’90s movies that didn’t age well
The 1997 rom-com Chasing Amy tells the story of Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck), a comic book artist who falls in love with fellow artist Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams). There is, however, one difficult obstacle in the way of Holden's pursuit of her: Alyssa is a lesbian. Ultimately, the pair do embark on a romantic relationship, but it's plagued with issues — specifically, Holden's insecurity in finding out he isn't the first man Alyssa has been with. Upon its release, the film was lauded for its progressive approach to sexuality and relationships, and it earned Smith an Independent Spirit Award for his screenplay.
But Chasing Amy isn't without its flaws. The film has come under fire for perpetuating an idea that a woman who identifies as a lesbian just needs to find the right man in order to go straight, and that if a guy tries hard enough, he can convince any woman to fall in love with him, regardless of her sexual preference. In an interview with BuzzFeed News, Guinevere Turner, the real-life inspiration for Alyssa's character, noted that she understands the aversion newer audiences might have toward the film, but she defends it for being one of the first to portray a lesbian character with "a complicated sexuality." Probably the biggest fault with Chasing Amy, then, isn't that Alyssa falls for Holden ... it's that the film sort of maintains the idea that there are only two sexualities, when sexuality is often much more fluid.
Gloss