PopcornTreeCt

Pretty good movie. It didn't live up to the hype but it was good. Does anyone else think that Paul Giamatti really missed the mark in his performance? Anytime they showed the real Pekar and the Giamatti one they were 2 totally different characters. Harvey Pekar during his David Letterman interview had a certain charm and intelligence about himself, while Paul Giamatti never captured that charm or intelligence. To me they were both totally different characters. What do you think?

FinkPish

I think you're wrong. I think he nailed it perfectly. I think we would have heard from Pekar if Giamatti had not done him justice.

fliggil

I loved the movie, and comparing Pekar/Giamatti, I think he did a fantastic job, and along with FinkPish, I think Pekar was definately an odd enough character that would've said something if he wasn't satisfied. I wish Giamatti would take more roles like this and in Sideways, and less like in Planet of the Apes and Big Fat Liar...and by the looks up his 4 upcoming films on imdb, he is taking my advice

Krug

I thought Giamatti was brilliant too. Did Pekar have charm? An endearing acid wit perhaps.

conscience

Paul Giamatti in American Splendor = Best Male Performance of 2003. (Even better than Bill Murray who is my second choice).

American Splendor = Second Best Picture of 2003 (behind LIT).

Just because he doesn't look or 100% act like Pekar (charm? he had that down pat) doesn't mean he did not own that role (I liked how he brought some depth to it - unlike one performance this year).

I thought the film using actual interventions with the factual people was brilliantly used along with Pekar's narration (maybe that's were you were side stepped on the film as you used the Letterman interview as an example in your original post).

Jepthah

The essence of acting is NOT capturing voice and mannerisms 100%. It is embodying the >character< and I think Paul G. did that brilliantly. Pekar even said so, although he also said that the screen versions of him and his wife were much better-looking.

Count Dooku

To me, the great thing Giamatti did was make his Pekar a character in a movie.

I wouldn't want to watch the real Pekar for 2 hours, and couldn't stand to watch someone doing a dead-on Pekar impression for 2 hours.

Giamatti presented Pekar as a character whose story I was interested in, and who I was able to watch.

He worked the same magic with Sideways. The first 10-15 of that movie I was thinking about walking out of the theatre because I couldn't stand his character and didn't want to watch a movie about him, but Giamatti won me over.

He was ripped off not getting an Oscar nom for AS, and he was ripped again this year!

Cameron

Loved it...the charachter was great....

Revenge....of the Nerds

Slow Hands

Judah Frielander should've been nominated. Also, I wish i could see actual footage of Pekar's breakdown on Letterman. Is that online anywhere?

Jackskeleton

I also loved it. Giamatti really did nail it for a film character. This was one of my favorite films of that year.

Master Shake 05

i too ejoyed this film and think Giamatti did a perfect job. I still need to get the DVD...Pekhar on commentary = fanboy warship!!!!

Squirrel God

This movie was okay. Like PopcornTreeCt, I also don't think it lived up to the hype. I think maybe because I'm not into the comic book scene. It did have a nice style to it though and some funny moments - particularly loved the Revenge of the Nerds references.