‘The Biggest Blowback’: Kevin Smith Says He Was Dissapointed When Ellen DeGeneres Walked Out Of The Screening Of His Lesbian Comedy Film

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As a die-hard fan of Kevin Smith and his groundbreaking works, I can’t help but be captivated by the intriguing tale that unfolds when we delve into the making and aftermath of “Chasing Amy.” The movie, released way back in 1997, was a revolutionary piece that tackled themes seldom seen on screen at the time – love, identity, and acceptance within the LGBTQ+ community.

1997 saw Kevin Smith acting in the movie “Chasing Amy,” a significant work within the LGBTQ+ community. He extended an invitation to Ellen DeGeneres, known as “the world’s most famous lesbian,” for its premiere. Regrettably, she left during the screening itself. This event was reminisced by Smith in the recent documentary “Chasing Chasing Amy” by director Sav Rodgers.

In a different phrasing, the actor stated he received significant criticism after discovering that the ex-talk show host and her partner Anne Heche attended but left early from the premiere. Smith further commented, “Given that she is one of the most recognized lesbians in the world, we felt we had lost a chance to appear on The Ellen Show.

It’s understandable that they had reservations given that DeGeneres was generating news for announcing her sexuality the same year Chasing Amy came out. The movie showcases Ben Affleck as Holden McNeil, a comic book creator who finds himself in love with Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams), another comic book writer.

Although Alyssa identifies as a lesbian, she returns Holden’s affections, but their relationship takes a turn for the worse when he discovers that she has been involved with men before him. In retrospect, the movie, released in the late 90s, contained several inappropriate and questionable humor.

Through Holden’s perspective, the narrative showcased blunt language from characters such as the prejudiced character played by Jason Lee (Banky). In the recently released documentary, Smith reflects on the movie’s contentious history and acknowledges that individuals from the community portrayed might still find the film problematic today.

Indeed. Over the course of two decades, I’ve grown accustomed to that response. By the very first week, I had adapted to it. There were some individuals who expressed displeasure, but… moving past criticism, this film is one of my most cherished productions, boasting an impressive 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie significantly helped propel Smith’s acting career at that point in time. In his own words, “I needed to keep going in this industry or risk losing everything. A significant portion of [Chasing Amy] was born out of that necessity,” he explained.

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2024-12-18 01:22