Analysis of chasing amy essay chasing amy is a movie that uncovers the hardships we find within the confusion of love and sex in our lives. Analysis of the film chasing amy essays 2008 words 9 pages. Looking back at the sexual politics of chasing amy 20 years later. It deals with lots of dialogue about sexual stereotypes and its a film that deals with one of the most weird but possible dilemmas in finding that special someone. Analysis of chasing amy essay example for students 2034. Analysis of the film chasing amy chasing amy is a movie that uncovers the hardships we find within the confusion of love and sex in our lives. Chasing amy is the third film by writerdirector kevin smith aka silent bob. Chasing amy frequently asked questions the spoiler faq. Produced by view askew productions, chasing amy is the third installment in kevin smiths new jersey trilogy which began with the sundance and cannes film festival award winner clerks, and continued last year with mallrats, which also featured ben affleck, joey lauren adams and jason lee. I believe that the estimation that chasing amy is one of, if not, the worst movie of all time is erroneous. From the movie chasing amy, it means when you dump someone who was perfect for you for a reason that you eventually realize was not worth ending the relationship for. Its also, depending on how you look at it, a disturbing tale of how a lesbian just has to meet the right guy to really fall. Some lauded the film as an honest and complex exploration of sexuality, while others castigated it for portraying what they took to be stereotypical, even homophobic characters.
Watching this film, the viewer can find me in every nook and cranny. Chasing amy and the toxic nerd masculinity of the 90s. Thankfully, amy ends on a high note, with one of her idols, tony bennett, eulogizing winehouse by placing her among the ranks of dinah washington, billie holliday and aretha franklin. Amy irving was nominated for a golden globe for the movie, for best performance by an actress in a motion picture comedymusical. Sometimes the line between love and sex seems almost invisible, but the differences and complications of understanding that are quite clear in this movie. After holden leaves, alyssas girlfriend virginia smith comes back to the booth and asks who that was. As in smiths debut film, clerks, theres something about the scruffy chasing amy that breaks through the pretenses of more conventional movies. Noted for its frank dialogue, chasing amy explores concepts of sexuality and love, and how you cant necessarily just turn off your feelings and the social pressure over unusual pairings.
Chasing amy 1997 was the third film in what smith referred to as his new jersey series, films set at. Chasing amy is a 1997 american romantic comedydrama film written and directed by kevin smith and starring ben affleck, joey lauren adams, and jason lee. Holden has a brief poignant conversation with alyssa, and gives her a copy of chasing amy, his new comic based on their failed relationship. Not only is chasing amy a huge step forward for smith, but it is one of 1997s best films.
When he drifts away from emotion, his dialogue, though much improved from the witless clerks, still comes off as stilted and selfconsciously written, particularly during his mostly painful popculture riffs. I suppose the judges were too busy with the hunt for the biggest jorts. The veteran should know better than most, judging by his wonderfully gentle handling of winehouse in earlier behindthescenes footage of the two of them. Kevin smith, who wrote and directed the moviethe third installment in his jersey trilogymakes these characters intense and funny. In these moments, all of his characters sound the same, and not one of them sounds remotely human. Cult comicbook artist holden ben affleck falls in love with fellow artist alyssa joey lauren adams, only to be thwarted by her sexuality, the disdain of his best friend banky jason lee, and his own misgivings about himself. Revisiting alyssa jones and bisexuality in chasing amy. So holden ben affleck has a lot in common with the film maker, whose chasing amy reignites the energy of clerks and puts smiths career. There are portions of the film that still are very much a chore to watch, but overall, i thought it was actually a fairly honest time capsule of the time period. Two thumbs way up for kevin smiths 1997 film chasing amy.
About alive chasing amy soundtrack although joey lauren adams is a better known american actressdirector, she wrote and performed the soundtrack alive for the movie chasing amy. Since chasing amy is a kevin smith film, it does have some serious problems. In this film, three individuals struggle to come to grips with their own sexual identities. Released in 1997 it takes a honest look at relationships and how people define themselves not so much by being heterosexual or homosexual but by. No official announcements have been made as of yet. Kevin smiths third film, chasing amy, finds the director maturing in all aspects of his filmmaking. Holden falls for her, but his hopes are crushed when he finds out shes a lesbian. Kevin smiths romantic comedy chasing amy aimed to be equal parts charming and abrasive, sexual and political. Smith was dating adams at the time he was writing the script, which was also partly inspired by her. It was generally wellreceived, winning two awards at the 1998 independent spirit awards best screenplay for smith and best supporting actor for jason lee. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in wikipedia articles constitutes fair use. Chasing amy is the third installment in the new jersey trilogy from awardwinning writerdirector kevin smith clerks, mallrats, dogma. Indeed, i do not even think it is anywhere near the worst movie of all time.
