Ben Affleck plays Holden, a successful artist who--along with potty-mouthed pal Banky (Jason Lee)--cranks out the wildly popular comic book Bluntman and Chronic. One fateful day, our sensitive hero meets struggling underground comic artist Alyssa Jones (played in full-on fetching mode by Joey Lauren Adams) and falls head over hightops in love. No romantic comedy can proceed without the proper hurdles to overcome, of course, and Chasing Amy gives us a doozy that even Carl Lewis couldn't clear. It seems that Ms. Jones is a lesbian. Normally that would put the brakes on any sort of relationship, but Alyssa and Holden really do make a great couple. They have so much in common that they cannot not be together. Naturally, Alyssa's lesbian friends don't take kindly to her growing friendship with Holden. Naturally, Holden's lifelong pal Banky feels slighted because of Holden's waning attention. Naturally, one thing leads to another and Holden and Alyssa do the deed.

Chasing Amy is, above all, an examination of modern sexual politics. "Why can't we love whoever we want?" is the question most often raised. Once upon a time, we Americans were forced to adhere to antiquated notions of gender and sexual preference. Homosexuality was just plain wrong. Now we seem to be caught in an even more complex trap. Are the labels "gay" and "lesbian" any less confining than the label "straight?" Is a woman who prefers to sleep with women "betraying" her sexuality if she sleeps with a man? These are the issues that Chasing Amy raises. Not only does it raise these issues, it confronts them, hashes them out and beats its brains in trying to deal with them.

Affleck and especially Adams inject a fierce emotional reality into their characters. One scene in particular in which Alyssa confronts her checkered past in the rain outside a hockey rink is a bruiser. This isn't one of those happy, fatuous tales of boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl. Kevin Smith knows he's treading on touchy territory here. Smith at least has the courage to toss our two main characters together and let them deal with the emotional after effects, good or bad.

Keep in mind, of course, that this is a Kevin Smith film. Aside from the surprisingly raw-boned emotions, there is plenty of gut-busting rude boy comedy. As a writer, Smith has always been a sharp observer of the wit and the fool in all of us. His backdrop--that of today's flourishing underground comic industry--gives Smith plenty of room to vent about his favorite obsession. Anyone who knows comic books will know how creepily accurate his version of this world is. Co-star Dwight Ewell makes an especially lasting impression as a gay comic book artist masquerading as a militant tough guy. Of course, the ever-present Jay and Silent Bob make their trademark appearance.

Chasing Amy is funny, emotional and manages to touch on some very real social nerves. The film marks a new era for its maker. Smith has gone from a loud-mouthed, dirty-minded slacker to a loud-mouthed, dirty-minded slacker with heart.