Pee-Wee As Himself

When Paul Reubens, best known for his alter-ego Pee-Wee Herman passed away in 2023, it came as a shock to many. The notoriously private entertainer kept his six-year battle with cancer a secret from most, including filmmaker Matt Wolf who was directing an extensive documentary on the legendary comedian.

Reubens, who was extremely possessive of his story, his character, and his legacy, remained conflicted throughout the duration of the production, believing that he should be the one controlling the narrative. He passed before completing his final interview, and the loss took Wolf by surprise. With over 40 hours of interviews, thousands of hours of footage, and access to countless photographs, the documentarian has created an emotional, enthralling, hilarious, and endearing portrait of a character that everyone recognized, but a man that very few knew.

PEE-WEE AS HIMSELF, now streaming in two parts on HBO Max, is an introspective on a natural-born performer who was as complicated as he was talented. The footage, which begins when he was a child, is absolutely incredible. The quality is superb and watching the young man who would grow to become Pee-Wee Herman living his life as a serious bohemian artist before stumbling onto the Groundlings improv group is fascinating. He viewed himself as an elite artist and knew that he was destined for greatness. In reminiscing about growing up watching Disney films, he admitted he would be jealous of the child actors on the screen, because he knew that he could do a better job than them, and someday would. Though he assumed this would come in the form of “serious acting,” he truly began to make his mark when he joined the Groundlings. His characters, work ethic, and experimentations quickly began winning over audiences and performers alike. It was here that Pee-Wee was born. From that point on, the name Paul Reubens began to fade, and Pee-Wee Herman started to shine.

PEE-WEE AS HIMSELF not only features Reubens, but friends, family members, and colleagues. All of them were in awe of his talent, but there were some hurt feelings along the way. Reubens owns up to this, savagely explaining, “it’s show biz, baby” for those who may have felt jilted. This attitude is in jarring contrast to the happy-go-lucky Pee-Wee, but were decisions that Reubens felt had to be made for the sake of the character and his career.

Now is probably a good time to admit that I have always regarded Pee-Wee as one of the greatest (and probably my favorite) comedic characters that has ever existed. Growing up I adored PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE and PEE-WEE’S PLAYHOUSE, and as I grew older, that love never wavered. I rocked Pee-Wee t-shirts in high school, I played BIG ADVENTURE on a loop when I ran video stores, and when my children were old enough, they were introduced to the character that has made me laugh for over three decades. What Wolf’s documentary does so perfectly, is capture of the essence of why the character has resonated for as long as he has. This, of course, is because of Reubens. While many just saw a hyperactive manchild doing everything he could to make you laugh, the brain fueling that performance was always churning, always working. He championed inclusivity without making it overtly obvious and longed to provide audiences, young and old, with something different. He admits feeling disappointed when he, Paul Reubens, didn’t get a whole lot of credit for the creative decisions with PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE, and sagely reflects on the personal sacrifices he made for the sake of mass appeal. From living in the closet to spurning some of those who had worked alongside him for years, he was solely focused on Pee-Wee pushing forward. When it all came crashing down, most in his position would have given up. This period is explored in great detail, and the fact that it wasn’t the end of his story is perhaps one of the most remarkable feats of all.

PEE-WEE AS HIMSELF

GRADE: A+
RATED: TV-MA
RUN TIME: 3h 25min
GENRE: Biography, Documentary
STARRING: Paul Reubens, Lynne Marie Stewart, Cassandra Peterson
DIRECTORs: Matt Wolf

Now streaming on HBO Max

Brian Miller