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AMERICAN SPLENDOR Send This Review to a Friend
A very clever film has been concocted based on the life and comic book creation by Harvey Pekar. Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, co screenwriters and directors, have had the nerve to use the real Pekar in addition to the Pekar played with entertaining effectiveness by actor Paul Giamatti. The stamp of originality is all over this film, which at times achieves hilarity. But the trouble is that chronic complainer and curmudgeon Pekar, whether real or enacted, can become a grating character who can grow somewhat tiresome. A little Pekar goes a long way.
One delight is the performance by Hope Davis, wearing a black wig and large glasses, as Joyce Brabner, Pekar's acerbic, witty wife, a major participant in the realization of Pekar's odd career as comic book creator who chronicles aspects of his life. Pekar moved from work as a Veterans Administration file clerk to fame and, now, the subject of this inventive movie.
The scenes in which nerdy Harvey and Joyce first meet and get acquainted are uproariously funny with dialogue somewhat reminiscent of the Mike Nichols-Elaine May routines or conversation written by Woody Allen. The filmmakers also don't flinch from including the real Joyce Brabner in contrast with usual fear of mixing actors and the real people they portray and thus inviting comparisons.
"American Splendor" also has among its large cast entourage James Urbaniak as comics artist Robert Crumb, who became Pekar's inspiration and his friend. The film is an intricate one, weaving biography and incident and involving animation and a lively, extensive use of music. It emerges as a pastiche of Americana as reflected by the strange story of Pekar and his environment and there is much to enjoy even if you find Pekar irritating as well as funny. An HBO Films-Fine Line Features-Good Machine release.
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