Chasing Chasing Amy: Doc Explores How Kevin Smith’s Film Inspired LGBTQ+ Youth

By John Kirk

Rating: B+

Chasing Chasing Amy is a documentary exploring Kevin Smith’s 1997 cult dramedy film, Chasing Amy. It emerged out of a TEDtalk by its director, transgender man Sav Rodgers, who recounted its impact on him as a queer middle schooler confronting bullying, prejudice, and a lack of acceptance.

The film is an exploration, a combination of fan worship, curiosity, and surprising insight into the making of Chasing Amy as well as its significance to the LGBTQ+ community and even to the cast and Smith himself. In a haphazard but honest way, Rodgers brings a new appreciation to the film.

There’s a level of bravery inherent here that can’t be overlooked. Before watching the film, I’d recommend watching Rodgers’ TEDtalk as it provides important context. Rodgers ultimately sees the film as positive and encouraging and though it received criticism from the community it was representing, it still found ground with Rodgers, enough to ask questions of Smith in a language he understands: filmmaking.

But there is a great deal of fan service. As a massive Kevin Smith fan myself, I can forgive this, but sometimes, this gets in the way. After all, Smith was a big deal in the 90s, difficult to ignore as his independent films gave voice to a generation that was to figuring itself out as it left school and entered the workforce.

Issues like sexual identity were still rudimentary topics in pop culture yet their acknowledgement in films like Chasing Amy were at least a start. Being of a generation that understood the viewpoint of the time, to me it was a film that rendered one I could accept as it was contemporary when released.

In hindsight, Smith’s treatment of LGBTQ issues in the film was clumsy. Even Smith acknowledges this, but it started people thinking about these topics, namely people like Rodgers who were genuinely struggling with how to view themselves within a broader societal context.

Rodgers points out that the film presented queer-identifying characters as independent, strong and good role models who knew themselves and were unashamed of who they were. This is the value that gave Rodgers comfort during that awkward and painful stage of self-discovery and is an honest reason for making the film.

Interviews with Smith and his star Joey Lauren Adams are high points. Rodgers asks honest questions and his subjects are honest in their responses. Smith reveals his insecurity about the film and how it was received. He remarks that while Clerks started his career, he felt that Chasing Amy ended it.

He expressed gratitude that it helped Rodgers in a difficult time. But this honesty highlights his apparent good character and his support for a fellow filmmaker at the start of a career. Humility and gratitude come out in this segment, which gives us some insight into the making of the film.

The interview with Adams is similarly striking, but her responses feel like a confession. Recounting the difficulty she experienced not only in playing a lesbian but being taken seriously as a performer as she and Smith were romantically involved at the time.

Also looming in the background was the spectre of Harvey Weinstein as Miramax was the distributor of Smith’s films. Adams recounts how watching Smith interact with him was repulsive. In fact, this film, even though she played the leading role and was nominated for a Golden Globe, does not bring back good memories for Adams.

The flow of the film does suffer from the intense examination of the filmmaker’s personal life. While Rodgers’ background is important to know as context, it’s not essential to know everything about life afterward. The exception is his transition in the making of the film; that’s important to know for the sake of identity, but also knowing about his fiancée and their relationship is a bit distracting.

Still, I’m pretty sure Kevin Smith is proud of this film, and that’s high praise for Rodgers.

Chasing Chasing Amy. Directed by Sav Rodgers. With Kevin Smith and Joey Lauren Adams. In select theatres November 1.