''American Splendor'' is a 2003 American biographical

comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

film about Harvey Pekar, the author of the ''American Splendor'' comic book series. The film, which is a hybrid production featuring live actors, documentary, and animation, is in part an adaptation of the comics, which dramatize Pekar's life. ''American Splendor'' was written and directed by documentarians

Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini Shari Springer Berman (born July 13, 1963) and Robert Pulcini (born August 24, 1964) are an American team of filmmakers. Biographies Both Springer Berman and Pulcini were born in New York City, New York, New York (state), New York. Springer Be ...

. The film stars

Paul Giamatti Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti (; born June 6, 1967) is an American actor and film producer. He first garnered attention for his breakout role in '' Private Parts'' as Kenny "Pig Vomit" Rushton, leading to supporting roles in ''Saving Private R ...

as Pekar and

Hope Davis Hope Davis is an American actress. She is known for her performances on stage and screen earning various awards and nominations including a Tony Award nomination, as well two Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Award nominations. She m ...

as Joyce Brabner. It also features appearances from Pekar and Brabner themselves (along with Pekar's long-time co-worker

Toby Radloff Toby Radloff (born December 12, 1957) is a former file clerk and actor who became a minor celebrity owing to his appearances in Cleveland writer Harvey Pekar's autobiographical comic book series ''American Splendor''. Radloff has a distinctive m ...

), who discuss their lives, the comic books, and how it feels to be depicted onscreen by actors. It was filmed entirely on location in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...

and Lakewood in

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

Plot

The film opens in the year 1950. It's

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observan ...

and an 11-year-old Harvey Pekar refuses to dress up as a

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

while trick-or-treating. The scene shifts to an adult, walking the gritty

streets. Then real Harvey Pekar appears in a documentary-style setup. The narrative picks up again in 1975, as a scratchy-voiced Harvey visits a throat doctor and exhibits

hypochondria Hypochondriasis or hypochondria is a condition in which a person is excessively and unduly worried about having a serious illness. An old concept, the meaning of hypochondria has repeatedly changed. It has been claimed that this debilitating cond ...

. Harvey's wife decides their "

plebeian In ancient Rome, the plebeians (also called plebs) were the general body of free Roman citizens who were not patricians, as determined by the census, or in other words " commoners". Both classes were hereditary. Etymology The precise origins ...

" lifestyle just isn't working for her anymore; without being able to speak, Harvey is powerless to convince her not to leave him. A few months later, a depressed Harvey is at his file clerk job at the

VA hospital Veterans' health care in the United States is separated geographically into 19 regions (numbered 1, 2, 4-10, 12 and 15–23) In January 2002, the Veterans Health Administration announced the merger of VISNs 13 and 14 to create a new, combined netw ...

. Mr. Boats comes by to offer advice: the words of an

Elinor Wylie Elinor Morton Wylie (September 7, 1885 – December 16, 1928) was an American poet and novelist popular in the 1920s and 1930s. "She was famous during her life almost as much for her ethereal beauty and personality as for her melodious, sensu ...

poem. In a documentary scene, the real Harvey Pekar talks about his years as a part-time used-record collector/salesman. The narrative flashes back to 1962. While searching for old records at a yard sale, Harvey meets shy

greeting card A greeting card is a piece of card stock, usually with an illustration or photo, made of high quality paper featuring an expression of friendship or other sentiment. Although greeting cards are usually given on special occasions such as birthdays ...

illustrator

Robert Crumb Robert Dennis Crumb (; born August 30, 1943) is an American cartoonist and musician who often signs his work R. Crumb. His work displays a nostalgia for American folk culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and satire of contem ...

. A friendship is formed over a shared love of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

and

comic books A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are oft ...

. Returning to 1975, a now famous Crumb is back in Cleveland for a visit. His marriage over, Harvey is lonely and frustrated — he wants to leave a mark on the world. Afterward, a sobering moment in the VA hospital's "deceased" files section leads Harvey to try drawing his own stories, but his lack of drawing talent stops him. An incident at the supermarket revives him, as his animated subconscious goads him: "Are you going to stand there in silence, or are you going to make a mark?" Inspired, Harvey stays up all night writing. At a diner with Crumb, Harv makes a pitch for a new kind of comics. He shows Bob the scripts he's been working on, and Crumb offers to illustrate them for him. A montage of classic Pekar quotidian moments culminates with Harvey proudly showing off '' American Splendor'' #1 to his VA co-workers. The narrative moves forward to 1984. Harvey has published eight issues of ''American Splendor'' to critical acclaim but little financial gain; he's still a "flunky file clerk." Harvey runs into Alice Quinn, a woman he briefly knew in college. They catch up on each other's lives and talk about

Theodore Dreiser Theodore Herman Albert Dreiser (; August 27, 1871 – December 28, 1945) was an American novelist and journalist of the naturalist school. His novels often featured main characters who succeeded at their objectives despite a lack of a firm mora ...

