History Film / ChasingAmy

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Jay suggests Holden indulge in "the band of the hand" to qualm his romantic frustrations, but Holden refuses because "he's in love." Banky prefers his stack of pornographic magazines as whacking material.

* ThreeWaySex: A major plot point involving [[spoiler: Alyssa's past]]. Holden even suggests this as a means to try to fix things between his broken relationships with both [[spoiler: Alyssa and Banky]] but it doesn't go well as he'd expect.

** As Holden has dinner with Alyssa (just before his love confession in the rain), the song "Puppy Love" by Barbara lewis appropriately plays out:

-->'''Banky:''' What?
-->'''Holden:''' That's rude?
-->'''Banky:''' Man, when am I ever going to get to see this kind of shit live without paying for it?
-->'''Holden:''' ''(sees Alyssa and her woman giving Banky [[DeathGlare a look]])'' Sorry, he's new to this whole thing.
-->'''Banky:''' ''(to Alyssa)'' Since you like chicks, right, do you just look at yourself naked in the mirror all the time?

* ClosetKey: Inverted example. [[spoiler: Holden is one for Alyssa, a lesbian who didn't realize she was capable of finding love with a man, let alone any man, until she met Holden. When the truth about her closeted bisexuality and past promiscuity comes out, Alyssa tells Holden that he is this to her during their fight.]]

%%* BeQuietNudge: Holden does this to Banky a lot.

* BigApplesauce: The film is set in New York City (which also makes it the first film in Film/TheViewAskewniverse not to be set in New Jersey).

** The 'sweet' part gets upgraded later on, evidence by the ''Film/JayAndSilentBobReboot'': [[spoiler: Holden and Alyssa didn't get back together, but they did conceive (probably through artificial insemination) and later co-parent an adorable little girl named Amy.]]

* AdvertisedExtra: Some posters for the movie feature Jay and Silent Bob seemingly on the same level as Holden and Banky, despite them only appearing in one scene.

* ArmorPiercingSlap: Alyssa delivers one to Holden [[spoiler: after he suggests that he, Alyssa and Banky should all have a threesome together to resolve their conflicts only because Holden thinks so.]]
-->'''Alyssa:''' I love you, I always will. Know that.[[spoiler: ''(slaps him)'' But I am '''not''' your fucking whore.]]

* WrongGenreSavvy: Honden's AnguishedDeclarationOfLove is full of the kind of flowery PurpleProse one might hear in a typical romantic comedy. Alyssa finds it more insulting than endearing. [[spoiler:Her decision to go back to Holden after chewing him out is entirely her own]].

* RapeAndSwitch: Discussed. Banky's half-joking believe to Holden that lesbians just "need a good dicking" comes off as this.

* {{Novelisation}}: In Japan, the screenplay was adapted into a novel by Kenichi Eguchi and published by Aoyama Publishing. The unique concept of the book is that it is roughly half-novel, half-manga, with Moyoko Anno providing the art for the comic book pages. In an episode of ''SModcast'', Smith revealed that while he was thrilled to have a manga based on his film, he was shocked when he read the novelization, as the characters' sexual histories, which are just mentioned in conversation in the film, are depicted in the novel's manga illustrations as sexually graphic flashbacks.

* BiWildered: The plot involves Alyssa, who identifies as a lesbian then begins dating a man, and soon becomes confused and angsty about it. She gets flack from her lesbian friends ''and'' her boyfriend when he learns about her wild past with other men. The word bisexual however is not used, but Alyssa does seem to be a bi or pansexual women who prefers same-sex relationships.

* BiWildered: The plot involves the title character, who identifies as a lesbian then begins dating a man, and soon becomes confused and angsty about it. She gets flack from her lesbian friends ''and'' her boyfriend when he learns about her wild past with other men. The word bisexual however is not used, but Amy does seem to be a bi or pansexual women who prefers same-sex relationships.

* AngryBlackMan: Parodied by Hooper, who pretends to be an AngryBlackMan to sell comics but is actually CampGay. Also {{deconstructed}}, to some degree. It's definitely hinted that some of the rage he exhibits is real, but cloaked in irony. He also strongly hits at anger towards both racism from white people and homophobia from black people. [[Film/{{Shaft}} He's a complicated man]].

