Chasing Amy

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Chasing Amy

R

1997

1h 51m

Romance

Comedy

LGBTQ+

Drama

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Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

83 Reviews

83%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Holden and Banky are best friends and authors of a popular comic book. Holden falls in love with Alyssa, who happens to be a lesbian. Holden's relationship with Alyssa strains his life-long friendship with Banky, and soon the relationship between Holden and Alyssa has problems when he cannot deal with her past.

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Critics Consensus

Although Chasing Amy's depiction of queer sexuality is frustratingly clumsy, it handles an array of thorny themes with a mixture of sensitivity, raw honesty, and writer-director Kevin Smith's signature raunchy humor.

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Steven Rea

Philadelphia Inquirer

Feb 7, 2014

3.5/4

With their matching hipster goatees and deadpan cynicism, Affleck and Lee evince the easy rapport of old buds.

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Paul Tatara

CNN.com

Feb 7, 2014

There is a lot of frank conversation about the technical aspects of sex between women, but Holden and Banky are written more like sniggering eighth graders than inquisitive adults.

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Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

Feb 7, 2014

As in Smith's debut film, Clerks, there's something about the scruffy Chasing Amy that breaks through the pretenses of more conventional movies.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Jan 14, 2023

3/4

...a typically verbose endeavor that grows more and more involving as it progresses...

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Cathay Che

The Advocate

Apr 5, 2022

Chasing Amy is just like my kid brother -- alternately adorable and exasperating and full of cocky witticisms about life with very little experience to back them up.

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Mark J. Huisman

The Advocate

Apr 5, 2022

With some wonderful jabs at gender and racial stereotypes, Chasing Amy eschews political correctness to explore sexual identity with more thoughtfulness than we’ve seen before, at least from a filmmaker who happens to be a 26-year-old straight guy.

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Mark W

@RT34561273 Jul 26, 2026

Not a comedy. There were no laughs. A sexual drama with more dialog than anything. Could have been a 20 minute podcast segment

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Ben W

@Username618 Jun 30, 2026

Lurid. Like loo graffiti.

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Blake- N

@PBSAniDom May 10, 2026

Chasing Amy is a strong entry in the wider world connected to Jay and Silent Bob, offering a mix of comedy, drama, and honest character conflict that feels more grounded than expected from its premise. It stands out for taking its relationships seriously while still keeping a sharp sense of humor. The story centers on a male comic artist who falls in love with a lesbian, which creates tension not only in the romance itself but also in how it affects his closest friendships. That dynamic drives the emotional core of the film in an interesting way. It also highlights the writing style of Kevin Smith, blending pop culture dialogue with more personal and uncomfortable emotional beats. The conversations feel natural but often lead into deeper questions about identity, relationships, and expectations. Overall, it’s a thoughtful and sometimes messy but engaging film that works better than you might expect from its setup. I’d rate it an 8/10.

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Dre C.

@Dre302 Feb 4, 2026

A classic and one of Kevin Smith best films in my opinion. Enjoy the story and the nice performances by the cast and highly recommend watching. Nostalgia train also takes on majority of Kevin Smith early career films for me too as I grew up watching his work, so I may be biased on a lot of his early projects and a big fan but still definitely recommend to check out his filmography.

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Miki T

@Mikimightmineme Dec 28, 2025

Loved it. The dialogue was perfect.

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The Big M

@BigMovieHouse Dec 26, 2025

It's a shame this film did not lead to Joey Lauren Adams becoming a huge star. She deserved an Oscar nomination, at the very least.

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Kevin Smith

Director

Ben Affleck

Holden McNeil

Joey Lauren Adams

Alyssa Jones

Jason Lee

Banky Edwards

Dwight Ewell

Hooper LaMont

Jason Mewes

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Synopsis

Holden and Banky are best friends and authors of a popular comic book. Holden falls in love with Alyssa, who happens to be a lesbian. Holden's relationship with Alyssa strains his life-long friendship with Banky, and soon the relationship between Holden and Alyssa has problems when he cannot deal with her past.

Director: Kevin Smith
Producer: Scott Mosier
Screenwriter: Kevin Smith
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: View Askew Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Romance, Comedy, LGBTQ+, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 4, 1997, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 8, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $12.0M
Runtime: 1h 51m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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