Chasing Amy (R, 1997)

Holden and his business partner and childhood friend Banky Edwards (Jason Lee) are enjoying the success of their comic Bluntman and Chronic when Holden falls head over heels for fellow comic artist Alyssa. Faced with the information that Alyssa prefers women, Holden remains undeterred, and the pair forms a close friendship that ultimately crosses the line between platonic and romantic.

CHASING AMY is an age old story: boy meets girl, boy falls head over heels for girl, boy discovers girl has no interest in him. In this case, the twist is that Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams) is a lesbian. Although smart for its time, the movie has not aged particularly well, and subsequent films from other directors have dealt more intelligently with the often blurry boundaries of sexual identity. This film deals with adult themes that should definitely be taken into consideration before allowing kids to view it.

Director Kevin Smith's atypical romantic comedy follows the relationship between Holden and Alyssa, while also entertaining an interesting discussion about the ostensibly straight male friendship between Holden and Banky. The movie is part of Smith's series of films focusing on characters living in New Jersey, but is definitely not his sharpest work. The acting is overall fine, but Adams' performance as Alyssa often makes her seem weepy and weak.