I've read my fair share of independent comics. In fact, there was a time when I lost interest in mainstream comic books, and I limited myself to mostly independent titles (though DC Comics had, and still has, some great writers, and I stuck to some of their books... mostly the Vertigo titles, like "Preacher," "Sandman," and several others). The independent titles I'd buy were books like "Johnny the Homicidal Maniac," "Strangers in Paradise" (though that one spent some time under the Image banner), "Hate," "Naughty Bits," and "Stray Bullets," just to name a few. Some of the independent comics that I read were autobiographical, and my favorites were published by Drawn & Quarterly, like "Peepshow" by Joe Matt, "Palooka-Ville" by Seth, and "Yummy Fur" by the great Chester Brown. Though I knew of "American Splendor," another autobiographical comic book, I never read a single issue. I'm not sure why, it was the kinda thing I was into, but I never bothered to buy it. It's a shame, too, 'cause if the movie is any indication, the comic books are pretty damn good.
"American Splendor" is an unusual film. I'm not sure if it can be categorized as a documentary, though a lot of it certainly plays like one. I guess it's part documentary and part docudrama, but I'm not sure if that's entirely accurate. The movie centers around the comic book's creator and main character, Harvey Pekar. The real Harvey Pekar is in the movie as the narrator, but he also plays himself. There's also an actor playing Pekar in the film. Pekar's wife, Joyce Brabner, is also in the film, but there's someone playing the role of her, too. Does any of this make sense?
One of the best documentaries I've ever seen is Terry Zwigoff's 1994 film "Crumb" (which is about cartoonist Robert Crumb, who happens to be featured prominently in "American Splendor"), and although "American Splendor" isn't as good (or as freaky), it's a very entertaining film that manages to be a lot more poignant than it has any right to be. Harvey Pekar is a grumpy, bitter guy who's hard to like, but we do anyway. Don't ask me why or how, but we do. Perhaps it's because a small part of us can relate to him. That's my guess.
Playing the role of Harvey Pekar (when it's not Pekar himself) is Paul Giamatti (the great character actor best known for playing "Pig Vomit" in the Howard Stern movie, "Private Parts"), and he's excellent. It must have been difficult playing the role knowing that the audience would see the real Harvey sporadically throughout the film, but Giamatti pulls it off. It's a sensational performance, though I hope I never have to see Paul Giamatti without a shirt ever again. Joyce Brabner, Pekar's wife, is played by Hope Davis (she had key roles in "About Schmidt," "Hearts in Atlantis," "Mumford," and "Arlington Road"), and she's no less mesmerizing. This is my first time seeing Hope Davis in a movie, and I'm very impressed. It's a subtle performance, but it's very memorable. Her performance in this film is proof that sometimes, a little bit goes a long way. James Urbaniak (I'm not familiar with his previous work) is great as "Robert Crumb," but I woulda loved to see the real Robert Crumb in the film. He's quite a character.
In the film (and the comic book), Harvey Pekar has a friend and co-worker named Toby Radloff, and Judah Friedlander (he's another one whose previous work I'm not familiar with) plays him in the film. His performance is weird at first, the way he spoke and acted seemed a little too over the top. I was thinking to myself that no one is like that in real life, ya know? Then the real Toby Radloff shows up, and I see that Friedlander didn't go over the top at all. In fact, he nailed it. Another great performance in the film.
"American Splendor" was written and directed by Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini. They've made several documentaries together, most notably "Hello, He Lied & Other Truths From the Hollywood Trenches," a TV special that aired on American Movie Classics. "American Splendor" is their first film that's not (entirely) a documentary, and they did a fantastic job with it. The screenplay was written by them, and it's their debut as writers. The screenplay was adapted from not only the "American Splendor" comic book series by Harvey Pekar, but also a graphic novel that Harvey Pekar and Joyce Brabner worked on together called "Our Cancer Year."
"American Splendor" is based on a comic book, but it won't appeal to all comic book geeks, especially fanboys who know nothing outside of DC, Marvel, and Image. At the same time, I think that someone who's never read a single comic book can enjoy this film. I think you should go see "American Splendor." If you end up liking it, rent "Crumb" on DVD. The two films make for a great double feature.
Scale of 1-10: 9