Synopsis
An original mix of fiction and reality illuminates the life of comic book hero everyman Harvey Pekar.
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Cast
- Paul GiamattiHarvey Pekar
- Hope DavisJoyce Brabner
- Judah FriedlanderToby Radloff
- James UrbaniakRobert Crumb
- Earl BillingsMr. Boats
- James McCaffreyFred
- Maggie MooreAlice Quinn
- Vivienne BeneschLana
- Daniel TayYoung Harvey
- Harvey PekarReal Harvey
Recommendations
- 100
San Francisco Chronicle
It's a humane and witty treatment of an average life that, incidentally, speaks to the worth and inherent drama of average lives. - 91
Portland Oregonian
Thoroughly unique work of art. - 90
Washington Post
The genius of the film is its utter commitment to the Pekar point of view. - 90
Variety
Sad, tender, wise and beautiful film... It's a profound tribute to lives lived on the fringes of society -- to the introspective loners who are the most observant chroniclers of our times. - 90
Film Threat
One of the most wildly original, dryly comical, and smartly structured films ever created. - 88
Baltimore Sun
One genuine small triumph of American Splendor is that the title isn't ironic. The movie is a splendid, inventive piece of urban Americana about that hardboiled original, Harvey Pekar. - 88
New York Post
Davis, a hugely underrated actress..., is deadpan perfection as Joyce, wearing oversized glasses and a wig that makes her look like an older version of Thora Birch's character in "Ghost World." - 80
Slate
The film isn't in the same key as Pekar's comic: The tempo is buoyant, puckish, and even more "meta" than the original.