's novel ''

Jennie Gerhardt ''Jennie Gerhardt'' is a 1911 novel by Theodore Dreiser. Plot summary Jennie Gerhardt is a destitute young woman. While working in a hotel in Columbus, Ohio, Jennie meets George Brander, a United States Senator, who becomes infatuated with her. ...

''. Harvey leaves their encounter feeling more alone than ever before. Meanwhile, in

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent ...

, Joyce is frustrated with her partner in the comic book store, who has sold her copy of ''American Splendor'' #8 out from under her. She writes to Harvey, he responds, and they discover they are kindred spirits. Joyce travels to Cleveland to meet Harvey in person. The date begins with a handshake and dinner at a local family restaurant. Back at Harvey's apartment, Joyce is overcome with a bout of nausea and vomiting. A concerned Harvey offers her

chamomile tea Chamomile (American English) or camomile (British English; see spelling differences) ( or ) is the common name for several plants of the family Asteraceae. Two of the species, ''Matricaria recutita'' and ''Anthemis nobilis'', are commonly us ...

. Charmed, Joyce suggests they "skip the whole courtship thing" and get married. It's one week later, and Harvey sees his VA colleague

sitting in his car eating White Castle

sliders Slider or Sliders may refer to: Arts * K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise * ''The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex * ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series * ...

. Toby is on his way to Toledo to see the new movie ''

Revenge of the Nerds ''Revenge of the Nerds'' is a 1984 American comedy film directed by Jeff Kanew and starring Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, Ted McGinley, and Bernie Casey. The film's plot chronicles a group of nerds at the fictional Adams College tryi ...

''. Meanwhile, Harvey is on his way to Delaware to marry Joyce and help her move out to Cleveland. Sitting alongside the real Harvey, the real Joyce Brabner talks about what it was like to become a character in Harvey's stories. Now married, Harvey and Joyce go to a screening of ''Revenge of the Nerds'' with Toby. Joyce and Toby found the film inspiring, and Harvey found it insipid. Back at their apartment, Joyce struggles with feeling at home amidst all of Harvey's stuff. Their spat is interrupted by a message from a theater producer who wants to make ''American Splendor'' into a play. Harvey and Joyce travel to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

to see ''American Splendor: The Play''. Things are finally breaking Harvey's way. But his ascendancy is complicated by Joyce's emotional struggles. She wants a family. Her desires are put aside again because a producer calls to offer Harvey a chance to be a guest on ''

Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on NBC, the first iteration of the ''Late Night'' franchise. It premiered on February 1, 1982, and was produced by Letterman's production compa ...

''. Almost despite himself, Harvey is a hit on the show and comes back for multiple appearances. Meanwhile, Toby becomes an

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

star. Back in Cleveland, a man recognizes Harvey from the Letterman show, but not for the "right" reasons. Harvey is angry and unfulfilled. Meanwhile, Joyce is looking for fulfillment of her own, as a creator and as an activist. Against Harvey's wishes, she goes away to a peace conference, leaving him at loose ends. One lonely night, Harvey discovers a mysterious lump on his groin. Joyce is still away on her mission, and a scared and bitter Harvey makes another appearance on the Letterman show. He dons an "On Strike Against

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

" shirt and the show goes downhill from there, winding up in chaos. Joyce finally returns, but she discovers Harvey's lump. Harvey is diagnosed with

lymphoma Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). In current usage the name usually refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include en ...

. Joyce suggest he make a comic book of the whole thing, but Harvey just wants to die. Undeterred, Joyce enlists Fred, an artist, to illustrate the experience. Fred brings along his daughter Danielle on their first brainstorming session, and Joyce is smitten with the girl. Harvey reluctantly agrees to participate in the comic, and asks Fred to keep bringing Danielle along. Harvey's treatment is traumatic and tumultuous. One night, an addled Harvey wonders if he's real or if he is just a character in a comic book, and whether the story will end or continue if he dies. In one continuous take, Harvey wanders through a dreamscape, musing about other individuals he finds in the Cleveland telephone book that are also named Harvey Pekar. One year later, Harvey and Joyce sign the completed '' Our Cancer Year''. Harvey is declared cancer-free. They adopt Danielle, and Harvey adjusts to being a parent. The real Harvey retires from the VA hospital, and the movie ends with a group hug.

