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American
Splendor
It's Halloween
in Cleveland. Five children stand expectantly at a door, dressed
as their respective heroes. Superman, Batman, Robin, and the
Golden Age Green Lantern hold out their bags. Next to them,
an angry kid sulks, knowing what's coming.
He has
no hero. He's Harvey
Pekar, a kid from the neighborhood. And as American
Splendor, based on Pekar's autobiographical comic book,
opens, the sulking boy (Daniel Tay) gives way to the grumbling
man (Paul Giamatti).
Over
his grumbling comes a louder, more gravelly voice. It's Pekar
himself, telling his own stories as he always has. Soon the
camera shifts to reveal the real man providing voice-over,
adding layer upon layer as co-writers and directors Shari
Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini try to determine just what
makes a man's life tick.
Combining
interview techniques with straightforward storytelling, American
Splendor covers the major points in Pekar's life and career
in a unique way. By major, let us not forget that this idiosyncratic
writer has always reveled in the ordinary, and the film reflects
that. Yet somehow it proves his own belief: that there's heroism
in living day to day.
Because
Pekar has always had different illustrators bring his stories
to life, the dual presence of actor and subject works surprisingly
well. Though Giamatti bears superficial resemblance to Pekar,
he has created a character very much like the writer. If you
have to, simply believe that the old man narrating really
is the result of having finally learned to just take things
in stride (though, really, he probably hasn't).
The film
extends respect to the ancillary characters in Pekar's life,
too. Nowhere is this more obvious than in Judah Friedlander's
portrayal of Pekar's co-worker Toby. A high-functioning autistic
man, Toby is easily fixated on minutiae (welcome to the world
of the fanboy). In one brilliant scene, Pekar gets into a
discussion about jelly beans with Toby, then the camera pulls
back as the actors finish, revealing the real Pekar and Toby
watching. The two then continue the discussion, as the actors
sneak behind them to observe.
 It's
a fascinating moment that still never pulls us out of enjoying
the film. For some reason, it just feels right, especially
as television appearances by Pekar and Toby are also used
by the filmmakers. (Toby had been an MTV spokesperson for
fifteen minutes.)
Usually
recreations of such instances have a forced feel, so why bother?
Backstage at Late Night With David Letterman, we see
Giamatti wait nervously, then the film smoothly cuts to the
actual interview segment. Only the infamous meltdown which
resulted in Pekar's banishment from the show gets a re-enactment,
mostly, according to Pekar, so that you can actually hear
what was said.
I've
been unfair. In many ways, this isn't just Pekar's story;
it's also that of his wife, Joyce Brabner. Hope Davis plays
her, in a performance that could have easily been unpleasant.
Instead,
there's warmth to her that makes you believe their marriage,
unconventional as their courtship may be. Davis pulls out
steel when necessary, and like Giamatti, makes you not care
that you see the real Brabner.
In fact,
you might prefer the cinematic versions. The film does offer
that choice - Berman and Pulcini even throw in occasional
animated visions of Pekar from his comics. At one point, there's
also a moment from a stage adaptation, featuring Donal Logue
and Molly Shannon as Pekar and Brabner. Perhaps that scene
is colored by Pekar's own opinion, because that version of
the couple feels the least real.
The film
has a strangely pat ending. It's possible that after spending
so much time with Pekar and his alter egos, the filmmakers
paid short shrift to the most recent years. Thankfully, it
doesn't come across as unbelievable; for me, the only false
moment is at the beginning. I can't believe that a housewife
would recognize the Golden Age Green Lantern, even in the
late 'forties.
Still,
American Splendor is quietly exhilarating. If most
men lead lives of quiet desperation, Harvey Pekar proves they
don't have to do it lying down.
Rating: 
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