American Splendor (film)

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American Splendor

American Splendor theatrical poster
Directed by Shari Springer Berman
Robert Pulcini
Written by Comic Book:
Harvey Pekar
Joyce Brabner
Screenplay:
Shari Springer Berman
Robert Pulcini
Starring Paul Giamatti
Hope Davis
Harvey Pekar
Cinematography Terry Stacey
Editing by Robert Pulcini
Distributed by Fine Line Features
Release date(s) January 20, 2003 (Sundance Film Festival)
Canada July 18, 2003
(limited)
United States August 15, 2003 (limited)
Running time 100 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $2 million

American Splendor is a 2003 biopic about Harvey Pekar, the author of the American Splendor comic book series. The film is also in part an adaptation of the comics, which dramatize Pekar's life. The film was written and directed by documentarians Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, who share writing credit with Pekar and his wife, Joyce Brabner.[1] It stars Paul Giamatti as Pekar and Hope Davis as Brabner. However, it also features appearances from Pekar and Brabner themselves (along with Toby Radloff), 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 and Lakewood in Ohio.[2]

Contents

[edit] Cast

Actor Role
Paul Giamatti Harvey Pekar
Harvey Pekar Himself
Hope Davis Joyce Brabner
Joyce Brabner Herself
James Urbaniak Robert Crumb
Judah Friedlander Toby Radloff
Toby Radloff Himself

[edit] Differences from comic

  • In the film, the artist who illustrates Brabner's Our Cancer Year is referred to by the nickname "Fred," and not his full name, Frank Stack.
  • In the film, Joyce is shown asking Harvey if they should "skip the whole courtship thing and just get married" during their first date. In the comics Harvey doesn't propose to her until at least the second date.

[edit] Responses

American Splendor won the Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Film at the Sundance Film Festival, in addition to the award for Best Adapted Screenplay from the Writers Guild of America. At the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, the film received the FIPRESCI (critics) award.[3] It was also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2003 Academy Awards. The film has a 94% fresh rating of positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

Columnist Jaime Wolf wrote a laudatory review of the film in Slate, also drawing attention to formal parallels with Woody Allen's Annie Hall and other Allen films.[4]

Pekar wrote about the effects of the film in American Splendor: Our Movie Year.

[edit] Awards and nominations

[edit] Won

Boston Society of Film Critics

  • Best Screenplay (Pulcini and Springer Berman)

Chicago Film Critics Association

  • Most Promising Filmmaker (Pulcini and Springer Berman)

Los Angeles Film Critics Association

National Society of Film Critics

New York Film Critics Circle

  • Best Actress (Davis)
  • Best First Film

Writers Guild of America (WGA)

[edit] Nominated

Academy Awards

Chicago Film Critics Association

  • Best Actor (Giamatti)
  • Best Actress (Davis)
  • Best Film
  • Best Screenplay (Pulcini and Springer Berman)

Golden Globe Awards

Satellite Awards

  • Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Giamatti)
  • Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Davis)
  • Best Director (Pulcini and Springer Berman)
  • Best Film – Musical or Comedy
  • Best Screenplay – Adapted (Pulcini and Springer Berman)

[edit] References

  1. ^ IMDB Writers' Credit page Retrieved 12-28-2008
  2. ^ IMDB Locations' page Retrieved 12-28-2008
  3. ^ 2003 FIPRESCI award winners
  4. ^ Slate "Harvey, Meet Woody: American Splendor vs. Annie Hall" about Harvey Pekar and Woody Allen; by Jaime Wolf 9-24-03. Retrieved 12-28-08

[edit] External links

Awards
Preceded by
Personal Velocity		 Sundance Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic
2003		 Succeeded by
Primer
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