They spend their time working in their studio, and in the evenings they are going out. That rather weary opener brings us to 1997s chasing amy, kevin smiths finest film and still one of the alltime indie greats. But the movie did grow out of my initial reaction to joeys. That all depends on if miramax decides to release their titles on dvd.
Speaking of ben affleck, the title of the movie itself becomes funny when the premise of gone girl which he starred in involves his character effectively chasing after the titular missing girl, who is also named amy. Her character alyssa in smiths film is threedimensional, and her outburst towards the end of the picture is heartfelt and honest. The latter is how i feel about kevin smiths 1997 movie chasing amy. Crossing delancey is a 1988 american romantic comedy film starring amy irving and peter riegert. But then, thats kind of what the movie s about as well. To smith, chasing amy s jaws scene, in which alyssa and banky compare sex scars, represented everything that is great about independent film. Chasing amy, a film about a guy who falls in love with a lesbian, with an appearance by jay and silent bob played by jason mews and kevin smith. That does not mean that the film is bad or accomplishes nothing. In chasing amy, comic book artists and bffs, holden mcneil and banky edwards promote their book, bluntman and chronic, at a comic book convention in nyc.
Ben affleck, jason lee, joey lauren adams, jason mewes, kevin smith. Granted, joey wasnt gay, and ive never fallen in love with a lesbian well, not that i know of anyway. What are holden and banky doing with the hand signals at the end of the film. Chasing amy 1997 was the third film in what smith referred to as his new jersey series, films set at least partly in the garden state and featuring the jay and silent bob characters. The hows and whys of chasing amy the current the criterion. The night holden ben affleck meets alyssa joey adams, he thinks he has found the woman of his dreams, until he discovers the truth alyssa is a lesbian. Kevin smiths classic chasing amy remains the definitive film about retroactive jealousy, more than 20 years after its premiere. And to all the critics who hated our last flick all is. Aug 02, 2015 two thumbs way up for kevin smiths 1997 film chasing amy. Asif kapadias documentary on amy winehouse exclusive clip the rest is an ongoing battle between angels and demons, bouts of chaotic. Chasing amy is a movie that uncovers the hardships we find within the confusion of love and sex in our lives. Sep 22, 2016 i believe that the estimation that chasing amy is one of, if not, the worst movie of all time is erroneous. The smith touches are as filthy and funny as ever, but theres a deeper, more emotional level to. A pair of comic book authors named holden mcneil and banky edwards, who live in new jersey, have been best friends for 20 years.
Jun 26, 2000 and rather than enter therapy, i decided to exorcise my demons on screen. Exposing the deceit while it appears to be an openminded exploration into the complexities of sexuality and gender, chasing amy is in actuality little more than a coverup for the set of myths that encompass the plot. Chasing amy, his followup to the 1995 box office failure mallrats, is certainly the most adult film he has made, in terms of general context. But if you are waiting till marriage, then chasing amy contains some special messages that youll be able to appreciate much more than the average moviegoer. Its a moving film that anyone who suffers from rj would be wise to watch. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Analysis of the film chasing amy essays 2008 words bartleby. Will the dvd be the criterion version that was released on laserdisc. The story focuses on two alternative comics creators, holden mcneil ben affleck and banky edwards jason lee, who write and illustrate a comic based on smiths characters jay and silent bob. Chasing amy is excellent writing and directing by kevin smith on display once again.
