I’ll be the first to admit that I love movies with car chases, explosions, big rubber monsters, and boobies, but every now and again I need a change of pace. Call it an escape from escapism. Some real life stories are worth experiencing just as much as fantasy, and everyone should learn about the man, the myth, the real life legend that is Harvey Pekar.
American Splendor is the movie I watch to remind myself that for all the brainless Michael Bay boom-fests and boring vampire meat market movies out there, a film can still be a work of art. Now, I know what you’re thinking, or at least what I’m thinking, but artsy movie doesn’t always mean boring, self-indulgent pile of crap, and some directors need to learn the difference. (I’m looking at you, Vincent Gallo)
The film opens with images of kids trick-r-treating on Halloween dressed as comic book superheroes like Superman and Batman, but one kid is dressed in his mild-mannered garb. When a house-wife distributing candied apples at her doorstep asked the child who he is supposed to be, he simply replies “I’m Harvey Pekar.” And thus begins the story of this underground comic book character and real life everyday hero. This film has the strange distinction of being both a biopic and a comic book movie, since the American Splendor comic books are based on Harvey’s everyday experiences. Paul Giamatti plays Harvey as his second marriage ends in disaster and the crushing weight of his meager, work-a-day existence presses down on him. To help him cope, and to leave his mark on the world, Harvey begins writing comics about the quirky nature of his life. With help form his friend Robert Crumb, played by James Urbaniak, he finds some success in publishing his underground comic book, but not enough to quit his day job.
This film starts with one of my favorite opening credit sequences. Harvey walks through the streets of Cleveland as our perspective shifts from panel to panel on a comic book page, several illustrated versions of Harvey let us know that he has been drawn many different ways by different artist, but that he is a real person, too. Paul Giamatti continues walking through the streets as a narration begins by the real life Harvey Pekar about what was happening in that particular time in his life. This sets the tone for the rest of the film as we have interview scenes with the real Harvey Pekar, scenes with movie Harvey, and introspective scenes with animated Harvey all sharing the same celluloid. The whole thing is directed, acted, and edited brilliantly with its own brand of story telling and dry humor. With all the many perspective shifts and transitions this movie could have become very confusing or could have gotten mired down in its own high concept fluff. Thankfully, it does not. This film is engaging, funny, and really lets you know about the strange and entertaining life of Harvey Pekar, and it does all this without car chases, explosions, big rubber monsters, or boobies. This movie is a friggin masterpiece and I cannot say enough good things about it.
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