Wonkette Movie Night: American Splendor
'Why does everybody have to be so stupid?'
“From off the streets of Cleveland comes…”
Harvey Pekar.
In the underground comic American Splendor, Harvey Pekar wrote of his life as a file clerk in a hospital and his troubled marriage. American Splendor utilized the artistic talents of several illustrators starting with the distinctive style of R. Crumb. He also became a very popular guest on “Late Night With David Letterman.”
American Splendor (the movie) is a documentary/dramedy hybrid where the comic book characters interact with the real world, including narrations by the real life Harvey Pekar; with his gruff voice, he appears very much as the ink on paper version of himself.
I recently moved to Cleveland and in my roaming the neighborhood discovered that Harvey Pekar holds an important place in the hearts of Clevelanders.
American Splendor stars Harvey Pekar, Paul Giamatti, Robert Pulcini, Joyce Brabner, Shari Springer Berman, Hope Davis, Josh Hutcherson, Judah Friedlander, Donal Logue, and Molly Shannon. Directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini.
American Splendor is available with subscription on Max and Hulu. $3.99 in the usual places. For free on the Internet Archive (with Spanish subtitles). Free on YouTube.
To make requests and see the movie lists and schedules go to WonkMovie.
The animated short is The Beauty directed by Pascal Schelbli and produced by Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH.
Our next Movie Night selection is Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day.
𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐔𝐒 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐀:
The first film in which Paul Giamatti had the lead role. Giamatti's agent advised Giamatti against auditioning for the role of Harvey Pekar because many well-known actors who were being considered for the role were not going in to read for the part. However, when Giamatti met with directors Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, who told Giamatti that they wanted to see an actor read for the part, only no one would audition. Against the advice of his agents, Giamatti formally read for the role on September 10th, 2001. Two months later, the directors offered the lead role to Giamatti because after 9/11, none of the big name actors that had previously vied for the role wanted to work at all.
𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐔𝐒 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐀:
Harvey is buried in Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland Heights."No one at Lake View Cemetery can recall when the collection of pens started, but they are there now, dozens of them. It isn't uncommon for people to spontaneously start leaving memorabilia at gravesides, the pens, some assume, represent the inspiration Pekar the writer might have inspired."
"Maybe Harvey sparked someone to start writing for a profession," Mary Krohmer added. "We don't know the whole story about the pens but it gives us the opportunity to say people are remembering who Harvey was.""I think again how unique he was," Mary Krohmer said, "He found his niche."https://www.cleveland19.com/story/38633609/pens-cover-harvey-pekars-grave-at-lake-view-cemetery-before-anniversary-of-death-video/