Cast

as Harvey Pekar **

Daniel Tay Daniel Tay (born December 17, 1991) is an American former actor. He is best known for his role as Michael Hobbs in ''Elf''. Early life Tay was born in New York City, New York on December 17, 1991. He is Jewish. Career Tay's acting debut was at ...

as young Harvey **

Donal Logue Donal Francis Logue (born February 27, 1966) is a Canadian actor. He starred in the film '' The Tao of Steve'' and has had roles in the TV series ''Sons of Anarchy'', ''Vikings'', ''Grounded for Life'', ''Copper'', '' Terriers'', and, as Detecti ...

as stage actor Harvey *

as Joyce Brabner ** Molly Shannon as stage actor Joyce *

Judah Friedlander Judah Friedlander (born March 16, 1969) is an American actor and comedian, known for playing the role of writer Frank Rossitano on the NBC sitcom ''30 Rock''. Friedlander is also known for his role as Toby Radloff in the film '' American Splendo ...

James Urbaniak James Christian Urbaniak (born September 17, 1963) is an American character actor. He is best known for his roles as Simon Grim in three Hal Hartley films: '' Henry Fool'' (1997), '' Fay Grim'' (2006) and '' Ned Rifle'' (2014), Robert Crumb in ...

* Harvey Pekar as himself * Joyce Brabner as herself *

as himself * Earl Billings as Mr. Boats * Maggie Moore as Alice Quinn * James McCaffrey as Fred * Madylin Sweeten as Danielle *

Gary Dumm Gary G. Dumm (b. c. 1947)Dumm entry
Who's Who of American Comic Boo ...

(a long-time illustrator for '' American Splendor'') as The Extra (in a suede jacket), who asks Pekar for his autograph in the ''Our Cancer Year'' book-signing scene * Eytan Mirsky as The Guitarist *

Josh Hutcherson Joshua Ryan Hutcherson (born October 12, 1992) is an American actor and producer. Hutcherson began acting in the early 2000s and appeared in several commercials and minor film and television roles before landing his first major role in 2002 in ...

as Kid dressed as

Robin Robin may refer to: Animals * Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae * Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), including: **European robin (''Erithacus rubecula'') ** Bush-robin **Forest r ...

(his first feature film appearance) * Chris Ambrose as kid dressed as

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...

Shari Springer Berman Shari Springer Berman (born July 13, 1963) and Robert Pulcini (born August 24, 1964) are an American team of filmmakers. Biographies Both Springer Berman and Pulcini were born in New York, New York. Springer Berman graduated from Wesleyan Univ ...

(''voice'') as Interviewer * Robert Pulcini as Bob the director

Production

The film was originally intended to be screened on HBO. The script was written before the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...

, was cast right afterward, and shot in about a month in the fall of 2001.Kaufman, Anthony
"Bob & Shari & Harvey & Joyce; “American Splendor” Goes from Small Panel to Big Screen,"
''Indiewire'' (August 14, 2003). Though

had directed documentaries before, ''American Splendor'' was their first narrative feature. Of the film's alternating of fictional portrayals with real-life appearances by Pekar and his friends and family, co-writer/co-director Pulcini recalled, Berman added that upon meeting Pekar they felt compelled to include him in the film: Artwork from actual '' American Splendor'' comics and '' Our Cancer Year'' appears in the film; some scenes use artwork replicated by cartoonist

Doug Allen Doug Allen (born February 22, 1956) is an American underground cartoonist, illustrator, and musician. Best known for his long-running comic strip ''Steven'', Allen has over the years collaborated with long-time friend Gary Leib on music, an ...

. Animated sequences were produced by

Gary Leib Gary David Leib (October 29, 1955 – March 19, 2021) was an American underground cartoonist, animator, and musician. Best known for the comic book '' Idiotland'' (a two-man anthology produced with Leib's long-time collaborator, Doug Allen), Lei ...

.Dean, Michael
"Gary Leib: 1955 – 2021,"
''The Comics Journal'' (Mar. 23, 2021). At one point, Pekar meta-references the structure of the film by doing a voice-over for a one-shot of Paul Giamatti playing him by saying "There's our guy. Well, it's me. Or the guy playing me. Though he don't look nothing like me, but whatever." (Pekar and Brabner had been approached previously by actors interested in playing Pekar on film, including

Rob Schneider Robert Michael Schneider (; born October 31, 1963) is an American actor, comedian, and screenwriter. A stand-up comic and veteran of the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'', he went on to a career in feature films, including starri ...

