What makes the film special throughout is the way its form mirrors its subject matter. On every level, it's a film about unlikely marriages.

Mild fame may have patronized these folks, but the movie pays them a comic homage that feels flattering, fast-witted, and true.

I can't imagine how the filmmakers went about it, let alone pulled the whole thing off, but their film comes together in unpredictable and remarkably pleasurable ways.

Where does the artwork end and the artist begin? American Splendor looks to explore the notion while creating both arresting answers and darkly comical conundrums.