CHASING AMY
US, 1997, 195 minutes, Colour.
Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Joey Lauren Adams, Matt Damon.
Directed by Kevin Smith.
Kevin Smith, writer and director, has become something of a cult figure with his Clerks and Mallrats. These are irreverent slices of life and, especially, slices of conversation where, in a flip four-letter kind of way, the off-hand characters discuss serious and peripheral issues with post-modern intensity. Smith refers to himself as a `persisting Catholic'. He doesn't immediately sound like one, but he is concerned with values and the search for values and identity.
This has come to the fore in Chasing Amy, a more elaborate film than the previous two but with more defined characters who embody a variety of stances and searches as well who are able to discuss all issues in a Smith kind of way. Relationships, gender, sexuality, love and betrayal are to the fore here. Chasing Amy has become one of the box-office successes of the year here and abroad. Its topics and tone seem to communicate with the 30s (plus or minus). Older audiences might be bewildered and/or offended. Well acted, funny, raucous and challenging - and that is Smith himself in each film as Silent Bob. Talking to the modern generation.
1.The significance of the title? Silent Bob's story and the explanation to Holden? The final comic and the elaboration of the Chasing Amy story? The lost opportunity, futility, not accepting Amy because of fears? The impact of the story?
2.Kevin Smith, age and experience, New Jersey background, his writing, directing? His perceptions on his characters? On the thirty-somethings and their experiences, clashes, relationships, searching and questioning? His performance as Silent Bob and his contributing the story of Chasing Amy?
3.The New York opening, the comics' convention? The stalls, the people, the signings of the comics? The American city bars, the parks and gardens? New Jersey and the office? Homes? An authentic, realistic atmosphere?
4.The style of the musical score, its appeal to its younger audience? The range of songs used? Alyssa's song in the bar?
5.The target audience for the film? Their age and experience? Identifying with their own stories and issues and questions?
6.The world of comic books, the credits and the drawings, Holden and Banks's comic? Alyssa's? The significance of character and situation drawing in bold style and panels (and the comments on tracings)? Creating a comic-strip world? Its relationship to the real world? The ideas behind the comics, the characters? The perspective of the men, Banks and Holden? The black African? The perspective of Alyssa? The comic-strip fans and their world - with the touch of obsession and weirdness, unreality? Holden and the finale with his Chasing Amy comic and his having personal to say?
7.The men's world of comics, goodies and baddies, heroics? Work, experience, sex, relationships? The bond between Holden and Banks? Twenty years? Going to clubs, their way of talking, sex jokes, discussion of experiences, crassness? The reaction to Alyssa, the lesbian club? Their prospects, the contract for making a movie from their comic strip? The intrusion of the woman into the men's world and its consequences?
8.The convention, the fans, the criticism of Banks for being merely a tracer, the autographs? The black African and his elaborate performance, his analysis of Star Wars from a white supremacist viewpoint, Luke Skywalker as the Nazi youth, Darth Vader being exposed as white rather than black? The interruptions by Holden and Banks? The humour of the whole thing being a performance? The gun and people clearing the room, Alyssa's reaction? The introduction, Holden's immediate attraction? The invitation to come to the nightclub and Holden being over the moon? The nightclub, his not realising it was lesbian, the encounter with Alyssa, the dancing, her going to sing, her response to her girlfriend and it dawning on him what was happening? His sitting with Banks with Alyssa, the discussions? His detachment? Banks and his rapport with Alyssa, the elaborate memoirs of their sexual experiences and the body keeping the experiences especially with wounds (and the intimations with the flashbacks)? The discussion between Banks and the black African about Archie and Jughead and homosexual implications? The sequences setting up a mood, the style of conversation, the issues? Holden and his listening to the song, yet his being affected by Alyssa?
9.Holden, his background, his talk about his Catholic schooling, altar boy, the jokes? The references to classes on the Trinity? The importance of this Catholic parochial school background? His friendship with Banks for 20 years? Their working together, taking each other for granted? His manner, his attraction to Alyssa, having to cope? Realising and saying to Banks that he was in love? Alyssa and her coming to see him, their talking together, the discussion about friendship, the sequence where they were sitting in the park on the swings, Holden invited to ask her questions freely? His questions about lesbianism, standard nature of relationships, definition of sexuality? Her responses and opening up his horizons? The collage of their being together in the studio, in the parks, hanging out together? Her asking him not to go to the conference and his staying with her? In love, the sexual encounter, the effect on each? Being discovered by Banks?
10.Alyssa in herself, her background, working with the comics, singing in the club, making the date with Holden to let him know her gay orientation? The discussions with Banks and her experiences of sex? The visit to the office, her falling in love with Holden? Her changing? Holden's declaration of love to her and her resentment at not wanting to be burdened with this - but her returning and kissing him? The effect of the relationship with Holden? Her going to the lesbian group, her avoiding telling them about her relationship with Holden, their disgusted reaction and her being ostracised from the group? Her response to being told about the Finger Cuffs name in the year book and the stories? (The device of having the man who had the sexual encounter with her talking straight from screen to the audience?) Her being hurt by Holden's attitudes? Going to the hockey, Holden's interrogation and her reaction (and the man sitting next to him saying that he knew where the conversation was heading)?
11.Holden and his being affected by Banks, the information about Alyssa? His not being able to cope, his saying that he was imagining what had happened? The contrast between his declaration of love and its authenticity and her response compared with the obsession and the needling interrogation of her at the hockey? Her explanation of her behaviour to Holden, the strong explanation, the past, being experimental, not knowing, it being a phase, the times? Her not apologising but her accepting responsibility? His inability to appreciate her?
12.Banks and his reaction, his shock at seeing them on the couch, undermining Holden with the information about Finger Cuffs? His own expectations and not understanding his own reactions?
13.Holden and his disillusionment, in the cafe with Silent Bob and his friend, doing the deal with the drugs? The two and their contrasting advice, good spirit, bad spirit? Silent Bob being quiet, his friend and his callow attitude towards women, his blunt talk about sex and the reaction of the waitress (comparing with Banks and his callow attitudes and the receptionist at the company raising her eyebrows)? Silent Bob and his eventually speaking, disagreeing with his friend, telling the Chasing Amy story? Holden's reaction and learning from it?
14.The build-up to Holden's plan, getting Alyssa and Banks to the apartment? His long speech and rationale for his proposal, the declaration? His talking about Banks and his intimacy - and the kiss? Banks's reaction? The proposal and Banks agreeing? Alyssa and her deeper reaction, her revulsion at Holden's suggestion (and Banks's relief)? Holden not being able to understand, his rationalisation of wanting to get wider experience, be equal to Alyssa? Her explanation that she had gone beyond this, her being hurt by what he had asked, his assuming that she was a whore, slapping him and telling him the truth?
15.Holden's reaction, his disillusionment? Uncertainty?
16.The ending - one year later: Banks doing the comic alone, the fans coming, the seeing of Holden, the signalling, the bond between them, yet alone? Alyssa and her partner at the comics table, signing the autographs? Holden alone and bringing his comic, giving it to Alyssa to read? Their conversation, the regrets about the past? His apologies - in word and in the comic?
17.The wry ending, relationships of people in their twenties and thirties, not able to be sustained, varying stages of maturity and immaturity, regrets for lost opportunities? An exploration of issues of people in their thirties, questions and values? Mirroring life, the film with its visuals, its story, its characters, the debates in the dialogue as a challenge for its audience?
