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Film based on the life of underground
comic book writer Harvey Pekar: We see through cartoons and live
action his life while he struggles professionally, he meets his
wife, survives cancer treatments and becomes a cultural icon. While
Paul Giamatti stars as Pekar, the real Pekar also shows up to set
scenes and elucidate events. Also with Hope Davis, James Urbaniak
and Judah Friedlander. Directed by Shari Springer Berman, Bob
Pulcini and Robert Pulcini. [1:40]
SEX/NUDITY 3 - A woman kisses a man, and he moves
closer to her to kiss her again. A man and a woman kiss and hug, and
a man and a woman kiss in bed. A man and a woman are shown in bed
together and we see his bare chest and shoulders. A man kisses a
woman's neck, and a man and a woman kiss on stage during a play. A
man is shown in his boxer shorts in a doctor's examining room, a man
sits in his underwear in a few other scenes, a man removes his shirt
and is bare-chested. A man puts his hand in his pants to scratch. We
see a drawing of a nude woman lying on her back with her arm
covering her breasts. A man talks about having had a vasectomy. A
man invites a woman to stay at his apartment.
VIOLENCE/GORE 4 - A man kicks things and throws things
around in a room. A man is very angry throughout the movie and is
frequently angry with people around him, like with an elderly woman
at the grocery store (his anger plays out in his head, not
outwardly). Also a man yells at his wife in several scenes, a man
and a woman yell at each other, and a man yells at and insults a
man. A man collapses onto the floor. A man puts his hand in his
pants to scratch and feels a lump (we hear that it is a malignant
tumor). A woman vomits (we hear gagging), a woman vomits on stage
during a play (we hear gagging). A man washes his hair and clumps
fall out into his hands. We see drawings of a man suffering from the
effects of chemotherapy: weakness, vomiting, and irritability. A
cartoon man burps and scratches his stomach.
PROFANITY 5 - 5 F-words, 2 sexual references, 25
scatological terms, 3 anatomical terms, 21 mild obscenities, 4
religious profanities, 6 religious exclamations, 1 derogatory
reference to Chinese people, 1 derogatory term for Jewish people. [profanity glossary]
DISCUSSION TOPICS - Comic books, the American Dream,
loneliness, depression, success, cancer, goals, self-destructive
behavior, marital separation and divorce, obsessive-compulsive
behavior, attention deficit disorder, chaos, retirement,
stereotypes, vegetarianism, PETA, delusions of grandeur.
MESSAGE - Ordinary life is complex and full of ups and
downs.
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