Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff
An original mix of fiction and reality illuminates the life of comic book hero everyman Harvey Pekar.
American Splendor (2003) is a comedy and drama film directed by Robert Pulcini, released on August 15, 2003 with a runtime of 1h 41m. It stars Paul Giamatti, Hope Davis, Judah Friedlander and James Urbaniak. Viewers rate it 7.1 out of 10 across 560 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for American Splendor before you stream it.
Paul Giamatti
as Harvey Pekar
Hope Davis
as Joyce Brabner
Judah Friedlander
as Toby Radloff
James Urbaniak
as Robert Crumb
Earl Billings
as Mr. Boats
James McCaffrey
as Fred
Maggie Moore
as Alice Quinn
Vivienne Benesch
as Lana
Daniel Tay
as Young Harvey
Harvey Pekar
as Real Harvey
Donal Logue
as Stage Actor Harvey
Josh Hutcherson
as Robin
Directed by Robert Pulcini, written by Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini and Harvey Pekar, produced by Ted Hope.
Average viewer score of 7.1/10 from 560 ratings.
With his glass invariably half-empty, poor old Harvey (Paul Giammatti) discovers that he hasn't got throat cancer, but does have a nodule on his throat that will curtail his ability to speak for a few months. That proves to be quite a problem when he returns home to find his girlfriend is leaving him! Now on his own, he takes more solace in his mundane job as a clerk at an hospital where he engages with his…
Reviewed on July 6, 2026
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American Splendor (2003) is available to stream on HBO Max Amazon Channel and HBO Max, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of American Splendor (2003) includes Paul Giamatti, Hope Davis, Judah Friedlander, James Urbaniak and Earl Billings. The film was directed by Robert Pulcini. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
American Splendor was released on August 15, 2003 and runs for 1h 41m.
American Splendor (2003) holds an average rating of 7.1 out of 10 from 560 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy comedy and drama films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official American Splendor trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
