The Kevin Smith Collection on Blu-ray

If you were an alternative young person in the ‘90s, chances are you may have identified yourself as a Kevin Smith fan at one time or another. Neither time nor Jersey Girl has tarnished the shine on his first feature feat, Clerks, which long ago cemented its place in indie film history and the hearts of anyone who ever worked mind-numbing retail.

More polarizing was his third film, Chasing Amy, which marked a return to small budgets and largely yet-unknown actors after the theatrical flop of Mallrats.

The story of an insecure man-boy falling for a vastly more experienced lesbian and the growing pains it causes with his best male friend broke new ground. It spoke explicitly and hilariously about sex (gay and straight), presented morally modern characters and romance, and didn't ignore the homoerotic subtext of true bromance -- nor exploit it as recent films have. The characters in Chasing Amy loved and lost and made mistakes -- it was a true "touchy-feely" film, as Smith admits he probably always wanted to make. The significance of the film is explored in several special features on the newly released Blu-ray Kevin Smith Collection boxed set.

The touching and fascinating documentary, Tracing Amy, affords the key players the opportunity to shed light on the deeply personal process that created the unique romantic comedy. All involved discuss director-writer Smith's real-life romance with lead Joey Lauren Adams, the sheer brilliance of a young Jason Lee (Almost Famous, My Name Is Earl), and the minuscule budget that nearly drove producer Scott Mosier over the edge.

Ben Affleck also admits he wishes he'd gone stronger for his gay kiss with Lee in the film's tense climax.

Equally intriguing for any indie film fan are the behind-the-scenes details that surrounded Chasing Amy's victorious standing ovation at a then-uncorrupted Sundance Film Festival and the career-changing events that followed, including negotiating Dogma's production with a Weinstein Brothers-run Miramax ... minus key members of the View Askewneverse.

Another special feature is a Q&A with the cast of Chasing Amy, reunited for the 10th anniversary. Favorite character Hooper X, a militant black gay comic book artist played delightfully by Dwight Ewell, was on hand to recount his favorite scenes.

Though some LGBT people disapprove of Smith’s representation of gays and lesbians, he writes characters that are realistically complex, included, and respectably comfortable in the universe he's created for his films. Smith has said in the past he's mindful to include gay characters in his work because after his brother came out to him, he realized how alienating it must have been for his brother not to see his identity reflected in film and TV.

Smith elaborates on his connection to LGBT characters throughout the special features, and he regularly voices his support for equality, whether it’s during his live Q&A tour performances or in tweets to his nearly 1.5 million Twitter followers.

Included with Clerks and Chasing Amy (both on Blu-ray for the first time) is the Blu-ray edition of the Hollywood cameo-heavy romp Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. The films are available individually or in a boxed set beginning November 17.

Tell us: Did you identify with Clerks when it came out? Do you find Chasing Amy offensive or poignant and honest? What did you think of the LGBT characters: closeted Banky (Jason Lee), Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams), and Hooper (Dwight Ewell)?

Additional images of stars courtesy of Getty