David Letterman David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He hosted late night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982 debut of ''Late Night with David Letterman' ...

refused to appear in the film, and his old network of

did not allow the filmmakers to use footage of Pekar's disastrous fourth and sixth appearances on '' Late Night'' (aired July 31, 1987 and August 31, 1988, respectively), though they had no problems with the other Pekar appearances that are shown in the film."The Story Behind Harvey Pekar’s Infamous Last Letterman Interview,"
Phactual.com. Accessed July 21, 2019. The supposed "final appearance" was done using oblique camera angles and a voiced-over audio of the incident. (In actuality, Pekar returned for two more appearances on the Letterman show in 1993 & 1994.) The film's original production budget was $1.5 million, and as the film was coming together, HBO gave the filmmakers more money for post-production, animation, and music.

Music

Mark Suozzo wrote the film's score. Music played in the film mostly reflects Pekar's affection for avant-garde

and American music from the 1920s and 1930s. A couple of songs by ''American Splendor'' illustrator

and his band are also featured. The ''American Splendor (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' was released by

New Line Records WaterTower Music (formerly New Line Records from 2000 to 2010) is an American record label serving as the in-house music label and run by entertainment company Warner Bros., ultimately owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The name and logo are based o ...

in 2003, and featured the following songs: # " Paniots Nine" — Joe Maneri # "Blue Devil Jump" —

Jay McShann James Columbus "Jay" McShann (January 12, 1916 – December 7, 2006) was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, composer, and bandleader. He led bands in Kansas City, Missouri, that included Charlie Parker, Bernard Anderson, Walter Brown, and B ...

# "Chasin' Rainbows" — R. Crumb & His Cheap Suit Serenaders # "

On the Sunny Side of the Street "On the Sunny Side of the Street" is a 1930 song composed by Jimmy McHugh with lyrics by Dorothy Fields. Some authors say that Fats Waller was the composer, but he sold the rights to the song. It was introduced in the Broadway musical '' Lew Lesli ...

" —

Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio ''Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio'' is a 1954 studio album by Lester Young, accompanied by Oscar Peterson's working trio of the time (featuring Ray Brown and Barney Kessel), plus drummer J. C. Heard. The music on this album was origin ...

# " Oh, Lady Be Good!" —

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but a ...

# "

Ain't That Peculiar "Ain't That Peculiar" is a 1965 song recorded by American soul musician Marvin Gaye for the Tamla (Motown) label. Background The single was produced by Smokey Robinson, and written by Robinson, and fellow Miracles members Bobby Rogers, Pete Mo ...

" —

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...

# "Looking Suite: The Shortest Weekend / After Alice (So Sweet, So Sad)" — Mark Suozzo/Global Stage Orchestra # "

Stardust Stardust may refer to: * A type of cosmic dust, composed of particles in space Entertainment Songs * “Stardust” (1927 song), by Hoagy Carmichael * “Stardust” (David Essex song), 1974 * “Stardust” (Lena Meyer-Landrut song), 2012 * ...

" — Dizzy Gillespie # "Hula Medley" — R. Crumb & His Cheap Suit Serenaders # " T'aint Nobody's Bizness If I Do" — Jay McShann # " My Favorite Things" —

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Born and raise ...

# "Time Passes Strangely: Cancer Treatment / Retirement Party" — Mark Suozzo # "Ain't That Peculiar" —

Chocolate Genius Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec civi ...

The following songs — in whole, or in part — are used diegetically in the film: * "Soul Power" — Captain * "Big Ed" — Mark Cherrie * "

Know Your Rights "Know Your Rights" is a song by the Clash. It was released in 1982 as the first single from the album ''Combat Rock'', three weeks prior to the release of the album. The song begins with the words "''This is a public service announcement... wit ...

" —

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the w ...

* "

Escape (The Piña Colada Song) "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" is a song written and recorded by British-born American singer Rupert Holmes for his album '' Partners in Crime''. As the lead single for the album, the pop song was recommended by ''Billboard'' for radio broadca ...

" —

Rupert Holmes David Goldstein (born February 24, 1947), better known as Rupert Holmes, is a British-American composer, singer-songwriter, dramatist and author. He is widely known for the hit singles "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" (1979) and " Him" (1980). ...

* "American Splendor" — Eytan Mirsky * "

Silent Morning "Silent Morning" is the debut single by American singer Noel, released as the lead single from his 1987 self-titled debut studio album. It is the most successful single by Noel to date, where on November 14, 1987, it reached number 47 on the US ...

