Pee-wee as Himself

A peek behind the bow-tie, revealing a unique, complicated, and somewhat challenging person. After decades of being exposed to the carefully curated Pee Wee persona and media sensationalized Paul Ruebens, we finally meet the real person. Fortunately, the documentary doesn't attempt to glorify/villainize or pass judgement, allowing the viewer to take away their own interpretation of the man. Magical dreamer? Calculating control freak? Lighthearted and kind? Troubled and difficult? Perhaps, a mixture of all? "Pee Wee As Himself" lays open his life and personal reflections for the viewer to decide.

There's an astonishing honesty about this documentary that Pee-wee admits: Few of us get to make a final statement about their lives. The filmmakers were unaware that Paul Ruebens was battling cancer for several years before they made the film. In fact, Paul padded away a few months after it was completed. Like Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs, a person facing death finds honest self-revelation easier than a person still protecting their identity and public image. Through out the film, Paul Ruebens consistently reveals that he finds it difficult to separate his alter-ego Pee-wee from the person Paul. When he gets a star on the Hollywood walk of fame, he notes that it was Pee-wee whose name is on the star, not Paul's. There are many revelations about Pee-wee's creative process including how the storyline of Pee-we's Big Adventure came about. While he and writer-director Tim Burton were developing the screenplay on the Warner Brothers studio, he saw many actors riding the lot of bicycles, so he asked: How do I get a bicycle? The next day, a 1950s era Schwinn DX showed up outside his office. Pee-wee ran into the office and told Burton he knew the plot would center on Pee-wee's love for that bicycle, how it would be stolen and how his adventure would be getting to back. It's a beautiful film about a child-like actor who mixed his fantasies with life's realities.

Whatever can be said about Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman), the best explanation of who he really was resides in this excellent new Max two-part documentary "Pee-wee as Himself." Essentially, this is Paul Reubens interviewing himself, unfolding his deeply personal and often lonely life and his hard fought and spectacular rise to fame from the ground up.

But then came his controversial arrest in Florida, and later, a dubious investigation in California, both having the net effect of killing his career. In a sometimes homophonic and politically-driven society, Reubens certainly had the deck stacked against him.

Reubens publicly "outs" himself in this documentary, something he could not safely bring himself to do throughout his personal and professional life. He likely felt at this point in his storied career he had nothing to lose.

Ironically, the filmmakers and even many of Reuben's closest friends had no idea that he was quietly fighting cancer. Paul, of course, knew, and he wanted to make sure his self revealing documentary would be shown after his death. For various reasons (explained in the documentary), it would not air until May 23, 2025.

Reubens passed away July 30, 2023 at age 70.

Growing up in the 80s was fun, cartoon's on Saturday morning and Pee-week's playhouse what some people would say about Pee Wee would mean nothing because I know he bought joy to me as a kid. This documentary shows the real person he was and shown his passion for Pee Wee as a character. People say show your love and I truly believe Paul had his heart on his shoulder. When I heard he passed away I did cry and hearing his last word on this series broke my heart but in this series only shows his heart if you grew up in the 80s this is a must see even if you didn't grow up in the 80s 90s and love Pee Wee I would recommend watching this.

As a kid growing up in the 1980s Pee-wee was a household name. His incredible film Pee-wee's Big Adventure is a classic. Not to mention the follow-up Big Top Pee-wee. The effort he put into entertaining the public was never appreciated by most except a few true fans. This documentary goes over his childhood, stage work and films. Very well done and a great tribute to one of my favorite people of all-time.

His brief roles in movies like Cheech & Chongs Next Movie, Blow and Buffy the Vampire Slayer are really interesting and show a dynamic of Paul Reubens that went mostly unnoticed. Thank you Paul for the years of laughter and smiles.