American Splendor Movie Review 2003

Giamatti is brilliant as Harvey Pekar, a life-long file clerk in Cleveland who authored the R. Crumb-illustrated autobiographical graphic novels of the film's title. The unlikely courtship of misfits Pekar and his third wife Joyce Brabner (Davis) is comically portrayed as the two kindred souls mysteriously come together. Their unlikely romance mirrors the unlikelihood that a comic filled with the pessimism, cynicism, and wry comic observations of Pekar's admitted hum-drum life would somehow translate just as well onto the big screen. But it does. Documentarian directors Berman and Pulcini weave fiction with fact as the real Pekar narrates and cameos. They also make use of illustrated comic segments and footage from Pekar's frequent appearances on David Letterman's show.

Distribution

HBO, 1100 Ave. of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, Phone: (212)512-7400, Fax: (212)512-7498, URL: http://www.hbo.com, Remarks: Online sales through www.store.hbo.com

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 101 minutes.
Originally from United States.

Cast and Crew

Genres

This Is Your Life, Only the Lonely, Adapted from Comics, Writers, Comic Books

Screenplay

Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini

Cast

Paul Giamatti, Hope Davis, Harvey Pekar, Joyce Brabner, Earl Billings, James Urbaniak, Judah Friedlander, Donal Logue, Molly Shannon, James McCaffrey, Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini

Cinematography

Terry Stacey

Director

Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini

Music

Mark Suozzo

Other

Whit Norris, Linda Cohen, Robert Pulcini, Michael Wilkinson, Therese DePrez

Producer

Ted Hope, HBO Films, Good Machine, Fine Line Features

Awards

L.A. Film Critics 2003: Film, Screenplay; N.Y. Film Critics 2003: Actress (Davis); Natl. Soc. Film Critics 2003: Film, Screenplay; Writers Guild 2003: Adapt. Screenplay.