alyssa's love is sheer erotic jealousy. The emotional depths plumbed by these characters, however, does not detract from the simple fact that Chasing Amy is a hysterically funny comedy. Beyond its humor, however, is a poignancy that struck deep chords in this reviewer's heart, and, apparently, in the hearts of his fellow audience members, for Chasing Amy is not "just" a comedy, it is a tender love story whose lines ring true to anyone who has ever gone "chasing Amy" - the seemingly unattainable lover who gets away.
Resisting investor pressure to cast a major star as Alyssa, Smith insisted upon Joey Lauren Adams, whom he believes shows "that with this performance Joey proves she's moments away from being a star," and his decision was sound; Adams delivers a bravura performance as Alyssa. Jason Lee, meanwhile, whom Smith feels he under-estimated in Mallrats, gives a remarkable performance as the seemingly insatiable heterosexual Banky, who can endlessly swap shop talk with Alyssa about sex with women, but who goes blind with jealousy over Holden's relationship with her.
(Two other surprises in the cast, by the way, are Affleck's brother Casey, who plays the second fan at the beginning of the film, and Matt "Geronimo" and "Courage Under Fire" Damon, Affleck's real-life writing partner, as the second TV executive.)
It is Ben Affleck himself, however, who provides both the biggest surprise (and shock!) in Chasing Amy. Best known as innocent "C. T. Granville" from the two Voyage of the Mimi children's educational television series, Affleck, who made his bow as an adult actor some years ago in the short-lived NBC series Against the Grain, has progressed from sweet, curious child star, through a few years as a supporting actor, to an outstanding leading man. Affleck's declaration of love for Alyssa, of which bits and pieces have been shown in trailers and previews, ranks among the best romantic monologues which this reviewer has heard in the movies, and he, like the audience, was struck dumb by the passion and poignancy of Affleck's delivery. If Miramax and parent-company Disney don't push Affleck for Best Actor awards and Smith for honors for Best Original Screenplay, sell your Disney stock, folks.
My regular readers may recall my asking rhetorically some time ago why anyone (namely me) would write a review of a film which had already been out for several weeks; eighteen weeks after its initial release, however, Scream "re-premiered" at number eight in national box office take, long, looong after Space Jam, which was released about the same time, had disappeared from theaters. While I do not predict quite as long a run for Chasing Amy, I fully expect it to make up in awards and honors what Scream has made at the box office ($88 million-plus as of Tax Day).
Chasing Amy has some very strong language, many adult themes, and drug references, so it is probably unsuitable for most younger viewers, but it has no nudity and (relatively) little violence. The biggest shock for anyone familiar with Affleck from his Voyage of the Mimi days will be seeing him bearded, smoking and drinking; parents whose children are familiar with Affleck as "C. T. Granville" may wish to consider this before allowing their kids to see it. (Shame on you for becoming a bad role model, Ben Affleck!)
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