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MovieMail's Review
Part documentary and part drama, American Splendor by Shari Berman and Robert Pulcini chronicles the life of underground comic-strip writer Harvey Pekar, brilliantly played by Paul Giamatti. Pekar's American Splendor comic book series ushered in a new era of comics, focusing on the events of day to day life, rather than the exploits of superheroes. The film alternates between showing the real Harvey Pekar and his wife Joyce Brabner and the fictional couple played by Giamatti and Hope Davis, navigating between the real and the dramatized so skillfully that you hardly notice. Pekar is the essential anti-hero, the curmudgeon who has an attitude and does not hesitate to spread it toward anyone in close proximity.
The comics demand that Harvey pay close attention to each moment and he has a good deal of material readily available to him with friend and co-worker Toby Ratliff (Judah Friedlander), a proud nerd who drives from Cleveland to Toledo just to see Revenge of the Nerds. As the American Splendor comic books become more widely known and distributed, Harvey meets Joyce, a worker in a Delaware comic shop and the two lonely people begin to find solace together. When Harvey has to battle cancer, he does so with courage and turns his experiences into a comic book called Our Cancer Year. The real Harvey, who gave his blessing to the film, was a file clerk in a Cleveland Hospital and, in spite of the fame that resulted from the exposure on David Letterman and the success of the comic books, was never able to quit his job until his recent retirement. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, American Splendor is a delightfully innovative film that will leave you with a broad smile on your face.
Audio commentaries with directors and cast "Harvey Meets BBC Collective" interview with Harvey Pekar
Sundance Channel's "Road To Splendor" featurette Deleted scenes
Trailers
Film Description
A 'fictionalised documentary', that sardonically captures the eclectic life of its subject - the comic book writer Harvey Pekar. Weaving genuine archive footage of Pekar through a tapestry of visual and narrative styles, the film confidently juxtaposes fantasy with reality to create a uniquely revealing biopic.
Harvey Pekar is a grouch and a curmudgeon - a file clerk at a hospital in the depressed rust-belt town of Cleveland, with two failed marr... more >
Who is Harvey Pekar?
Harvey Pekar is a grouch and a curmudgeon - a file clerk at a hospital in the depressed rust-belt town of Cleveland, with two failed marriages and throat problem. Harvey is also the undisputed King of the autobiographical comic and the star of his very own movie American Splendor.
The comic American Splendor was born out of the new wave of underground comics in the 70’s that spawned the subversive and often perverse work of Harvey’s friend and collaborator Robert Crumb. Impressed but unsatisfied, Harvey wanted comics to become a true art form and reflect real life “like those French movies…or …like De Sica over in Italy”. In response he turned himself into a comic-book hero and created a fascinating and often hilarious excursion into the minutia of his dreary depressing existence.
The film covers much of this early ground but is more than just a comic-adaptation. It retains the tone and humour of the comic book whilst also adding new depth and even a touch of existentialism to the life of our hero. The complex structure brilliantly scrolls between footage of the real Harvey as interviewee and narrator, and dramatised scenes that are cleverly interspersed with illustrations and animations from the comic. Paul Giamitti perfectly inhabits the “other” Harvey’s slovenly hunched form. He shuffles through mundane situations with his perma-frown and raspy voice, philosophizing on the art of picking the right checkout line and how sub-standard washing up can really put a strain on a relationship.
The fantastic cast and inspired direction make spending time with a character - who should be impossible to like – an enjoyably fulfilling experience. Through the first comics and meeting his wife Joyce to his appearances as side-kick on the Letterman show it is impossible not to develop a fondness for him, especially during the moving account of his battle with cancer. Pekar is a great and honest writer with an impeccable ear for the common voice. His words fill in the thought balloons above all our heads and the film entertainingly poses the question, “Who are we?” and more importantly “Who is Harvey Pekar?”
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