Rating: NR
Genre:
Comedy
Release Date: 02/06/2001
SubTitles: English/French
Dubbed: English/Espanol
Sound: 5.1/1
Run Time: 105 Minutes
Flags: Excellent For Children
Distributor/Studio: Universal Studios
This whimsical
fantasy about a local drunk's 6' 3 1/2"
imaginary rabbit pal was a smash hit (and a Pulitzer Prize winner) on Broadway and was then adapted into this likeable
farce that's also an allegory about tolerance.
James Stewart stars as
Elwood P. Dowd, a wealthy tippler whose sunny philosophy and inebriated antics are tolerated by most of the citizenry. That is, until
Elwood begins claiming that he sees a "pooka" (a mischievous Irish spirit), which has taken the form of a man-sized bunny named
Harvey. Although everyone is certain that
Elwood has finally lost his mind,
Harvey's presence begins to have magically positive effects on the townsfolk, with the exception of
Elwood's own sister
Veta (
Josephine Hull), who, ironically, can also occasionally see
Harvey. A snooty socialite,
Veta is determined to marry off her daughter,
Myrtle (
Victoria Horne), to somebody equally respectable, and
Elwood's lunacy is interfering. When
Veta attempts to have
Elwood committed to an insane asylum, however, the result is that she is accidentally admitted instead of her brother. Then the institution's director,
Dr. Chumley (
Cecil Kellaway), begins seeing
Harvey, too.
Hull, who reprised her part from the stage production, won an Oscar and a Golden Globe.
~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
;)
