Movie Review: Chasing Amy

In CHASING AMY, Holden falls for Alyssa who doesn't share Holden's interest in a romance as she is gay. Despite this, the two grow closer and begin to look upon one another as friends. It's an alien concept to Holden that he can be friends with a woman, especially one he's not sleeping with and even more surprising for Alyssa that she feels that same way about a man. Yet, adventurous by nature, she has left herself open to finding her soul mate. Gradually their friendship turns to love, which disrupts their lives and at the same time estranges Banky from Holden.

It is a love story about two seemingly incompatible lovers. Both Alyssa and Holden are thrown curveballs: hers that she falls in love with a man, his that love cannot save him from himself.

The film further explores how two people's love for one another can alter their own perceptions about themselves. What and who we think we and others are changes all the time. Points of view, obsessions, insecurities, everything shapes our self-image. So, is she by definition gay? My gay friends say no. She couldn't fall in love with Holden if she were. OK, then what is she? Is she what she thinks she is or what Holden thinks she is, or none of the above?” Although Alyssa says she is gay, she doesn't feel constrained by her sexual orientation

The film shows situations that people go through and the lessons from making mistakes in life. Some people find themselves chasing for the perfect person their entire life, not realizing that the person for them is right in front of them. Nobody’s perfect. When we love someone, we love him as what he is including his past.

This film also looks at some love as being selfish or self-centered. There is a saying that if you love someone, sets him free. Let him do what he wants to explore for self discovery and not hold his dreams and freedom.

It looks at how perceptions alter our lives and how our irrational, though human obsessions and self-doubts seem to drive a wedge between us and those we love.