11. American Splendor (2003)
Fine Line FeaturesHarvey Pekar's ongoing series was published intermittently between 1976 and 2008, telling autobiographical tales that were as far removed as possible from the superheroics usually associated with comic books. Focusing on the everyday goings-on surrounding Pekar and those around him, the movie adaptation of American Splendor is both a biopic as well as a satisfying and heartfelt exploration of his life and creative process. Writer/directors Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini scooped the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for their efforts in creating a unique hybrid of documentary and drama that manages to balance dramatized events, illustrations, animations and people playing themselves to great effect, with Paul Giamatti delivering a brilliant central performance as Pekar in a movie as lo-fi and unsentimental as the source material.