Harvey (1950)

A middle-aged bachelor with a mental disorder is considered a nuisance by his sister and niece, who live with him in his house. They try to have him committed but complications ensue.

Intelligent farce, with essayistic undertones and even a nod at the fantastic. It is not supposed to be a realistic depiction of mental illness (if there can be such a thing), but many spectators do not seem to be able to understand or accept that. Others seem to resent the fact that Elwood is a rich fellow and thus can afford his eccentricities. In fact, these people do not seem to realize that they are, one way or another, characters in the film (select the "hated it" part in IMDB's user review section and tell me if I am not right). On the other hand, many who liked it see a sentimentality in it that simply is not there and thus do not have a perfect understanding of it either. The point is that Elwood is not necessarily a nice character, from the viewer's point of view. In fact, rigorously speaking he is either more than just a character or not a character at all. He is the instrument for the expression of certain concepts. Harvey is an intellectual study that never loses sight of the exigencies of comedy, and vice versa, in short a complete work of art. What is the difference between believing in God and believing in Harvey? This is one of the many questions that this film implicitly raises. Another, and perhaps more important one, derives from one of the movie's famous quotes:

_ELWOOD: Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this world, Elwood, you must be" - she always called me Elwood - "In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant." Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me._

The question that this quote poses -- and it is a true philosophical quandary -- is the following: is Elwood's recommendation a smart one? Or is it just a pleasant one?

Rating: 73