In the candid, absorbing documentary, “Pee-wee as Himself,” the late Paul Reubens wants to set the record straight. While he kept a very private life — hiding his homosexuality as well as his cancer diagnosis from the public — he received much unwanted attention following an arrest for indecent exposure and additional legal trouble for a child pornography case that resulted in a misdemeanor obscenity charge.
Director Matt Wolf shrewdly recounts Reubens’ life and his career as both Pee-wee and the "character" of himself in this revealing two-part documentary, in which Reubens talks about his childhood and his experiences at Cal Arts, as well as a same-sex relationship that ended so Reubens could have a career. Developing his comedy stylings at the Groundlings, Reubens is shown making a beeline towards fame, achieving it when “The Pee-wee Herman Show” became a hit on stage, then through a TV series and movies. The clips Wolf assembles from a phenomenal archive are thrilling to see. So too are the interview segments from the 40 hours Wolf recorded with Reubens.
