“I always have a wonderful time, wherever I am, whoever I’m with.”
synopsis
A gentle, affable man insists his best friend is a six-foot-tall invisible rabbit named Harvey — much to the distress of his social-climbing sister.
pairs well with ...
mini-review
Is Harvey real? The film wisely doesn’t care. What matters is kindness. This is fantasy as moral fable: the sane world often looks harsher than the imagined one. Jimmy Stewart’s performance radiates warmth, and the film quietly suggests that being “normal” may not be the highest virtue.
A quiet afternoon. Tea instead of martinis. A gentle mood.
Absurdist's Corner
An entire medical establishment attempts to institutionalize the only person in the room who is consistently calm and decent.
fun facts
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Mary Chase.
Stewart considered Elwood P. Dowd one of his favorite roles.
The imaginary rabbit is a “pooka” from Celtic folklore.
The film was remade for television decades later.