American Splendor (2003)

The tale of ornery Cleveland file clerk Harvey Pekar, Splendor is partly based on a series of autobiographical comics written by Pekar. In some ways a commentary on biopics themselves, Pekar and his wife Joyce appear at several points to comment on the film and on the actors—Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis—playing them on screen. Seeing and hearing the real Pekar only goes to show what a bangup performance Giamatti gave.

See Richard Schickel's review of American Splendor