Kevin Smith had to make Chasing Amy to save his career

Writer/director Kevin Smith says 1997’s Chasing Amy offered a shot at redemption after Mallrats flopped as a Clerks follow-up.

When Kevin Smith made Clerks, he was on top of the indie comedy scene. With that, he had some clout to get his next movie going without much of a wait. Unfortunately, it was about as well-received as a stink palm, forcing Smith back to the drawing board — or the comic book panels, returning with Chasing Amy in a go-for-broke move.

Chasing Amy still remains one of the bravest films of the 1990s, not only for its content but for how Kevin Smith used it as a way to show he still had a place in the business. As he remembers in the new documentary Chasing Chasing Amy (via People), “Clerks began my career. Mallrats killed it. So you got me needing to do something to stay in this business, or else we were out. That’s a big part of where [the movie] comes from.”

With Chasing Amy, Kevin Smith concluded what is commonly known as his Jersey Trilogy. He, too, redeemed himself and showed he could mix lowbrow humor with genuine maturity. Honestly, in a year that had films like Boogie Nights, L.A. Confidential, Good Will Hunting, Jackie Brown, and so many more, I’m not against Chasing Amy being in the conversation of the best films of 1997.

While Chasing Amy is perfect as a standalone film, Kevin Smith has gone back to the well for the first movies in the Jersey Trilogy, giving Clerks its own trilogy and trying to get a Mallrats sequel out of the food court — something that is as close as ever to happening.

Chasing Amy would end up being a critical favorite and garner a number of awards, winning two Independent Spirit Awards for Kevin Smith’s screenplay and Jason Lee’s turn as Banky. But it wouldn’t be lead Joey Lauren Adams that Smith would praise the most, saying, “And then, of course, Joey. Chasing Amy without Joey would’ve been a soulless husk, like an idea.” Adams would be nominated for the Golden Globe in the Musical or Comedy category, losing out to Helen Hunt for As Good As It Gets.

Where would you rank Chasing Amy in Kevin Smith’s filmography? Do you think he redeemed himself with that movie?