" — Noel * "All Black and White" — written by

Clair Marlo Clara Veseliza, known professionally as Clair Marlo, is a Croatian-American record producer, songwriter, composer, educator, and performer. She is known for her multiplatinum hit singles "'Til They Take My Heart Away" and "Without Me", both fr ...

& Alexander "Ace" Baker * "I'll Be With You in Apple Blossom Time" —

The Andrews Sisters The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews (July 6, 1911 – May 8, 1967), soprano Maxene Anglyn Andrews (January ...

* "

My City Was Gone "My City Was Gone" is a song by the rock group The Pretenders. The song originally appeared in October 1982 as the B-side to the single release of "Back on the Chain Gang"; the single was the first release for the band following the death of fou ...

" —

The Pretenders Pretenders are an English–American rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete ...

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

, the film has a 94% rating based on reviews from 186 critics, with an average rating of 8.3/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Exhilarating both stylistically and for its entertaining, moving portrayal of an everyman, ''American Splendor'' is a portrait of a true underground original." On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

, the film has a

weighted average The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...

score of 90 out of 100, based on 42 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim."

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

awarded the film four stars out of four in his review, calling it a "magnificently audacious movie, in which fact and fiction sometimes coexist in the same frame." He remarked "the casting of Giamatti and Davis is perfect", writing that they "mastered not only the looks but the feels and even the souls of these two people", as well as praising Friedlander's performance. He also found the film "delightful in the way it finds its own way to tell its own story", describing its presentation as "mesmerizing in the way it lures us into the daily hopes and fears of this Cleveland family." ''American Splendor'' won the Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Film at the

2003 Sundance Film Festival The 2003 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 16 to January 26, 2003. ''American Splendor'', a biopic of comic-book author Harvey Pekar, won the grand-jury prize. Steve Zahn and Maggie Gyllenhaal presented the awards in a ceremony tele ...

, in addition to the award for Best Adapted Screenplay from the

Writers Guild of America The Writers Guild of America is the joint efforts of two different US labor unions representing TV and film writers: * The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), headquartered in New York City and affiliated with the AFL–CIO * The Writers Gu ...

. At the

2003 Cannes Film Festival The 56th Cannes Film Festival started on 14 May and ran until 25 May 2003. French opera and theatre director, filmmaker, actor and producer Patrice Chéreau was the President of the Jury. The Palme d'Or went to the American film ''Elephant'' by ...

, the film received the

FIPRESCI The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI, short for Fédération Internationale de la PRESse CInématographique) is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world fo ...

critics award. ''American Splendor'' was given the Guardian New Directors Award at the 2003

Edinburgh International Film Festival The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) is a film festival that runs for two weeks in June each year. Established in 1947, it is the world's oldest continually running film festival. EIFF presents both UK and international films (all ti ...

. It was also nominated for

Best Adapted Screenplay This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress# ...

at the 2003

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

. Columnist Jaime Wolf wrote a laudatory review of the film in ''

Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...

'', also drawing attention to formal parallels with

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

's ''

Annie Hall ''Annie Hall'' is a 1977 American satirical romantic comedy-drama film directed by Woody Allen from a screenplay written by him and Marshall Brickman, and produced by Allen's manager, Charles H. Joffe. The film stars Allen as Alvy Singer, w ...

'' and his other films. Harvey Pekar wrote about the effects of the film in various stories published in ''American Splendor: Our Movie Year'' (2004).Pekar, Harvey, and various illustrators. ''American Splendor: Our Movie Year'' (Ballantine Books, 2004)

Accolades

References

External links

* * * *
Paul Giamatti interview for ''American Splendor''

Overview of the film and the comics that inspired it
by Peter Sanderson
Review of ''American Splendor''
by

J. Hoberman James Lewis Hoberman (born March 14, 1949) is an American film critic, journalist, author and academic. He began working at '' The Village Voice'' in the 1970s, became a full-time staff writer in 1983, and was the newspaper's senior film critic ...

of ''The Village Voice'' (August 12, 2003)
''Scene by Scene with Josh & Dean''
an ''American Splendor'' movie podcast co-hosted by two former ''American Splendor'' illustrators {{DEFAULTSORT:American Splendor 2003 films 2003 biographical drama films 2003 comedy-drama films 2003 independent films 2000s American films 2000s English-language films American biographical drama films American comedy-drama films American independent films Biographical films about writers Comedy-drama films based on actual events Cultural depictions of American men Cultural depictions of cartoonists Cultural depictions of writers Dark Horse Entertainment films Films about cancer Films about comics Films based on American comics Films directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini Films set in Cleveland Films shot in Cleveland HBO Films films Live-action films based on comics National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Film winners Self-reflexive films Sundance Film Festival award winners