Chasing Amy, directed by Kevin Smith (Clerks), not only became one of the most successful indie features from the 90s – it grossed $12 million from a $250,000 budget – but also gave the LGBTQ+ community a voice for the first time. For many queer people, Chasing Amy was a tremendous support during their journey of self-love and self-discovery, and one of them was writer/director Sav Rodgers. Rodgers is now honouring the film that saved his life when he got bullied and rejected by dedicating his debut feature to it. While Chasing Chasing Amy starts as a nerdy trip (re)discovering Chasing Amy, it becomes much more about Rodgers’ transition, taking the spotlight a bit away from Smith’s original movie.
While Chasing Amy was life-changing for Rodgers and many queers worldwide, it was also a very problematic feature. It tells the story of Holden (Ben Affleck), a comic book writer who falls in love with lesbian Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams). While she mentions many times that she’s gay, she develops feelings for Holden throughout the film. Whether or not they get together is for you to find out. The fact that she might love him reinforced, according to some, the negative stereotype that lesbians will all become straight once they meet the man of their dreams. Therefore, the movie wasn’t welcomed with open arms by everyone in the LGBTQ+ community. The disgust grew even more when people understood how hetero-centric this movie was.
But why? Why do people hate this movie so much? Why do they see it as so narrow-minded? Isn’t the representation as good as initially thought? What’s the real message of the movie? Are queer film critics and filmmakers agitated by the fact that a straight white guy made the movie about a lesbian? These are questions the documentary tries to find answers to. Another reason why the positive message of Chasing Amy doesn’t come through as powerful anymore is because the movie didn’t age well. Harvey Weinstein financed it, and if you look at the ‘thanks’ section on the Chasing Amy IMDb page, you see a cringy (back then, it was probably considered genuine) ‘thank you’ note to Weinstein. Because of what happened throughout the years, a Me Too vibe hangs over Chasing Amy.
Rodgers isn’t afraid to highlight that, especially more towards the end. Smith admits that he thought back then that Weinstein was an honest filmmaker. The emotional testimonial of actress Joey Lauren Adams also proves that there was already a lot of sexual abuse in Hollywood when Chasing Amy was released. She shares her story about the verbal and physical abuse she dealt with in the 90s. That interview is undoubtedly one of this documentary’s most personal and emotional ones. Besides reflecting on her role and the (impact of the) movie, she shares horrible memories about what it was like being associated with Weinstein during that time.
Chasing Chasing Amy isn’t all doom and gloom. No, it’s a beautiful, emotional, and quirky feature for most of it. Rodgers takes you to the film locations and even meets and interviews Smith. That interview and the double interview with Smith and Adams are the most significant part of this documentary. There’s mutual respect, and seeing how the friendship between Rodgers and Smith starts, blossoms, and becomes strong is a joy. It seems that they had so much fun while filming this documentary.
What’s also highly joyful and beautiful to see is how Rodgers’ relationship with girlfriend-turned-wife Riley unfolds. We get to know how they met, see the excellent and romantic proposal on Times Square, and witness the impact Rodgers’ transition had on their relationship. Their intimate and touching story takes the upper hand towards the middle/end; therefore, this feature becomes too self-indulgent. It’s not a massive problem, though, as the couple is highly loveable, and their love is certainly what Chasing Amy is all about.
The more you think about it, the more problematic Chasing Amy becomes. Luckily, we can’t say the same thing about Chasing Chasing Amy. While the documentary is undoubtedly self-indulgent, the blanket of (self)love, emotions and beautiful and inspiring moments make it a rewarding watch.
Chasing Chasing Amy was screened in the Documentary Competition section of the BFI London Film Festival 2023.
Director: Sav Rodgers
Rated: NR
Runtime: 95m
The more you think about it, the more problematic Chasing Amy becomes. Luckily, we can't say the same thing about Chasing Chasing Amy. While the documentary is undoubtedly self-indulgent, the blanket of (self)love, emotions and beautiful and inspiring moments make it a rewarding watch.
-
GVN Rating 7
-
User Ratings (0 Votes)
0