American Splendor (2003)

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

It is a performances centric movie

Excellent, a Must See

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

A fanciful mixture of comic strip art and ordinary film becomes a dazzling eye-opener. This was a completely off-the-wall discovery viewed at the 2003 Karlovy Vary film festival. Not in competition because it was awarded elsewhere (Sundance, Cannes), nevertheless one of the best films seen here, was, "AMERICAN SPLENDOR" by a "mom and pop team" from Cleveland, Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini. This is a totally unique film that is part Underground Comic book come to life and, at the same time a hyper realistic study of the American Nightmare as seen through the eyes of an incurably pessimistic Comic strip writer, Harvey Pekar and his brilliantly batty wife from Delaware -- part hilarious spoof of the games people play, part something else. As a social comedy with serious overtones, this film out-Woody-Allens Woody Allen by a Cleveland country mile, and the acting of the main actors, Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis, is so down to the bone that it literally looks like they're living the parts. The film changes pace and slows down considerably in the last section, but is still an overwhelming masterpiece for at least two thirds of the way, not to mention a Homage to American Nerdhood and the unmistakably American art of Underground Comics most innovative visual Maestro Robert Crumb.

Paul Giamatti is once again phenomenal in the role of outsider Harvey Pekar. Though I knew only of Pekar through the some of the work of Robert Crumb and a TV-program about the Cannes film festival in which this film is promoted by the Pekars themselves, but he is an instantly sympathetic 'grouch' and his story is perfect for the screen, as Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini deftly prove.The art design for the film is obvious, but nonetheless brilliant and the tone of things is of course deliciously sarcastic and / or cynical, but also endearing and sentimental in the right way. The parts of real life television from the David Letterman Show, the parts of Toby and Crumb, the real Pekars appearing in their own framework and the atmospheric soundtrack are other delightful ingredients. Finally, I must mention Hope Davis, a great actress in many a movie; she is as crucial as Giamatti to the whole.One of my all time favorite movies; 10+ out of 10.

In American Splendor, the theme is on the character with a focus on the plot. The main character is Harvey Pekar. He works as a file clerk at the VA Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. His third wife, Joyce, is a minor main character. The real Harvey Pekar does voice overs and makes occasional appearances throughout the movie.This is a real life film about Harvey. The events of his life start at around age 10 when he is shown trick or treating with his friends. Everyone is in costume except Harvey. The person handing out candy at one house asks what character Harvey is dressed as. Well, Harvey is dressed as himself. This is character enough. The movie tells the story of how Harvey started his own comic book series. He decided to write comic sequences illustrating his everyday, mundane life. In an early scene, we see Harvey coming home after a doctor visit and finds his second wife packing up to leave him. At this point, things in Harvey's life start to really go down hill.After this, he finds himself dateless and lonely. And, it's no wonder. Harvey is so frumpy looking and walks around with his head down and shoulders bent as though he has a big chip on his shoulders.One day, Harvey is at a yard sale looking for that quarter priced bargain. He runs into a friend that introduces him to a well known comic book writer, Robert Crumb. Robert and Harvey become fast friends and start hanging out together, listening to music, with Harvey reading and Robert drawing characters for his comics.After a few scenes, Harvey is at the grocery store and is waiting in line to check out. He is held up by a lady who is arguing with the store manager over a price of one of her items. This is when Harvey gets his brilliant idea to write comics about his everyday life. Of course, the characters he draws are all stick figures. Because Harvey can't draw, he'll need to find someone to do this for him.We then see Harvey at home, working all night on this idea of his. Morning comes and it's time to go to work. He decides to take the material he has been working on with him so he can get the opinions of his coworkers. They all agree what Harvey has created is good. He then takes his work to his comic book friend, Robert, who also approves of Harvey's writing. Robert takes the material to have it published.Harvey then meets a girl, Joyce, a comic book enthusiast who works at a comic book store on the east coast. She can't find Harvey's latest issue so she decides to write him a letter to request a copy of his latest edition. Harvey calls her and they begin a telephone relationship. Joyce decides to visit Harvey. She moves in with him and they get married.Everything that portrays Harvey is depressing. The lighting and lack of color contribute to this depressed feeling that Harvey has. It's like a dark cloud follows him wherever he goes. In fact, Harvey is a very depressing person. It's written all over him. Everything is dull and drab. His clothes, apartment and even the areas of town he walks around in are colorless.Something else that contributes to Harvey's character is the repetitive idea of how things don't seem to go his way. He feels things should happen without any effort on his part. We see this idea repeated in several scenes where Harvey is walking around in a depressing part of town with his hands in his pockets and a scowl on his face. His apartment is depressing with junk, books and dirty dishes laying all around. And, we see Harvey always laying around, listening to music and reading. To me, these scenes convey how Harvey looks and feels about life, his life.His wife, Joyce, is depressing, too. She never smiles, nor does she show much expression. Even Joyce lays around in bed all day. So, we see this depressing pattern throughout the movie.Another movie I've seen that's based on the character is Citizen Kane. We watch how Charles Foster Kane, the main character, builds his newspaper empire. In American Splendor, we see how Harvey builds his comic book business. Although Harvey's business isn't what you would call an empire, it is something he has created. Both movies are built on the character's life.I like movies where the theme is about a person and their life. Especially, when it's a true story. It's very interesting to see the lives of others and watch how they grow into the person they are. Even though the title of this movie is the name of Harvey's comic book series, the comic book represents the main character and the writer, which is the theme of this movie.

I had wanted to read a couple of autobiographical graphic novels like Perseipolis , Fun Home and the like. So I decided to check out American Splendor. Through the novel I found the movie and I read many reviews praising it so I decided to check it out . The main difference between the series and movie is that while the series is pretty funny the movie is poignant and a bit sad.Maybe it is the music or maybe it's the people or both. Harvey Pekar lives a sad life. He works at a dead job because his comics do not make money. He lived quite a part of his life in gut wrenching loneliness and there is nothing good happening to him.Harvey Pekar died this year in early July. I actually felt very sad without having known him . Maybe because this was a real human being. He wasn't pretending to be anyone else. He was trying to reach out to people like him who are struggling in life. And that is what the movie does. Harvey Pekar narrates and Paul Giammati plays the role. One thing has always come to my mind when I see Paul act. He is not that great looking but incredibly talented. This helps him get unconventional roles like this one or American Splendor. In that way he is actually luckier than Tom Cruise who will never get unconventional roles because of his looks.These are fractured souls. They can barely make sense of the society or the environment they live in yet they struggle and soldier on. In that sense it might be actually called a feel good movie.American Splendour is a great movie. Maybe when I am older a lot of things in the movie will seem clearer and more relatable but even now it seems like a great movie that I might have to see a couple of times.