Rating: R
Genre: Comedy Drama
Theatrical Release: 08/15/2003(USA
Release Date: 02/03/2004
Dubbed: English
Sound: DS
Run Time: 101 Minutes
Flags: Adult Situations, Adult Humor, Profanity, Sexual Situations
Distributor/Studio: HBO Home Video

The documentary directing team of Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman makes their narrative feature debut with the biographical comedy drama American Splendor. Harvey Pekar (Paul Giamatti) is a comic book writer inspired by the work of his friend Robert Crumb (James Urbaniak). Pekar writes his comics about the sad monotony of everyday life, based on his own life in Cleveland, OH, working as a file clerk at a veteran's hospital and spending his time reading books and listening to jazz. He meets up with Joyce Brabner (Hope Davis) and they enjoy a depressive relationship together. The filmmakers employ a combination of live-action film, video, and animation, including narration and commentary from the real-life Harvey Pekar. The screenplay was based on Pekar's comic book series American Splendor, which he has been writing since 1976 on Dark Horse Comics, and the 1994 book-length comic Our Cancer Year, written by Pekar and Brabner. American Splendor won the Grand Jury Prize in the Dramatic Competition at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival.

~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

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Cast:
Paul Giamatti - Harvey Pekar
Hope Davis - Joyce Brabner
Harvey Pekar - Real Harvey
Shari Springer Berman - Interviewer
James Urbaniak - Robert Crumb
Judah Friedlander - Toby Radloff
Earl Billings - Mr. Boats
Joyce Brabner - Real Joyce
Madylin Sweeten - Danielle
James McCaffrey - Fred
Danielle Batone - Real Danielle
Maggie Moore - Alice Quinn

Production:
Shari Springer Berman Robert Pulcini - Director
Ted Hope - Producer
Mark Suozzo - Composer
Robert Pulcini - Editor
Shari Springer Berman Robert Pulcini - Screen Writer
Robert Desue - Set Designer
Twinkle - Animator
Harvey Pekar - Book Author
Joyce Brabner - Book Author
Ann Goulder - Casting
Terry Stacey - Cinematographer
Michael Wilkinson - Costume Designer
Chip Signore - First Assistant Director
Linda Cohen - Musical Direction/Supervision
Therese DePrez - Production Designer
Whit Norris - Sound/Sound Designer
Nicholas Renbeck - Supervising Sound Editor
Twinkle - Visual Effects
Julia King - Associate Producer

Trees Lounge [P&S]
    Steve Buscemi / R / 1996
Barton Fink
    John Turturro / R / 1991
24 Hour Party People
    Steve Coogan / R / 2002
Dedication
    Billy Crudup / R / 2007
Ghost World
    Thora Birch / R / 2001
Art School Confidential
    Max Minghella / R / 2006
Wonder Boys
    Michael Douglas / R / 2000
Adaptation
    Nicolas Cage / R / 2002

2003 Writers Guild of America

2003 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie

2003 National Society of Film Critics

2003 Toronto Film Critics Association

2003 National Board of Review

2003 American Film Institute

2003 Chicago Film Critics Association

2003 Sundance Film Festival

2003 Deauville Film Festival

2003 New York Film Critics Circle

2003 Golden Globe

2003 Independent Spirit Awards

2003 Los Angeles Film Critics Association