* CampGay: Hooper X, who puts on a public facade of being an aggressively-militant AngryBlackMan, but is actually this behind closed doors.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: In-universe example; Hooper insists to Banky that ComicBook/{{Archie|Comics}} and Jughead are gay lovers, while Banky insists to Hooper that Archie was "all about pussy". Later, Hooper and Banky argue about whether or not Archie was hooking up with Mr. Weatherbee.
** Doubles as {{Foreshadowing}}: [[spoiler: Banky is very much Holden's Jughead.]]
** Hooper's Franchise/StarWars rant is all about this, as well.

* QueerEstablishingMoment: After performing some karaoke in the bar, Alyssa points at the crowd and Holden is flattered, thinking he is pointing to her. It's quickly established that Alyssa is a lesbian when she and another woman Kim kiss, police klaks go off, club music starts playing and Banky notices that they're surrounded by women in the bar. Butch women. And Banky puts all the pieces together while Holden looks on in shock.

** Alyssa [[spoiler: may be a closet bisexual/pansexual but still insists on being considered a lesbian by her friends and eventual lover Holden. Possibly due to some UnfortunateImplications in the 90's that being considered a bisexual/pansexual was worse and more controversial than being just a lesbian]] (her friends react badly to her saying she's dating a man).

* BastardBoyfriend: Holden slowly becomes one of these in the second half of the movie due to [[spoiler: his insecurities over her promiscuous past, starting with him {{slut shaming}} her in public and then trying to talk her into a three-way.]]

* TwoferTokenMinority:
** The titular Amy (Alyssa Jones), who is a queer woman (initially identified as lesbian, though probably [[spoiler:bisexual or pansexual]]). Her girlfriend and lesbian friends are more minor examples.
** Hooper X, a gay black comic writer posing as an angry [[MalcolmXerox black militant]] to sell more comics.

** As [[spoiler: Holden learns from his experience with Alyssa]], "In the end. what she taught me was simple. In love...you have to put the individual ahead of their actions. Always".]]

* QueerEstablishingMoment: After performing some karaoke in the bar, Alyssa points aT the crowd and Holden is flattered, thinking he is pointing to her. It's quickly established that Alyssa is a lesbian when she and another woman Kim kiss, police klaks go off, club music starts playing and Banky notices that they're surrounded by women in the bar. Butch women. And Banky puts all the pieces together while Holden looks on in shock.

* JustTrainWrong: In Red Bank, there is no train station that has more than two tracks (the NJ Transit Coast Line train has only two platforms, north bound to NY Penn Station and south bound to Long Branch; which at the time of the film you had to switch from LB to a separate diesel train to head further south towards Bay Head).

** [[spoiler:Everyone's able to move on with their lives and Holden in particular becomes a better person in the end, but neither his relationship with Alyssa nor his friendship with Banky survive. However, Banky and Holden do have a brief, silent reunion and it's very apparent how happy they are to see each other. Banky even wordlessly encourages Holden to go talk to Alyssa who's nearby.]]

** Deconstructed between Holden and Banky, [[spoiler:as Banky is eventually revealed to be in love with him.]]

Noted for its frank dialogue, ''Chasing Amy'' explores concepts of sexuality and love, and how you can't necessarily just turn off your feelings and the social pressure over unusual pairings. It was generally well-received, winning two awards at the 1998 Independent Spirit Awards (Best Screenplay for Smith and Best Supporting Actor for Jason Lee). Joey Lauren Adams was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical. It's also Kevin Smith's only movie to be released as part of Creator/TheCriterionCollection. There's even been speculation for years that it was a nose away from receiving an ''[[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]]'' nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

* LipstickLesbian: Alyssa is revealed to be one, with a more feminine style and appearance in comparison to her lover Kim in the lesbian bar. Later, however, she is shown to be a lipstick bisexual/pansexual.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Everyone's able to move on with their lives and Holden in particular becomes a better person in the end, but neither his relationship with Alyssa nor his friendship with Banky survive. However, Banky and Holden do have a brief, silent reunion and it's very apparent how happy they are to see each other. Banky even wordlessly encourages Holden to go talk to Alyssa who's nearby.]]

* ButchLesbian: Alyssa's lover Kim and several other women in the lesbian bar look and dress like this.