Review of Chasing Amy (1997) by Jamie P — 27 Nov 2011

Young filmmaker Kevin Smith quickly became a favorite of mine after just two films. His crass, go-for-broke sense of humor paired with his pointed observations and pop culture references won me over after "Clerks". However, with his third feature "Chasing Amy", he steps into the big leagues. He becomes an adult while still retaining that warped, gross-out humor that got him noticed.

This film is a fresh, wildly funny and terrifically acted by its three leads. Ben Affleck could only hope to have another year as great as his 1997 again, when he made this and won the Oscar for "Good Will Hunting". But it's Joey Lauren Adams who steals the show here, dominating every scene that she's in with her funny, sad, powerhouse performance. She was quite simply robbed of an Oscar nomination. The film's more off-color moments definitely hurt her chances with Academy voters. Most didn't even see this, and the ones who did were blind to the fact that the dialogue is one of the biggest joys of the picture. Sure, it's offensive but it's also real, heartfelt and authentic. The genius of Smith, especially in this movie, is his ear for how people really talk.

The movie is honest with itself, and with its audience. I would be hard pressed to come up with my favorite movie of all time, but when people ask, I always say "Chasing Amy". The comedy is hilarious, the relationships are complicated but real and the dramatic scenes are heartbreaking.