A Good Movie To Watch Logo
Shot from the movie

American Splendor 2003

7.5/10
An everyman tells the story of his ordinary life in this extraordinary, eccentric biopic

Having an ordinary life isn't a bad thing, but it can feel like a huge disappointment, hearing of other people and characters having extraordinary lives. However, when Harvey Pekar started writing down that ordinary life, his life became… still quite ordinary, but at least with an outlet through his autobiographical comic book American Splendor. That being said, his biopic isn't quite ordinary, transforming Pekar’s eccentric musings into fourth-wall-breaking comic book panels, vignettes, and documentary-esque work, shifting between Pekar animated, acted by Paul Giamatti, and voiced occasionally by Pekar himself. And like his work, American Splendor resonates with the ordinary viewer, who, like him, just wants to try to make the best of life. It's pretty cool for someone that called himself a nobody.

Synopsis

An original mix of fiction and reality illuminates the life of comic book hero everyman Harvey Pekar.

Storyline

Underground comic book writer Harvey Pekar lives an ordinary life in Cleveland, though his musings color this life in a playful and eccentric way.

TLDR

Rest in peace, Harvey Pekar.

What stands out

Live action-animated hybrids aren't new, but the way they also incorporated the actual writer and included him in the voiceover adds a touch more meta that we haven't seen in other films.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.*