As Pee-wee Herman, Paul Reubens was a performance artist hiding in plain sight in mainstream popular culture. His fictional character, a hyperactive, bow-tied man-child, provided subversive messages about nonconformity in films such as “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” and his classic Saturday morning TV show, “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.” Fans adored his playful insouciance as he celebrated difference and inclusivity.
But as shown in Matt Wolf’s riveting 2-part documentary, “Pee-wee as Himself,” which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Reubens lost himself as he found fame as his alter ego. That point is driven home several times in the film, most notably when Reubens chooses his career over a personal life. As a gay man, Reubens went “back into the closet” after a relationship ended, seeking fame instead of family. How much of Pee-wee is Reubens or how much of Reubens is Pee-wee is left for audiences to deduce. But Reubens does show how at least one of Pee-wee’s mannerisms was stolen from his ex, Guy.
