Chasing Chasing Amy explores the complexity of queerness in America

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In his feature film debut, writer-director Sav Rodgers, a queer kid who grew up in Kansas, helms this documentary that explores the complicated legacy of auteur Kevin Smith’s 1997 comedy Chasing Amy, about a straight guy who falls for a lesbian. Rodgers was inspired by the film growing up, but as he begins to explore how other members of the LGBTQ-plus community view the film, he discovers that not everyone experienced the story the way he did. (105-min.)

Glen I had an idea about what this film was going to explore going into it, but I have to say, I’m pleasantly surprised at how much deeper and more complex it became. By the end of it, I understood better how Kevin Smith writes his screenplays, about he and Joey Lauren Adams’ romantic relationship when they were filming Chasing Amy, about Adams’ experiences with the male-dominated film industry, about Harvey Weinstein and the genesis of the #MeToo movement, and about Smith’s personal growth through the creation of his film. It also drove home how challenging it is to navigate being a young queer person. I also wasn’t expecting Chasing Chasing Amy to be a love story between its director Sav Rodgers and his eventual wife, Riley, a self-described lesbian who he began dating when he still identified as a queer woman and who stood with him through his transition to a trans man. There’s a lot going on here, and it’s emotionally resonant and thoroughly honest and heartfelt throughout. This is a compelling documentary.

Anna Rodgers’ journey to make a documentary about his relationship with Chasing Amy is about a young person grasping for identity and understanding. Art that we cling to when we’re forming who we are and who we’ll become has a certain importance, an elevation to a place in our minds that isn’t necessarily grounded in reality. It’s surprisingly moving to watch as Rodgers journeys into a new relationship with the film and learns to make space for the sometimes unkind truth about the things we hold so dear. In the interview with Adams, she breaks down in a very real and raw way about what the reality of Hollywood was and is to young actresses trying to make it in the business. The smiling starlet on the screen was not the bubbly, carefree woman on late night talk shows. She was forced to put on a show in hopes of pleasing the men who could inevitably make or break her career. This documentary snuck up on me. I didn’t know what to expect, and I’m really impressed with Rodgers’ ability to create and craft a raw, affecting story on screen.

Glen I think one of the things that makes the film so effective is Rodgers’ gift of accepting how the film morphs before his very eyes. He set out to show why Chasing Amy was such a seminal film for a queer kid from Kansas, but in the years he worked on his documentary, he allowed it to become an organic, living creation. He accepted the changing story just like how he hopes the world can accept his changing story.

Anna The film includes interviews with queer film experts and critics to help the audience understand where Chasing Amy fits into the zeitgeist of queer film, how it represents (or doesn’t represent) the marginalized group, and the trappings that go along with a straight man writing and directing a queer storyline. It’s a love story to Rodgers’ wife and to his love of film. Tender and also informative, Chasing Chasing Amy is absolutely worth the price of admission. Δ

Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Split Screen. Glen compiles listings. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.

This article appears in Nov 7-17, 2024.