Pee-Wee

Erik Austin
May 29, 2025
1 min read

Just watched Pee-wee as Himself and… wow. What a beautiful, moving tribute to Paul Reubens.

I grew up loving Pee-wee, but this documentary gave me a whole new appreciation for the genius, drive, and heart behind the character. Paul was fiercely committed to his craft and so protective of the world he created. It was inspiring to see how much thought and effort went into making Pee-wee what it was.

It kinda reminded me of me—creating a world, pouring your heart into it, trying to make people laugh while hiding a lot underneath. That deep desire to be understood, but still staying in character.

And the ending really got me. It felt quietly devastating. There was such a loneliness to it that made me cry. It’s hard to watch someone who brought so much joy to others fade away in the shadows.

If you grew up with Pee-wee or just love stories about creative visionaries, I can’t recommend this enough.