Chasing Amy (1997)

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Ben Affleck stars as an indie comic book artist who falls in love with a fellow artist (Joey Lauren Adams), despite the fact that she’s a lesbian. She decides to give him a chance, but when he discovers her sexual past, he panics and throws their relationship in peril. Chasing Amy is written and directed by Kevin Smith of Clerks fame, who makes up for his lack of visual style with highfalutin dialogue that’s equal parts crass and witty. Some of the dialogue-driven set pieces are the better moments in the movie, including a Jaws-like scene in which Adams and Jason Lee, as Affleck’s best bud, share sexual scar stories around the drinking table. Comedy is where the film feels comfortable. When it ventures into drama, things get a little wobbly.

Some viewers may rightfully object to the straight male fantasy notion that a lesbian can be turned if she can find the right man. To be fair, though, the film ends up dealing more with sexual fluidity than binary orientation. As Lee’s character becomes jealous of Adams, Affleck suggests that the three of them have sex together to level the playing field and help Lee come out of the closet. And it’s not a joke. (Not completely, anyway.) I give Smith credit for scratching beneath the surface. He’s one of the first filmmakers to consistently poke at the ‘gay panic’ pervasive in ’80s and ’90s movies, and normalize platonic love between men. The film also features a funny supporting character played by Dwight Ewell, a fellow comic artist who uses a caustic, ‘angry black man’ façade to appeal to a fanbase that might not be so embracing if they knew he was gay.

As politically incorrect as today’s audiences might find Chasing Amy, I admire Smith for at least trying to deal with these issues. The acting is pretty good throughout and there are some great comedy moments (my favorite is a joke involving two lesbians, Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny). My biggest complaint about Chasing Amy, in addition to Smith’s complete and total lack of cinematic style, is the same complaint I have with many love stories — people talk too much about love. Whenever this happens, I never believe the characters actually love each other. Even when the writer’s sincere, it sounds desperate.

The dick and fart jokes, however, are sincere as fuck.