I expected more. Listed at #35 on the American Film Institute’s record of “100 Years… 100 Laughs,” Harvey is ranked not among, but above, such classics as City Lights, Animal House and American Graffiti. How or why I’m not entirely sure. The film is pretty thoroughly devoid of humor and director Henry Koster spends most of his time exploiting the persona of his star, James Stewart, for his own benefit. Harvey seems to be a film constructed solely as a way for the viewer to spend a couple hours with James Stewart’s pleasant personality. And if that’s all you want, he and his good old boy, awww-shucks demeanor are in full display here as Elwood P. Dowd, a personable, potentially deranged fella who just happens to see a 6-foot, 3-and-a-half inch tall rabbit he calls Harvey. Harvey’s a pooka, what Wikipedia refers to as, “a mischievous, magical creature from Celtic mythology” and the only thing Elwood likes more than having conversations appears to be introducing this furry friend of his. Naturally, this causes problems for his family… because they can no longer throw dinner parties with Uncle Elwood around. Apparently it interferes with his niece’s social life (a girl’s gotta get married after all!), and his sister decides to have him committed for it. These two characters, his hag sister (Josephine Hull in a ghastly performance that somehow stole an Oscar) and his bratty niece, are both horrendously awful characters, such poor female incarnations that I was frankly shocked to see a woman (Mary Chase) had a hand in writing it. Also, James Stewart somehow manages to be the best part of and the biggest reason the film doesn’t work, all at the same time. He’s just so nice that it’s not funny when everyone starts acting irrationally around him, trying to lock up this perfectly charming guy. Sure, he’s a bit bonkers – but as the film seems to want to say – maybe it’s good to be a little mental? I’ll stick with Stewart on this one, who himself liked his West End theatre performance better, one that was darker and led you to believe Elwood might be truly unstable. That’s enough personal vindication for me.
7 comments:
Ok I know I haven't posted anything in a little while and I'll be getting to it soon as well as catch up on some films including our Screening Room Sessions, but I had to comment here.
Who the hell doesn't love "Harvey." I think you should seriously think about excommunicating yourself to your own cave where ogres, bat guano, and Scott Stapp resides. I heard a lot of blasphemy in these here parts, but I will not let this one slide.
Maybe it is because it is nostalgic for me. Harvey was one of the first B&W films I ever saw (perhaps the first). My Dad loved it and was watching it. I being a little tyke, had no interest if the movie featured people who had died, so I didn't care. But he convinced me simply by saying it had a six foot tall rabbit in it. I watched it and was probably upset that you don't see enough of the bunny, but dammit if I didn't latch on to the sweet natured Elwood P. Dowd.
Jimmy Stewart here gives perhaps the singular greatest comic performance I've ever seen. He doesn't pander to us, he doesn't over do it, he just IS. He doesn't look for laughs, but finds them in the simple delivery of a line, or a reaction, or in his completely uncynical look on life. I wish I was as good hearted and understanding of society as Elwood is. To steal a quote from "As Good As it Gets"...Elwood "makes me want to be a better person". One who always thinks what it is like to be in another's shoes, one who looks for the good instead of the bad.
I'm a cynical bastard. I look at something and always assume there is a smoke screen there. On American Idol, they did an Idol Gives Back charity where you see Bono and Co. come out and tell us to save the world. I think they do it all for the publicity, not because they actually care. I see a politician say they want provide better school systems, but think they say that simply because they want to get the votes from the teachers and than trash the proposals over a salary bump for themselves. Back in the day, Pope John Paul II forgave his attempted killer. I look at it not as a genuine act of forgiveness, but as an act of bringing support to the Catholic community once their altar boys start tattling about their priests touching them.
Elwood would not think this. He would believe in the good, not the bad. That may be simple naivety, but it seems a lot better than how I portray it all.
Well, I wondered what it would take to awaken you Chachi from your slumbers. I thought my pan of Cloverfield would do it, but apparently I had to go further and attack one of your beloved childhood memories instead.
Still, I stand by my assessment of the film. This is the first Jimmy Stewart film that I have not liked - most of which I've absolutely loved - but this one felt like there was nothing to offer but Stewart's personality.
Sure, he acts great. He always does. But his interpretation of Elwood P. Dowd is all wrong for this film if you're going to have a gaggle of hellish people wandering about trying to commit HIM. Where’s the sense that this guy would be a danger to anybody? We’re supposed to accept that they want him in a loony bin because he likes to introduce his giant furry friend?
Also, by portraying the one potentially insane man as the most rational and life-affirming character, what the film is basically saying is that it's better to be insane and happy than it is to be sane and deal with life's problems.
I don't buy it.
The same thing can be said for the doctor who starts to see Harvey (the only other character in the film I actually liked, in spite of his character development issues). He's a bitter old fool until he meets Elwood. Then he's transformed from an intimidating guy who doesn’t like to be bothered, through his insanity mind you, into a happy-go-lucky guy, someone no one would be scared of any more? What does that say?
Listen, I like Stewart too. I like his sensibilities and his optimistic spirit. But I think you’re stretching with the statement that he’s giving the “single greatest comic performance” you’ve ever seen. Maybe you got taken in by Elwood, which is easy enough to see how; he’s a genuinely likable guy. He’s the reason this film is so highly esteemed. Me, I just think it’s Stewart being Stewart… except he gets to talk to thin air sometimes and pretend a big ole bunny rabbit is there.
And I don’t think the rest of the film works around Elwood. Where is the concern? Where is there any sense of humanity from his family? It’s all selfishness and lame gags.
These people don’t get it… Elwood’s a keeper.
We've seen another film recently very similar to this...Lars and the Real Girl. Substitute giant rabbit for sex doll and there you go. Both the leads give aw shucks performances. Both end with a similar message that sometimes we are all a bit loopy. But the difference is in how the community reacts. The one in Lars embraces the concept and just runs it into complete unbelievability. "Harvey" has people surrounding Elwood in hopes of helping him. Do they believe their is danger? No I don't think so. But they can't just let something like this slide when they "know" it is not true. But that's what the film is all about...faith. Belief in something for which we have no prove of one way or the other. Elwood is a kind soul who wins over the hearts of many in the film. But he had to win it. Lars and co. accept it from the beginning and run with it to absurd proportions.
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You've hit the big time Brian...you're getting spammed!
I saw this film for the first and only time in my film class in high school. I remember enjoying it and finding it humorous, heart warming, outrageous and even dark sometimes. It's not a movie I fell in love with but I certainly didn't find it as flawed as Brian has.
Nice comparison to Lars... Chachi. I agree with you there.
Okay Ty, so I like the Lars and the Real Girl comparison too and I agree with you that the films share common themes and elements, but I also feel like it’s the perfect example for why Harvey doesn’t work.
In Lars Gosling gives the exact opposite performance that Stewart gives. Reserved, shy, deranged, even potentially scary… EXACTLY what I wanted from Stewart. Stewart seems to have a child’s curiosity, always looking at something as if it’s for the first time. It’s this wide-eyed, baby stare that makes him so completely harmless it seems ridiculous anyone would want to lock him up. Stewart plays dumb. Gosling doesn’t.
Also, the communities act totally different but you've got it backwords. Lars’ family are the kindhearted people, genuinely trying to help him… not lock him up in an institution with some strange kind of water torture device like Elwood’s. Lars’ family act in his best interest. Elwood’s act in their own. I felt that it really had little to do with faith and more to do with preserving their way of life without this looney there to interfere.
And how does Lars make it seem like we are all loopy? The townspeople act overzealous and overly helpful, but hardly insane... and the supporting characters in Harvey are hardly normal themselves.
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