...the most simplistic yet dryly funny, original and humanistic realm that is “American Splendor”
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Will the real Harvey Pekar please stand up?
For those who haven´t got the faintest idea of what "American Splendor" is about, here is a brief description. "American Splendor" is actually the title of an autobiographical slice-of-life comic book series written by Cleveland, OH native, Harvey Pekar. It is also the title of this movie, a biopic about Pekar, starring Pekar, an actor who plays Pekar, his wife Joyce, an actress who plays Joyce and a host of other characters in Pekar´s life who are featured in the comic and also the movie.
OK....I will let that thought settle in for a minute. Confused yet? Maybe I should start again.
Forget the big-budget blockbusters. Forget the high-octane action flicks. Forget the obnoxious teen comedies. Forget the hard-hitting and thought-provoking dramas. Take a deep breath and clear your mind of all the inane and pretentious movies you may have watched recently, my dear readers. For you are about to take a journey into the most simplistic yet dryly funny, original and humanistic realm that is "American Splendor"--a realm where every character is as flawed (well, some more than others) and as average as you and I, a realm without any pretensions, a realm that is as ordinary as Anytown, USA. Yet, it is downright invigorating to stumble across "American Splendor" and be able to experience its captivating humor and easygoing charm.
For those of us not plugged into the underground comics scene, "American Splendor" might seem like an alien niche embedded within the mainstream comics landscape. It is intriguing and greatly refreshing not to find overpowering superheroes in tights saving the planet, glaring back at us through the pages of a comic book. The truth is "American Splendor"´s strength--in the context of a comic book--lies in its ability to connect with its readers at the most basic level. The same goes with this autobiographical movie about Pekar.
Who would have thought that being a regular everyday Joe with a slightly twisted dry wit, grumpy demeanor and a keen eye for daily observations will get you, well, nowhere. If you are Harvey Pekar, that is exactly your life. Boom! Right there. So there are the occasional appearances on Letterman (until Harvey insulted him on the show) and the legion of loyal fans clamoring for the next issue of his comic book. But even with the (un)welcome fame (in the Pekarian sense), Harvey has not exactly moved up in life. Instead, he has been working the same thankless job at the same place for the past 23 years. Apparently fame is not what it is touted to be.
Before we go on, let me back up a little bit. Back in the 1960´s, Pekar (Paul Giamatti) was working as a file clerk at the V.A. Hospital in Cleveland, OH. On the heel of losing his voice, Pekar comes home to find his wife packing her bags and moving out. Pekar´s dour and mundane existence is only brightened by his large collection of comic books and jazz records. Instead of catching the bus on the road to nowhere, Pekar´s life was altered forever in a chance encounter with Robert Crumb (James Urbaniak), a then up and coming comic book illustrator. As luck would have it, both of them share a common interest in comics and music. Well, things did not exactly change overnight for Pekar. Crumb moved out west and founded the underground comics scene, occasionally returning to Cleveland for a visit. It was on one of these visits that Pekar pitched his idea for his comic book to Crumb. Titled "American Splendor", it is, in short, a story about Pekar and his ardent and funny observations of his colleagues at the hospital and of the people in his life.
With a rich canvas to harness from the people around him, Pekar has plenty of material to write about. Who in their right mind would pass up the chance of including characters like Toby Radloff (Judah Friedlander), a self-confessed nerd ("I am a nerd and I am proud of it") who talks and acts like Milton from "Office Space" or Mr. Boats (Earl Billings), the resident conspiracy theorist? Later on, into his life strolls Joyce Brabner (Hope Davis), a lonely hypochondriac who reads "American Splendor" religiously. They get married after a whirlwind courtship and they live.....in Cleveland, of course. We certainly won´t stand for any of that fairy tale crap in this movie.
As funny as "American Splendor" is, it is still able to project both humility and pride by depicting, with conviction, Pekar´s bout with testicular cancer. With Joyce´s help and support, Pekar got through probably the worst period of his life by doing what he does best: write about it. It culminated with the publishing of a successful graphic novel titled, "Our Cancer Year". Pekar´s ordinary and anti-hero themes certainly resonate well with his fans.
By adding comic illustrations that depict actual scenes from the movie into the film, "American Splendor" blurs the line between fiction and real life. To murky the waters even more, the real Harvey Pekar, Joyce Brabner and Toby Radloff make several appearances in the film as themselves, being interviewed by director Shari Springer Berman. It is as if a making-of scene has been inserted into the actual movie. These interview scenes that punctuate the movie are made to resemble a comic book panel with an artificial white background. Also, instead of using Giamatti´s voice to narrate the movie, the directors creatively choose to use the real Harvey Pekar´s voice to do the narration. It is truly an original and unique movie experience.
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[release]11364[/release]