Natural and fritz the cat, the artist offers to illustrate them. A film, american splendor, was released in 2003 starring paul giamatti as pekar. An astoundingly unique biopic about harvey pekar, an underground comic book legend, american splendor is a funny, moving, and thrillingly original take on one mans strugglefilled life. We move forward, past him, to peer over the hill at the factories. American splendor is a celebration of the painful dance between life and art. He was an actor and writer, known for american splendor. Somehow this book flew under my radar, but i was fortunate enough to find a used copy for a decent price and im glad i did because there are many worthy pages in this collection. American splendor is a comic book movie without the usual superheroes in flowing capes yet still manages to be a quirky and enjoyable work.
Perhaps one of the most criminally overlooked films of the 2000s, american splendor surrounds the reallife story of file clerk by day and underground comic book creator by night. Cleveland street overlooking factories day were now on harveys back as he continues his forlorn journey. American splendor is a perfect mix of style and content. The real life pekar, his wife joyce and pekars friend toby radloff appear as themselves in several ontheset documentary segments throughout the movie. American splendor, a biopic of the comic book author harvey pekar, scooped the grand jury prize at the sundance film festival, which wrapped up yesterday. He did freelance work for the critically acclaimed radio station wksu and appeared many times on late. American splendor 2003 underground comic book writer harvey pekar, portrayed by paul giamatti but also appearing as himself, is the subject of this inventive biopic. The classic collection of the comics that inspired the movie american splendor, winner of the grand jury prize at the 2003 sundance film festival american splendor is the worlds first literary comic book. Harvey pekar, who has died aged 70, was the writer of american splendor, an autobiographical comic in which he wrote about the everyday, often mundane, aspects of his life. The characters in american splendor are so weird and their lifestyles are so odd that it is sometimes difficult to tell whether they are real people or cartoon characters. It isnt a long film, but it felt like it took me forever to trudge through it. But with the release of american splendor, the indie hit film based on his comic of the same name, the. American splendor is a 2003 american biographical comedydrama film about harvey pekar.
There is some repetition of stories and events in the various accountings of harveys brush with hollywood and filmmaking. If you are on the fence the pacing will be just slow enough that many may bail on this. However, despite all of that originality and the exciting storytelling techniques employed its mindnumbingly boring. American splendor is the true story of comic book author harvey pekar. American splendor the highenergy music and upbeat titles in direct contrast to the sulking image of harvey continue through the remainder of the credits. Im surprised this movie hasnt garnered more critical attention than it has. In our writers favourite films series, amy fleming explains why she is drawn to the biopic of cult comicbook author harvey pekar. This wry and original comedy of depression tells its story through fiction, documentary, animation and archival footage as if it were turning the pages of a comic book. The main character, harvey pekar, is just an ordinary man with nerdy interests. The pacing is just in that awkward spot where if you are interested in the movie you will stick with it and enjoy the events. American splendor by robert pulcini and shari springer berman. An original mix of fiction and reality illuminates the life of comic book hero everyman harvey pekar.
The real pekar comments on the film s multiple pekars not just actor paul giamattis version, but also the disparate images created by various american splendor illustrators while the. Harvey pekar is a true american original, known by many as the b. Harvey pekar is file clerk at the local va hospital. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers.
Thus was born the legendary american splendor comic book series. You know, the documentarycumfeature film about underground comic book writer harvey pekar. This is a very very good move, but it is not for everyone. Books blog harvey pekar, the american antihero who led a comicbook revolution. Harvey pekar is a wonderfully rich character, and i kept watching it thinking. The movie basically takes you from the end of harveys second marriage up to the point of his retirement as a file clerk. Harvey lawrence pekar was an american underground comic book writer best known for his autobiographical american splendor series. From off the streets of cleveland, the amazing and occasionally r. Starring paul giamatti, hope davis, james urbaniak, vivienne.
A thick and heavy trade paperback, the best of american splendor collects various comics by harvey pekar somewhere between the time of our cancer year and our movie year. Surely up there with the best comic book to film adaptations of all time. Interestingly, however, amid the praise paid to robert pulcini and shari springer berman for the ways in which their new film american splendor successfully transposes pekars comic book. A conversation with filmmakers shari springer berman and robert pulcini and actor paul giamatti, joined by comic book creator harvey pekar whose life and work is the basis for their film. The film, which is a hybrid production featuring live actors, documentary, and animation, is in part an adaptation of the comics, which dramatize pekars life. Narrative breakdown, which involves a careful connection of the specific events in the story, is evident in the film. American splendor is a series of autobiographical comic books written by harvey pekar and. As with the usual theme of american splendor, pekar writes autobiographical comics. Unsung hero dark horse comics, 2003, illustrated by david collier, documented the vietnam war experience of robert mcneill, one of pekars african american coworkers at clevelands va hospital.
As for the movie itself, its very artsy and deep and important. Harvey pekar was born on october 8, 1939 in cleveland, ohio, usa. Harvey pekar, the star of comic books, the letterman show and now this movie, worked all of his life as a file clerk. One of the closing shots of american splendor shows a retirement party for harvey pekar, who is ending his career as a file clerk at a v. When the reclusive harvey shows his cartoon scripts to fellow weirdo clevelander bob crumb creator of mr. His interactions with his coworkers offer some relief from the monotony, and their discussions.
Positive this movie was a wonderful surprise for me. The screenplay in the film also mimics page layout in the comic book. American splendor is a series of autobiographical comic books written by harvey pekar and drawn by a variety of artists. American splendor is a comicdrama biography about the life of harvey pekar played by paul giamatti in which the film plays like a comic book showing scenes. Our movie year is a collection of odd and sods assembled to cash in on the buzz and awareness of pekar created by the acclaimed film american splendor. The movie brilliantly plays upon this, switching fluidly from comic book drawings to actors, to actual footage of the real people involved, then back again. Before i saw this movie, i had never heard of the comic book american splendor though i had heard of robert crumb, the first artist on that book. The comics have been adapted into a film of the same name and a number of theatrical productions. Stories from the american splendor comics have been collected in many books and anthologies. American splendor is a 2003 film direced by shari springer berman and robert pulcini. We see and hear the real pekar, alongside his fictional alter ego, paul giamatti, who at one point goes to see a representation of himself. American splendor is a 2003 american biographical comedydrama film about harvey pekar, the author of the american splendor comic book series.
There is a transposition of the layout of pakers american splendor in the film. The first issue was published in 1976 and the last one in september 2008, with publication occurring at irregular intervals. I saw it on a video store rack, and decided to give it a try. American splendor is a comicdrama biography about the life of harvey pekarplayed by paul giamatti in which the film plays like a comic book showing scenes. Cleveland native harvey pekar is a true american original. Harvey pekar presents a collection of blackandwhite comics about personal relationships and the workaday world which served as the inspiration for the movie american splendor. This used dvd of the 2004 american splendor film came in excellent condition. Harvey pekar, a native of cleveland, was best known for his autobiographical sliceoflife comic book series american splendor, a firstperson account of his downtrodden life.
However, pekar writes occasional stories of people he knows or meets and usually make just as interesting reading as his autobiographical material. This is really a great film about harvey pekar, the underground comic book writer who created the comic book series american splendor. The american splendor author was a humane and masterful storyteller who. American splendor is a weird film about an even weirder real person, cartoon story writer harvey pekar. There is some repetition of stories and events in the various accountings. What harvey pekar and american splendor teaches us about. American splendor has, in its sarky and diffident way, some pretty serious things to say about the disaffected and the disenfranchised in american society, alienated from.
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