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Interview with Shari Berman and Robert Pulcini
HBO
What is "American Splendor" about?
ROBERT PULCINI
"American Splendor," is about the life of Harvey Pekar, a great character who
was dealt a very simple hand in life and managed to make something special out of his
life, through the unlikely medium of comic books.
SHARI BERMAN
Harvey lived his life as a file clerk at the Cleveland VA Hospital. But he had
something he had to say. He had to express himself somehow. And he found a very
unusual and unlikely medium to express himself through. The movie is about a person
finding, sort of, a life through their art; which happens to be creating comic
books.
HBO
Forty years at one job; why did Harvey do that?
ROBERT PULCINI
Well, I think there is a certain - obsessive compulsiveness to the way Harvey
has organized his life. I don't think he could have survived without some kind of
creative outlet. So, I think that those two things fed off each other. He kept in
touch with the everyday person in his work. And found a way to express himself in his
art. But he latched onto the idea of expressing himself through his comic books.
HBO
It's interesting how you have combined three different techniques - documentary
style, and dramatic film and animation. Can you talk about how that came about?
ROBERT PULCINI
Well, it was hard to imagine a movie about Harvey Pekar without Harvey Pekar in
the film. We come from a documentary background. And in a way, the process of writing
the screenplay was a lot like making a documentary because we had all this raw footage,
which were the comic books. And we needed to organize them in some way and make sense
of them, to tell a cohesive story.
It was something that came very natural to us. We also work as writers. So
this was a project where we got to do a lot of the things we love to do.
SHARI BERMAN
It's interesting, because we have a sort of schizophrenic career. We have these
documentary films that we have made. But we also have a career, as screenwriters,
writing narrative films that are set up with different studios. So it was a perfect
project for us, because it literally took what we are good at: doing bio-pics about
unusual figures, sort of fringe characters, but that have something that resonates on
an interesting level for us.
HBO
The first time you met Harvey, what was it like?
ROBERT PULCINI
Well, we had a fun relationship. We got on very well on the phone. But, I
think when he first saw us, he said, he didn't want to work with anyone who was "Gen
X." You know? He said a lot of these things. And I think when he saw us, I think he
assumed that were a lot younger than we are. And, I think he was a bit disappointed.
Then we got along great.
HBO
You didn't say you were from Hollywood, that was a big plus?
ROBERT PULCINI
Right. [LAUGHTER] He appreciates the fact that we were from New York.
SHARI BERMAN
In making documentaries, you get to meet all kinds of people. The more
eccentric, or - unique, or special a person is, the better it is for your movie. So, we
have an affection. I mean, we are not, political documentary filmmakers. So, it's all
about character for us. So, the minute we met Harvey we were like - "This guy is a
fantastic character." And he is.
And we have actually grown to be incredibly fond of him. He is a good person,
and a really talented, lovely man. So, we were very happy when we met him.
HBO
Why didn't you delve more into his earlier life?
SHARI BERMAN
You have to pick. You can do a chronicle from birth to death. But that's not
a narrative then. That's just sort of a recounting. So, you have to select some
important aspect of somebody's life, or some period of their life, or even just some
event of their life, both emotionally and also narratively. And so, for us, Harvey's
life became about his need to express himself, and ultimately his need to find a life.
This is a man, who seemed incapable of finding a life. And through these comic books,
he found a wife. He ultimately found a child; And he got recognition, and carved a
life for himself.
HBO
Was there a point where Harvey looked over the script and said, "That didn't
happen that way."
ROBERT PULCINI
He had no objections, because the spirit of his life, I think, is really in the
script, 'cause it's all in the comic books. And Harvey understands narrative; he knows
that sometimes you have to collapse a character; two characters into one character, to
serve a purpose. I think he appreciated what we did.
SHARI BERMAN
I mean, we used his comic books as a point of inspiration, but then we went and
made a movie, that was a whole new thing, inspired by his life. But the rule was to
always be in the spirit of Harvey, of his life.
HBO
Technically talk a little about the effects you use. We see Harvey throughout
the film as both real and as a cartoon character in the film.
SHARI BERMAN
The way we do that is, we pick certain directions that we will be shooting in,
and there will not be anybody there. But we are pretending. Like, let's say we are
shooting straight ahead. Then when we go to post, the people who are doing our effects
will then put in a comic book drawing of Harvey. And then we look in another
direction, and there will be all these real people; and then, a comic book. You know?
It's like a matting effect will be done.
HBO
The scene where Harvey actually - drops the file. And is it a deceased file?
It was Charlie Marshall? What is that scene about? Is it about his mortality?
ROBERT PULCINI
I would say differently. I think that Harvey has always been concerned about
his legacy, and what he leaves behind. I think that's always been a big issue for him,
in his life. Will he just leave this earth, having left nothing; and just, you know,
spent his life waiting on supermarket lines and filing things? And I think that in the
story, that's a moment that contributes to his finding the right creative outlet for
him, in order to leave his mark.
HBO
Talk a little about the significance of Toby Radloff in the story...
SHARI BERMAN
Toby is like Robin to Batman; Harvey's Batman. Toby is Harvey's sidekick. One
of the things that's so wonderful about Harvey's world is it's filled with real
wonderful characters that are truly American, that you don't see in movies. You don't
see these people in movies. They are in real life. And they are quirky; they don't -
fit stereotypes. You know? I mean, Toby is just... no words can describe him, the
real Toby. And Harvey is fascinated by him, his true oddness. He celebrates that. He
loves that. That's why he keeps going, I think.
One of the things of making this movie in Cleveland is, we keep saying it's
American. Whenever we see certain things, we say it's - "American Splendor." But it
really is Harvey; which is, things that, on the surface, don't look beautiful are
really beautiful and unique and specific. I mean, a lot of Cleveland, on the surface,
it doesn't look like Paris. But, it's really got tremendous character. And there is a
lot of beauty that we are trying to capture with our cameras in this movie that we feel
like Harvey captured in his comics.
I think that's the way that Harvey sees the world. I think Harvey sees beauty
in the uniqueness of two guys carrying a mattress, dumping it; and having some really,
kind of interesting, philosophical moments. Those little pearls that he hears is what
he sees as like, beautiful. It's his symphony.
ROBERT PULCINI
It's what he sees is worth preserving. He didn't want to make sunny little
portraits of his life. He wanted to do authentic portraits of the things he saw in his
life. And, I think there is irony in the title, "American Splendor," but it's also not
ironic, you know? I think there is some really generally heartfelt moments in his
comics that make you want to cry. I mean, he has the ability to do both.
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