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Good Machine
HBO Films
Not part of a collection.
Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff
An original mix of fiction and reality illuminates the life of comic book hero everyman Harvey Pekar.
CinemaSerf
Jul 6, 2026 · via TMDB
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 colleagues about the price of jellybeans (and their suitability for abstinence during lent) whilst at home, he immerses himself in his books and his extensive collection of second hand jazz. It's at one of his favourite markets that he encounters the enigmatic "Crumb" (James Urbaniak) who designs the artwork for greetings cards. They remain friends throughout the forthcoming years as the latter man finds success with his own brand of comic book. That inspires Harvey to have a go at his own, more gritty, publication that draws it's inspiration from Jimmy Carter's America - and it doesn't pull it's punches. Whilst this publication isn't exactly a roaring success, it does get him onto the somewhat condescending chat show circuit and it also sees him hook up with "Joyce" (Hope Davis) whom he quickly discovers is a sort of soul mate and an equally powerful motivator for his succes - even if there is a fair degree of spatting going on between them! Running in parallel to this quite entertaining critique of his life is more of a documentary style of story that features the real Harvey Pekar whose contributions serve as almost an antidote to the eccentric characterisation from Giammatti whilst also authenticating it. He doesn't relive the same incidents from a different perspective, or anything like that. It's more like the film presents us with an anchor of the facts to remind us that what can appear as feintly ridiculous is in fact rooted in truth. In many ways this reminded me of something Woody Allen might have presented, especially as there's quite a reliance on the music and it is quite episodic in it's delivery as it quite successfully produces a work of faction that raises smiles and grimaces as his life meanders on erractically.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Paul Giamatti
Harvey Pekar
Hope Davis
Joyce Brabner
Judah Friedlander
Toby Radloff
James Urbaniak
Robert Crumb
Earl Billings
Mr. Boats
James McCaffrey
Fred
Maggie Moore
Alice Quinn
Vivienne Benesch
Lana
Daniel Tay
Young Harvey
Harvey Pekar
Real Harvey
Donal Logue
Stage Actor Harvey
Josh Hutcherson
Robin
Molly Shannon
Stage Actor Joyce
Toby Radloff
Toby Radloff
Madylin Sweeten
Danielle
Ebon Moss-Bachrach
MTV Director
David Letterman
Self (archive footage)
Kurt Loder
Self (archive footage)
Shari Springer Berman
Interviewer (voice)
Larry John Meyers
Throat Doctor
Eli Ganias
Pahls
Sylvia Kauders
Old Jewish Lady
Robert Pulcini
Bob the Director
Mike Rad
Rand
Amy K. Harmon
Cheery Waitress
Jesse Perez
Miguel
Jason Stevens
Letterman Regular (voice)
Terry Stacey
Director of Photography
Michael Wilkinson
Costume Design
Robert Pulcini
Director
Shari Springer Berman
Director
Robert Pulcini
Editor
Ted Hope
Producer
Mark Suozzo
Original Music Composer
Harvey Pekar
Comic Book
Harvey Pekar
Novel
Robert Pulcini
Writer
Shari Springer Berman
Writer
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Bicara Cinta
2020
The Pied Pipers of Harlow
1965
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
Leaderboard →Playing as a guest — sign in to save your score and rank on the leaderboard.
Movie Trivia
Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
What movie experience do you prefer?
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