His death prompted me to check out a film that had been recommended to me on several occasions, the similarly titled "American Splendor". The film is directed by Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman. It stars Paul Giamatti as Harvey Pekar. It was released 2003.
On July 12, 2010 Harvey Pekar died. He was known for his widely popular indie comic book known as "American Splendor" which detailed the minutiae of his life.
The film works as a semi-documentary of Pekar's life as well as being an adaptation of his comic book. While Pekar is portrayed by Giamatti in most of the film, the "Real" Harvey makes several appearances during interview sessions. He also serves as the narrator of the film which adds extra depth to the film.
People throw around the term "comic-book film" a lot these days due to the vast number of comic book adaptations that have flooded the market. Films like "Watchmen","The Dark Knight", and "Spider-man 2" have been lauded as the "best" comic-book films by critics. This didn't bug me until recently when I realized how inappropriate the term was.
While "The Dark Knight" is indeed an excellent film, it is by no means a "comic-book film". It is merely a movie about characters that were born on the pages of comic-books. In the transition from book to screen all traces of a comic-books have been lost.
"American Splendor" on the other hand is a true "comic-book film" and is easily the best. Not only is it an adaptation of the comic-book but it is also a film that deals with the very subject matter of comic-books.
Right from the beginning it introduces the viewer to the character of Harvey Pekar through an amazingly clever series of panels. And in several scenes it seamlessly transitions from the reality of the film to a panel from the comic.
What makes this film even more interesting is the struggle Pekar endures. He is not only the hero of the story but the villain. Watching Giamatti's performance is an intriguing, depressing, enlightening, and comedic experience.
I don't want to spoil the film for anyone so I won't describe the plot. It's much more satisfying if you go into the film not really knowing what it's about.
I highly recommend this film, it's totally worth checking out.
If you don't think you will enjoy the movie than please at least check out this clip. It stands on it's own and is a great commentary on something we take for granted.
What's in a Name?
Here is the Trailer for the film:
American Splendor Trailer
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