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Chasing Amy - Criterion Collection Customer Reviews (58 - 60 of 77 Reviews)

Smith's Best?
Kevin Smith has quite a list of movies: "Clerks," his first (and funniest) which follows a day in the life of two underachieving convienience store slackers; "Mallrats," not quite as funny but still an entertaining movie (due in large part to the addition of Jason Lee) focusing on the lives of two dumped guys trying to get their girlfriends back; "Dogma," a hilarious satire on religion where two angels have found a loophole in God's handiwork; and of course "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," in which the two Jersey stoners must save their good names from the clutches of Hollywood, which is making a movie based on the comic book versions of themselves.

This is no easy list to top. So how does "Chasing Amy" do it?

First and foremost, it has fantastic characters. Holden, the main character, is a smart, witty, loyal, and persevering individual (and also the best role Ben Affleck has ever played). Banky (Jason Lee) is Holden's cynical, manipulative, but always loyal and protective partner. Alyssa Jones (played wonderfully by Joey Lauren Adams) is a smart, adventurous, unapologetic, and very conflicted woman whom Holden falls in love with. In a more minor role, Hooper LaMont (played hilariously by Dwight Ewell) offers quirky insight as the gay black guy who acts like a black panther whenever confronted by strangers. And let's not forget the dynamic duo, Jay and Silent Bob, who are on long enough for Silent Bob to give his best speech ever.

Secondly, it offers plenty of nods to Smith's previous films. The best is a snippet of conversation between Holden and Jay (Holden: So, what are you guys doing, going to the mall? Jay: Dude, we gave that ... up years ago).

Finally, the plot is flawless. Holden meets Alyssa, is immediately smitten, even after finding out she's a lesbian, and after a while she finally falls in love with him as well. This does not go well with Banky, and partly out of jealousy, partly out of loyalty, he finds information that suggests Holden may not be the first man Alyssa has been with. All this leads to a brilliant climax and one of the best endings in any movie, period.(Though some thought it was depressing, I thought it left hope).

All in all, this is Smith's most complete work. Rent Clerks for laughs, Mallrats for fun, Dogma for thought provoking silliness, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back for just plain silliness. If you're looking for an all around great film, this is it.

Great movie!
This is my favorite film by Kevin Smith. I'm attempting to make movies now, and Chasing Amy was a real inspiration. The fact that Kevin Smith wrote the film about fairly true events, I decided to do the same. I just thought this movie was perfect. Ben Affleck is very good in this film, and has convinced me that he's a fairly good actor. A man named Dwight Ewell plays Hooper, the gay black guy who acts like Malcolm X to promote his comic book. There's a hilarious scene where he describes Star Wars as a rascist movie that had me falling out of my chair. Joey Adams played Alyssa, who the movie is about. I thought she was a good actress, but it's a shame that she dropped Kevin like a bad habit. But the real star of the show is Jason Lee. I can't get enough of that guy. He is the best young actor hollywood has, and they don't use him enough. He needs his own movie. He just has countless funny lines and actions that really bring the character of Banky to life. Kevin Smith's understated directing lets you pay more attention to what's being said then what is being done. all in all a perfect movie. Go see it.

P.S. - The DVD's outtakes are hilarious!

One Of The Best Romantic Comedies Of The Decade
Writer/director Kevin Smith is the man responsible for this film, and "Clerks", "Dogma", and "Mallrats". When watching a movie of his, one thing is certain: this guy loves to write. Instead of using typical film devices to solve his problems, such as explosions or "The Dramatic Moment With...The Glance", he uses words. He uses a lot of words in his films. For most filmmakers, this would be their condemnation. For Smith, however, it is his blessing.

"Chasing Amy" centers around comic book artist Holden McNeil, who is one of the more conservative of Smith's characters. His world is rocked when he meets Alyssa Jones. He instantly falls for her, but is shocked to find out that she is a lesbian. I shall not go any further in describing the story for fear of destroying some of the best parts of this wonderful film.

Watching any or all of Smith's other three movies will not prepare you for this one. Sure, it starts out with Smith's over-the-top, fun, raucous humor, but midway through the movie, something magical starts happening. Moments start arriving that are more poignant than crude. People start breaking into emotional monologues that are not cheesy. Tears are shed, and we sympathize. This is not the Kevin Smith that we know, and I, personally, love it.

"Chasing Amy" is an interesting look at the liberal views of modern-day society. It does not make any judgments, and does not claim to be an "important film", and that is what makes it so incredible. Here is a movie that simply exists to tell us an interesting story. After this film was shown at the Sundance Film Festival, it received a standing ovation and massive applause. Indeed, applause is what this film deserves.

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