Instead, chasing amy finds other ways to satisfy its audience, and the result is the most complete and mature film of smiths short career. Chasing amy was kevin smiths third film after clerks and mallrats, and takes place in the view askewniverse that. It all boils down to rights between criterion and buena vista home video. Ben afflecks character falls in love with a bisexual woman or so he thinks, and is later forced to confront intense retroactive jealousy surrounding her past sexual history. If you havent already seen it, its definitely worth a watch whether youre waiting till marriage or not. Chasing amy is the third installment in writerdirector kevin smiths new jersey trilogy, which began with the sundance and cannes film festival award winning comedy clerks and with the teen comedy mallrats. Kevin smith writerdirector chasing amy is the third film by writerdirector kevin smith aka silent bob. Banky then motions with his head towards the table where alyssa is. It rips aside veils of hypocrisy and reveals bizarre and uncomfortable truths that make an honest person tremble. At the time of its release, on april 4, 1997, the movie earned praise as a love.
Jul 23, 2009 chasing amy is a movie that totally fits its time. In fact, she used to be so hetero, it makes him feel inadequate. Chasing amy was conceived as a sort of penancevalentine for the woman who made me grow up, more or lessa thankyou homage that marked a major milestone in my life, both personally and professionally. Financial analysis of chasing amy 1997 including budget, domestic and international box office gross, dvd and bluray sales reports, total earnings and profitability. I was very insecure about girlfriends pasts when i wrote chasing amy. It opens by revealing the close friendship that exists between holden, the primary character, and banky, his homophobic sidekick. Analysis of the film chasing amy essays 2008 words. With chasing amy, its easy to anticipate a certain degree of inventive humor, but whats a bit unexpected is the solid drama, effective romance, and strong characters.
Asif kapadias documentary on amy winehouse exclusive clip the rest is an ongoing battle between angels and demons, bouts of chaotic addiction interspersed with episodes of clearheaded. It is directed by joan micklin silver and was based on a play by susan sandler, who also wrote the screenplay. Joey lauren adams has been severely underused since chasing amy, starring in undeveloped romantic roles in comedies such as big daddy. Kevin smith isnt typically known for mature work the majority of his films are funny, but crude. Chasing amy is a movie that begins with gentle comedy, and slowly twists itself into story of insight and integrity. Chasing amy was kevin smiths third film after clerks and mallrats, and takes place in the view askewniverse that also includes the jay and silent bob joints and one of my favorite movies. Roger ebert of the chicago suntimes said while the surface of his film sparkles. Melalui chasing amy, kevin smith nggak cuma ngomongin soal cinta, tapi juga membahas tentang seksualitas, persahabatan, serta garis batas abuabu antara seks dan cinta.
The romantic drama features a rich and layered screenplay, a confident aesthetic, and a searing lead performance. Analysis of the film chasing amy 2020 words 123 help me. Feb 12, 2016 i am an ancient creature slowly turning to dust. Roger ebert of the chicago suntimes said while the surface of his film sparkles with sharp, ironic dialogue, deeper issues are forming. Released in 1997 it takes a honest look at relationships and how people define themselves not so much by. Joey lauren adams alive chasing amy soundtrack lyrics. Chasing amy is about coming to terms with a partners sexual history, and us. Kevin smiths film chasing amy met with a great diversity of response among lesbians, gays, and bisexuals. Chasing amy is a romantic comedy about people who write comic books for a living, and whose most passionate conversations can center on the sex lives of archie and jughead. This concept regarding the true reason for sexual mutability is one of the many issues dealt with in the film chasing amy. How it is billed a comedy, or even a dark comedy, is beyond my comprehension. Analysis of chasing amy chasing amy is a movie that uncovers the hardships we find within the confusion of love and sex in our lives. The hows and whys of chasing amy the criterion collection.
The latest in smiths hilariously explicit examinations. Chasing amy is a romantic comedy about people who write comic books for a living, and whose most passionate conversations can center on. Granted, the sexual politics of the film certainly have some cobwebs on them, but the small, sweet little story smith was trying to tell is still very watchable. No doubt those familiar with the canon of queer film are raising. Jun 22, 2016 chasing amy, a film about a guy who falls in love with a lesbian, with an appearance by jay and silent bob played by jason mews and kevin smith, as well as feature the comic bool bluntman and chronic. Apr 12, 2010 it is shocking shocking that kevin smith has somehow remained out of the running for the worst movie of all time until now. So chasing amy was the movie that i was least looking forward to rewatching, but the process was a lot less painful than i anticipated. Kevin smiths chasing amy is the third film in the view askewniverse series following clerks 1994 and mallrats 1995. But youre right, chasing amy held up far better than i was expecting it to.
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