AMERICAN SPLENDOR (2003)  **

Reviewed 8/15/03

AMERICAN SPLENDOR is the (mostly true) story of Cleveland comic book writer Harvey Pekar (Paul Giamatti), who got his start through the aid of friend, Robert Crumb (James Urbaniak in an uncanny performance), married Delaware fan Joyce Brabner (Hope Davis), became a regular guest on the David Letterman Show, and battled cancer.   With both the real Pekar and a cartoon version constantly interrupting the main narrative, this movie is as meta as they come, to the point of irritation.  I’m all for self-deprecating humor, but that is all AMERICAN SPLENDOR is, until the last 30 minutes.   Even if Pekar himself takes part in it, all the jokes inviting hip audiences to laugh at how dysfunctional, weird, and pathetic the characters are get tiresome.  The final segment isn’t really any better than the rest of the movie, but at least its sentimental bent is a thankful change in tone.  Despite some acclaim for his performance, Giamatti mostly just grimaces throughout.   Producer Ted Hope makes a voice cameo by inviting Harvey onto the David Letterman Show over the phone.