Working-class hero Harvey Pekar (Paul Giamatti) found success in
the '70s and '80s as the author of the underground comic book
"American Splendor," which chronicled his often-pathetic life as a
file clerk in Cleveland, Ohio. Years of frustration and tediousness
leave Pekar depressed, bitter and cynical - "a reliable
disappointment" as he puts it. Nothing goes right for Pekar. Vocal
chord damage leaves his voice weak and raspy; his first wife dumps
him soon after; and he gets stuck in a dead-end job. Finally, after
befriending comic book artist Robert Crumb (see 1994's "Crumb"),
Pekar got the idea to channel his misery into his own comic
book.

Pekar approaches life with brutal honesty and tells his stories
without fear or favor. To call him a straight shooter would be an
understatement; when he first meets Joyce Brabner (Hope Davis), a
loyal fan and his future wife, he tells her point blank "You might
as well know right off the bat - I had a vasectomy." Pekar is
unique without being at all colorful. Think of him as one dismal
shade of gray.

Paul Giamatti emerges as a gifted leading man after a decade of
supporting roles. He captures Harvey Pekar's bitterness perfectly,
and the aura of misery he exudes is palpable. Hope Davis has a
similar coming out as Pekar's bookish wife, Joyce. Davis plays the
eternally patient wife with quiet confidence and provides a
peculiar emotional center for the film. In one of the film's
juicier roles, Judah Friedlander plays Pekar's hopelessly nerdy
friend, Toby Radloff. While at first it may seem that Friedlander
is over the top in his portrayal, an appearance by the real Toby
Radloff proves that Friedlander's performance is spot-on.

Effectively telling the story of someone as unique and quirky as
Harvey Pekar requires a film that is equally unconventional.
Directors Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini break all the
rules, casually mixing documentary and narrative in an innovative
style. Informal interviews with the real-life Harvey Pekar mix with
more traditional sections featuring Giamatti, whom Pekar introduces
in voiceover as "the guy who plays me."

In the end, "American Splendor" is oddly life affirming. If a
man as bitter and cynical as Harvey Pekar can make it in this
world, anyone can.

Rating: 4 1/2 stars