American Splendor
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Sun 15 February 2004 // 19:00
Sun 15 February 2004 // 21:00
Mon 16 February 2004 // 19:00
Mon 16 February 2004 // 21:00
Tue 17 February 2004 // 19:00
Wed 18 February 2004 // 21:00
Thu 19 February 2004 // 19:00
Thu 19 February 2004 // 21:00
(Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini / 2003 / 101min / cert 15)
(Sun 15th - Thur 19th / 7pm/9pm / £4/3 )
American Splendour is the story of Harvey Peekar, the hospital filing clerk from Cleveland, Ohio, who made himself a hero by making his life a comic.
Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff, if you choose to observe it.
Inspired by his comic book drawing friend Robert Crumb, Peekar could only himself draw stick people; but Crumb loved his ideas, seeing in them the cynical self-deprecating comic book humour, and agreed to do the drawing. Self published for years, the story follows Peekah as his wife leaves him and through his falling in love with a comic book store owner. The romance mirrors the neurotic, yet hilarious romances epitomised by Annie and Alvie ("Annie Hall") and Keith and Candice Marie ("Life Is Sweet").
Genuine Nerds a plenty, with docu footage of Peekar on David Letterman, the brilliant characterisation and animation make this film an engrossing thrill.