'Amy' chases, catches success

Smith's latest meshes dick jokes, human emotion

By John Ghose
Daily Film Critic

"OK, Holden. Time for a little test: Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, a man-friendly lesbian and a man-hating lesbian are all walking down separate roads toward this four-way stop, see? Now tell me, which one gets to the intersection first?"

"I don't know, Banky. I'm gonna guess the man-hating lesbian."

"Right. Know why?"

"No, do tell."

"Because the other three are figments of your fucking imagination!"

REVIEW
	Chasing Amy At Ann Arbor 1 & 2 and Showcase

And so we meet Banky and Holden - the crass but lovable main characters of Kevin Smith's "Chasing Amy," a hilariously naughty flick that boasts sharp humor, pensive commentary and the glorious return of Jay and Silent Bob.

"Amy," the third installment of Smith's so-called "New Jersey Trilogy" ("Clerks," "Mallrats"), is a movie that successfully meshes his trademark dick jokes with sincere human emotions. At one moment you're squirming uncomfortably next to your date, pretending not to laugh - the next moment you're holding her hand, looking into her eyes, and telling her that she completes you.

"Amy" is that rare movie that truly does justice to the cliché, "you'll laugh - you'll cry!"

In "Amy," Smith ambitiously pushes his talents beyond the trivial "hanging out" mode that defined his other movies, and he explores complex issues of identity, relationships and sexuality - specifically homophobia.

Yet Smith's approach was not at all heavy-handed. For instance, the film quickly gets rolling with Banky (a brilliant Jason Lee) swapping oral sex war-stories with the seductive Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams), a lesbian artist he and Holden (Ben Affleck) have just met at the comic book convention they're attending.

Holden, who is disappointed by Alyssa's sexual orientation, eventually befriends the beautiful charmer, and the two develop a relationship that cautiously develops into romantic love.

Banky becomes frustrated and jealous at the thought of losing his lifelong friend to a converted lesbian and conflict erupts on various levels. The conflict deepens when a jealous Banky asks Holden why Alyssa, who claims that Holden is the only man she's ever slept with, was called "fingercuffs" in high school.

Still, in-between his lesbo jokes and "fingercuffs" stories, Smith raises some intriguing questions on and off the screen.

"Chasing Amy" possesses a genuine authenticity, an honest feeling of trust that is probably a result of Smith's personal attachment to this film - Smith met Adams on the set of "Mallrats"; he has been dating her for more than two years; and he based "Amy"'s script on his tumultuous relationship with her.

So, not only is "Amy"'s male lead based on the director, but the female lead (Adams) is, in essence, playing herself. It's no wonder that Adams plays her part with such honesty. But to her credit, it was probably very difficult to play such a deeply personal role - a role from which she had little professional distance.

The other cast members are wonderful, as well. Jason Lee, formerly a world-class skateboard champion, plays the homophobic Banky with deft cynicism, sardonic wit and perfect comic timing. Ben Affleck is solid, too, and even the film's music, done by Soul Asylum's Dave Pirner, rocks.

But it's Smith's uncanny understanding of colloquial language that allows these actors to succeed. "Amy"'s production, through indie studio Miramax, cost $250,000, proving that a screenwriter can succeed with "mere" language. Like life, Smith's tale revolves around people and their conversations, and it thrives because of it.

"Chasing Amy" does not have artistic or visual profundity, or a cross-cultural, universal appeal. It is not well-polished (Smith's lax editing techniques are reminiscent of a poet who grows so attached to his work, he refuses to revise) and it does periodically lapse into cheeseville - but all these shortcomings are irrelevant because Smith's film speaks to us - we walk away changed. His film is endearing, frustrating, disturbing and - let's not lose our focus - funny as hell.

Holden (Ben Affleck) falls for Alyssa "Fingercuffs" Jones (Joey Lauren Adams), a lesbian artist in "Chasing Amy."

Dwight Ewell, Ben Affleck and Jason Lee star in Smith's latest, "Chasing Amy."

04-18-97