Harvey tells the story of a man, played by James Stewart, and his best friend - a six-foot, three-and-one-half inch rabbit. Nobody can see the rabbit except Stewart and the audience never sees him. Basically the whole point of the film is his sister trying to get him committed to a mental hospital but difficulties arise. When I heard this was a comedy about a man and a giant rabbit (and again after reading what I just wrote) I would have to say this is about the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Yet it isn't. Despite the absurdity of the plot, it's actually most entertaining and at times quite hilarious.
As usual, James Stewart does an excellent job portraying Elwood P. Dowd. His role was rather unique in that he was constantly interacting with a cast member that was not actually there. The other notable actor in this film is actress Josephine Hull who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing Stewart's elder sister. While her performance was rather good at times, I felt like she was a little too over-the-top for me and that was probably the film's main weakness.
There's not really much else to say. For those looking for a simple, yet highly-entertaining film this is an excellent choice. A fun plot with some well-placed comedy and good acting makes for a good film. The short running time, 104 minutes, is also a plus.
83.5/100
BUP NEXT: A Hitchcock film,
Spellbound.
ALSO: If anyone cares, with this film James Stewart moves ahead of Humphrey Bogart as my favorite actor.
_________________
Coming Soon: A better signature!