This file was generated 2003-02-20 06:06 GMT. This movie's information hasn't changed since 2001-11-27.
Kevin Smith made a name for himself with Clerks, one of the great independant success stories. Clerks was shot on a $27,000 budget, with post-production bringing the total cost to less than $250,000. Suddenly armed with credibility, he made Mallrats on a $6,100,000 budget. Mallrats was a huge flop both critically and at the box office. That didn't stop a studio from offering him a similar budget for his next movie, but they wanted casting control. Smith decided against it and made the movie with small-name talent and a tiny budget. Good thing! Chasing Amy recaptures the gritty visual feel of Clerks and has passionate performances. Somehow I can't see David Schwimmer doing as good a job as Ben Affleck.
Chasing Amy is bursting with raw energy. The story, autobiographical for Smith, is easy to believe and quite poignant. Principals Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, and Joey Lauren Adams invest tremendous amounts of themselves into their performances. The script gives them intelligent dialogue, and they live up to it.