American Splendor? I don't think so!

Films/DVD Asylum

Movies from comedy to drama to your favorite Hollyweird Star.

Went last night, opening night in Boston, good theatre, big screen, sympathetic audience... hated it!
Well, bored by it would be more accurate.
Chalk up another failure to develop a good movie from literary sources.
Since they first started coming out I've been a fan of Harvey Pekar's comics, and own every issue. The material just doesn't work on screen, even assisted by snaps of the original drawings.
The young couple I went with, who had never seen an American Splendor, quite agreed.
The acting? Hope Davis was terriffic, almost worth the price of admission. Paul Giamotti as Harvey smoothed out the original's abrasiveness, foulmouthedness and inane leftist politics, succumbing instead to a bunch of ticks and facial expressions. But that's the way the part was written -- by two two Friends of Harvey.
Nor was I pleased that the music track did not conform to the pictures of the records on the turntables. And the way Harvey handled books and records -- especially 78s -- was gross, not to be believed.
A disappointment overall.
Below I append a short letter I wrote to EW last week.
clark
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I don't know about his movie, but Harvey Pekar's "first feature-length comic... in a national magazine" blew. (Sorry, Harv.) Its narrative drabness also featured numerous suckups to Hollywood: "Rob Schneider, the gifted popular movie and TV comedian..."; "Ted was a humane, reasonable guy..."; "Top-notch movies like 'The Ice Storm'"; "Then Ted pulled off a miracle." Nary a speck of irony there.
But Pekar's original American Splendors are brilliant works populated by myriad characters unseen in literature of any sort. I bought them all as they came out and soon enough dupes too. (Lucky people may find some on e-bay.) Then once twelve years ago I dared to place a fan call to Harvey, and Joyce answered. Harvey was "busy" but I offered to send him my own litle book gratis. Ever the indomitable woman, she replied, "I don't think he'd be interested."
Oh well. Sic transit gloria comix.

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Topic - American Splendor? I don't think so! - clarkjohnsen 06:57:33 08/23/03 (3)

Re: American Splendor? I don't think so! - TA 18:09:16 08/24/03 (2)

You're very kind, and probably correct. nt - clarkjohnsen 10:24:29 08/25/03 (1)

Re: You're very kind, and probably correct. nt - TA 19:57:00 08/25/03 (0)

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