Chasing Chasing Amy (2023)
A poignant journey through '90s cinema shaping queer identity; ideal for fans of heartfelt, transformative LGBTQ+ stories.
Genres: Documentary, Romance
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Chasing Chasing Amy(2023)
Overview
A documentary looks at how a beloved ’90s romantic comedy shaped one kid’s coming-of-age in Kansas and became a lifeline while grappling with queer identity. Revisiting the movie and its making as a touchstone in LGBTQ+ cinema, the filmmaker reflects on what it meant then—and what it means now.
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Review Summary
Pros: heartfelt personal journey; thoughtful LGBTQ+ context; polished and engaging | Cons: very personal focus; less about the film; some perspectives feel odd
Will You Like This?
You’ll likely enjoy this if you like personal, reflective LGBTQ+ documentaries about media’s impact, similar to Visible: Out on Television; Not for you if you want a strictly film-history deep dive or prefer less intimate storytelling.
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Full Cast & CrewFeatured Comments/Tips
I was a little concerned at the start because Sav clearly gets in over his head during the making of this documentary and it starts out as some sort of fanboy scavenger hunt of film locations and celeb stargazing. It starts to come together, especially with the Joey Lauren Adam’s interview which is just heartbreaking and raw. By the the end the fact that Sav has bitten off more than he can chew becomes part of his growth and really makes it all come together, so it works. Sidenote: It’s interesting to hear some of the shallow Chasing Amy criticisms in this doc as if the film itself doesn’t address them, one critic even has to mention that some moments are accidentally well done, which is pretty reductive. Obviously the movie warrants some discussion and analysis but some of this stuff was pretty hollow or by the numbers without any real passion.
Featured User Reviews
Kind of an odd one, in the sense that it is less about the film, _Chasing Amy_ (1997), itself, and more about the producer of the documentary. I'm a big fan of Kevin Smith's films, however, _Chasing Amy_ has never been a favorite for me. That being said, I thought this would be worth a watch, just to gain some insight into the work of Smith. Were there some moments that gave me a deeper appreciation for _Chasing Amy_? Sure. Ultimately, I think the real issue here is that the documentary feels far too personal, as if I'm watching a private moment that just happened to be captured for anyone to see. I suppose I could recommend this to those who are huge fans of _Chasing Amy_, in particular. Maybe. You might have a different takeaway than I had. What felt very odd to me was the "critical" perspective from some of the interviewees. Unless you've already watched this, it's difficult to describe what I'm talking about other than double think. This is well made, just too personal for me to care about. Ergo, I can't give it more than a 5/10. If I were to use the Hard Cut rainbow scale, it would get a 5/5, for sure. If nothing else, it made me want to find the film _Go Fish_ (1994). Looks really '90s cool.
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