Pee-wee

Greetings again from the darkness. Even the title is a form a trickery. First of all, there was no Pee-wee Herman other than the character portrayed by Paul Reubens. Secondly, much of what this documentary presents is not from Pee-wee, but rather from Paul Reubens 'himself'. And it goes directly to the point - the public adored Pee-wee Herman, while Paul Reubens was a bit more complicated. Documentarian Matt Wolf (SPACESHIP EARTH, 2020; the excellent RECORDER: THE MARION STOKES PROJECT, 2019) presents a two-part documentary for HBO that strives to clarify the line between man and character.

Paul Reubens died of cancer in 2023. Prior to that, he sat for 40 hours of recorded interviews with Matt Wolf, offering perspective on his career, his background, his motivation, and his self. While we see Reubens speaking directly to the camera quite a bit, Wolf utilizes a treasure trove of clips and photographs, as well as other interviews to paint the full picture of how the man and character came to be so closely associated.

Part One details Reubens' influence from children's television shows like "Captain Kangaroo", "Howdy Doody", "Kukla, Fran and Ollie", and "The Little Rascals". It's because of these programs that from an early age, he wanted to be an actor ... and was convinced Lucy and Desi were his real parents. Art School (with classmates David Hasselhoff and Katie Segal) drew him to performance art, and also led to his first serious romantic relationship with Guy. Reubens eventually decided to focus on his career, and described himself as out and then back in (the closet), since he was able to "pass" (as heterosexual). We see clips of him performing on "The Gong Show" and with The Groundlings, including Phil Hartman and Laraine Newman ... which is where he laid the foundation for the Pee-Wee character. Clips from "The Dating Game" proved Pee-wee had appeal.

The commitment to the Pee-wee Herman character was a career choice, and it's fascinating to learn that actress Shelley Duvall recommended Tim Burton to direct PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE (1985). The story behind the bicycle is a gem, and the film jump-started the career of both Burton and Pee-Wee ... errr ... Reubens. Reubens admits to his ambition and willingly hiding behind the Pee-wee alter ego.

PART TWO focuses on the iconic stardom of Pee-wee Herman in the 1980's. Building on the popularity of the first film, "Pee-wee's Playhouse" was developed as a 1986 children's TV show, in the vein of those that so influenced a young Reubens. There was even a Pee-wee doll that became a best-selling gift. Reubens explained that beyond entertainment, his goal with the show was to make inclusion the "norm". He wanted a place where all kids felt they belonged. Laurence Fishburne admits he didn't "get" Pee-Wee, but needed the work and gladly took the job as Cowboy Curtis. BIG TOP PEE-WEE (1988) followed, and may have been the last enjoyable moment for Pee-Wee/Reubens to bask in the spotlight.

After years of living an extremely private life, his 1991 arrest for indecent exposure at an adult theatre instantly changed his life. 'Playhouse' re-runs stopped immediately, as did sales of the doll. Paul Reubens' mug shot became a meme ... early 90's style. Unfortunately, this wasn't his last public scandal, yet remarkably, Reubens was able to create a second half of his career as a character actor and voice actor - with only a few additional roles in the Pee-wee Herman suit.

The documentary includes clips of his parents and an interview with his sister, as well as input from directors Tim Burton and Judd Apatow. Reubens explains the inner turmoil of having his creation, Pee-wee Herman, be awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, while Reubens himself has not. Towards the end of the film, Wolf plays the self-recorded audio that Reubens recorded the day before he died. Although he discusses his desire to bring joy to the masses, we can't help but question the failed friendships along the way. And though Paul Reubens may very well have been a creative genius, we must finally ask, "I know you are but what am I?"

Premiering on HBO on Friday May 23, 2025.

Despite being listed as an executive producer, Paul Reubens was apparently distrustful (and possibly contemptuous) of the making of this documentary about his life, his career, and his famous alter-ego, Pee-wee Herman. If so, he needn't have been so fearful as director Matt Wolf has whittled down some 40hrs of interview footage into a well-paced, well-narrated 3hr-22mns (separated into two parts for release on HBO and Max). Born Paul Reubenfeld in chilly Peekskill, NY, the children's TV show-loving Paul was happy to eventually relocate with his family to Sarasota, FL, where the local Ringling Bros. Circus activity sparked the theatrical performer in young Paul. As an incredibly ambitious, smart, self-aware young adult, Paul Reubens' flair for outré style in college turned "weird" into an art form, and he was never without admirers of both sexes. Joining an acting troupe in Los Angeles--eventually known as The Groundlings--Reubens tried out different characters on-stage before settling on his most popular creation, the child-like Pee-wee Herman. That's where this documentary really takes off, showing how a long-fought journey to fame paid off for Paul--and how stardom isn't always a fair trade for anonymity. For fans, this is a terrific summation of an iconic man--warts and all--who loved making people laugh but who was also a perfectionist and a bit of a diva. At one point, Reubens acknowledges that his entire focus was "Me, me, me", and he's defensive and bitter about the legal troubles that dogged him in his final years ("The public has a mind like a steel trap!"). Did Paul Reubens ever forgive some of his fans and former colleagues for turning their backs on him when times got rough? Maybe not--but he certainly wasn't regretful at the time of his death in 2023. He had nothing to feel sorry about. *** from ****

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.

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.

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.