American Splendor

R

Released Aug 15, 2003

1 hr. 40 min.

Biography

Comedy

Drama

List

94%

187 Reviews

Tomatometer

86%

25,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Underground comic book writer Harvey Pekar, portrayed by Paul Giamatti but also appearing as himself, is the subject of this inventive biopic. Much of the film focuses on the eccentric Pekar's day-to-day life in Cleveland, particularly his relationship with his patient wife, Joyce Brabner (played by Hope Davis and also appearing as herself). As Pekar's musings are brought to the screen in this unique and engaging production, the movie playfully incorporates comic book-like panels.

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Critics Consensus

Exhilarating both stylistically and for its entertaining, moving portrayal of an everyman, American Splendor is a portrait of a true underground original.

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Miles M

Although illustrating some interesting points, and Giamatti's performance is solid, a good portion of the movie is a bore-nothing that I could take out of it other than that and the creative style of filmmaking. An unappealing depressive film with some very unlikeable characters.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

12/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A VERY 2003 biographical comedy about comic book writer Harvey Pekar. It takes some interesting time hopping approaches to its narrative and has a unique comic visual flair to the whole thing, but it's all a little too humdrum for its own good. I sort of liked it, but I won't return to it.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

Greg H

Please seek out these books. Pekar was such a hidden genius and the movie went above and beyond to focus on that, but you can't get a more real sense of the man unless you read his work.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/03/22

Full Review

Audience Member

Certain stories are obviously age restricted, but what about considering age group via empathetic relatability as in already passed the depicted checkpoint in life? Will the sense of humor be shared fully? Not an original screenplay but rather an adaptation of graphic novels below the radar that can only rely on this film as their immortality to bring up their creative existence. In the meanwhile, the film currently garners attention mostly of the cast, tied secondarily between solely story and source material. It grimaces similarly in the veins to Terry Zwigoff's works when conversing slice of life realistic truism in satire commentary that plainly amuses whilst amid in a pitiful state, representing rock bottom's creative loss before the eventual surprisingly embraced acceptance. Paul Giamatti perfectly embodies the sort of everyman that defines the actual author with mirroring contexts throughout the comedic docudrama, and same goes for Hope Davis on charismatically bringing the heartened meaning of completeness with the most generated humor that's honestly not adjacently pathetic. Their separative chemistry buildup goes over daily struggles till their threads ties convincingly at questionably sudden engagement before realizing connective wholesome growth towards the theming behind the comics' subtexts. Pitiful nature of eased sympathy applied worrisomely by honesty, but the overall performative deliverance deserves its given fair rating, albeit viewed not of age yet besides grasping ahead. (B+)

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Paul Giamatti is a natural curmudgeon, which makes him the perfect fit to play comic book author and proud Clevelander, Harvey Pekar. American Splendor tells the story of Pekar in an enjoyable, stylistic way, incorporating the real people behind the (surprisingly real) characters — for example, playing the actual clip of Pekar's many appearances on Letterman and Radloff's appearances on MTV. At first, you think there's no way someone like Mr. Boats (Earl Billings) or Toby Radloff (Judah Friedlander), but then boom, there they are, in the flesh — on this note, Friedlander as Radloff is by far my favorite aspect of the movie. The comic for which the film gets its name is my type of comic — everyday people dealing with everyday issues, wrapped in a cloak of Cleveland sardonic humor. Pekar gets the inspiration for his comics from his own life, where he works in the filing department of a hospital. I enjoyed American Splendor for its unique direction and interesting subject matter, but I'm attracted to stories about cantankerous artists (I also love Paul Giamatti). If you're in the mood for something comic-centric but are Marvel'd out, throw on American Splendor.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Paul Giamatti transformed himself for this film. It's amazing how his physical appearance isn't very Pekar-esque, and yet he really embodied Pekar so well the filmmakers could put the real Pekar in the film and you could compare the two and it all made sense. I especially love Paul as Pekar watching the American Splendor play within the film, and his enjoyment at seeing the actor playing him, while his wife Joyce (Hope Davis) is anything but thrilled. This film is great, but the impact it had on Harvey Pekar's work, was not. As someone who has read most of Pekar's comics, his writing went downhill once his celebrity took off. It would be trite to say most artists do their best work early in their career before they are discovered, but, I would say; do read everything Pekar wrote except "Our Movie Year."

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

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Shari Springer Berman

Director

Robert Pulcini

Director

Paul Giamatti

Harvey

Harvey Pekar

Self

Shari Springer Berman

Interviewer

Earl Billings

Mr. Boats

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Amy Taubin

Film Comment Magazine

What makes the film special throughout is the way its form mirrors its subject matter. On every level, it's a film about unlikely marriages.

Apr 10, 2018

Full Review

Anthony Lane

New Yorker

Mild fame may have patronized these folks, but the movie pays them a comic homage that feels flattering, fast-witted, and true.

Apr 12, 2013

Full Review

Joe Morgenstern

Wall Street Journal

I can't imagine how the filmmakers went about it, let alone pulled the whole thing off, but their film comes together in unpredictable and remarkably pleasurable ways.

Apr 12, 2013

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

... affects the gloom but sneaks up on you with the crooked smile of the pulp poet of working class life.

Sep 24, 2023

Full Review

Christine Champagne

Out Magazine

The real Pekar (as well as an animated version of him), Brabner, and Radloff are incorporated into this cleverly constructed and visually inventive masterpiece that embraces and celebrates the outsider.

May 26, 2022

Full Review

Jenny Jediny

Ryan's Test Source

For the romantics at hart.

Rated: A

Jan 26, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Underground comic book writer Harvey Pekar, portrayed by Paul Giamatti but also appearing as himself, is the subject of this inventive biopic. Much of the film focuses on the eccentric Pekar's day-to-day life in Cleveland, particularly his relationship with his patient wife, Joyce Brabner (played by Hope Davis and also appearing as herself). As Pekar's musings are brought to the screen in this unique and engaging production, the movie playfully incorporates comic book-like panels.

Director: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Screenwriter: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Distributor: Fine Line Features
Production Co: Good Machine, HBO Films
Rating: R (Language)
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 15, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 21, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.0M
Sound Mix: Surround

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