Harvey (1950) Film Review

Winning over Reality

As much as most people may wish it, they do not come into the world with a perfect friend to guide them along. However, when people meet others who give them true friendship and support through all phases of life, they are sure to appreciate it. Such a friendship is depicted in the 1950 film, Harvey. Rarely has a film been as emotionally appealing and charming as Harvey, which brought the world a story of a pleasant man and his Pooka. Harvey explains that a Pooka is an old Celtic mythological fairy spirit in animal form that’s always quite large who’s a benign but mischievous creature. The film shows that being a little peculiar is not always a negative attribute and a friend does not necessarily have to come from places one would expect. Harvey tells the story of a mild-mannered man who happens to be friends with an invisible 6’8” tall rabbit named Harvey and the chaos that ensues when his relatives try to commit the man into a local sanitarium. What the audience learns at the end is that what is normal is subjective and sometimes the insane are saner than the alleged sane people of the world.

A film that both challenges and entertains an audience must have noteworthy acting, unique cinematography, and special character development throughout. The actors should show the emotions of their true selves as well as their characters. The parallel body movements, facial expressions, and manners of speaking during actors’ takes should add to their overall performance. Cinematography is a key feature that helps a film become memorable and well liked for audiences throughout generations. This is done by making the frame of view either wide or close enough for the actors to do their scenes without ruining the story. There are many ways a cinematographer does his work to perfect the film for viewing with wide shots, close-ups, or far-angle views. The characters should be introduced into the story in a manner that is not confusing. Characters should develop and change throughout the film. All characters should be believable both in terms of the script and in relation to each other.

As the star of Harvey, James Stewart, once said, “I don’t act, I react,” which meant he played variations of his own emotions. This heart-warming but unbelievable story is only made convincing by James Stewart with his naturalistic, homey personality that made audiences believe whatever he said. James Stewart portrays a soft-spoken person who seems to be somewhat removed from the chaos of the world around him but who cares deeply about what happens to others. The calmness that he expresses makes the audience wonder as to why the “normal” people are considered sane, yet everyone sees him as the crazy one. Stewart’s character Elwood is someone who has refused to be ruled by life or conform to the general ideals of everyday society. Stewart has done well at portraying this character, especially in an emotional scene in which Elwood explains how Harvey has enriched his dull life. Stewart does the famous scene beautifully. The words of his speech spoken to his fellow actors in a soft, almost whispery voice, coupled with the sincere delivery of a performance that could have been comical in a less talented actor’ hands, make it so touching. Even the most jaded audience would be won over into believing Harvey is real too.

Harvey has few main cast members and the small number of supporting actors shown throughout the film gives it a special comedic charm. The other cast members such as Jesse White and Josephine Hull are much different actors than James Stewart. They are less naturalistic and use a “screwball” comedy way of acting. Josephine Hull and others hark back to the vaudeville style of acting, while James Stewart is a more advanced, natural actor who easily charms audiences with his American drawl and homey personality. Every actor does well at bringing the comedic touch and commitment to their character throughout the film. There are two couples in the film who do well at fitting in romance while the chaos is happening around them. In the end, it is their mad chase to find the real “nutty” person that brings the couples together. Everyone is happy in the end and discover that there is no insane member among them. The understated acting of the doctor and nurse who are one of the romantic couples, Josephine Hull’s hysteric screwball style, and Stewart’s naturalistic approach blend to make a perfectly balanced film that can make audiences laugh and think at the same time. I give the acting an A for its heartwarming tone brought by James Stewart and comedic touches by his fellow actors.

In Harvey, the cinematographer uses various camera angles and movements to frame the scenes as if from Harvey’s viewpoint. The camera angle is always wide enough to show Harvey in view with Elwood in his scenes so that the audience can sense the Pooka’s presence. Audiences see, in the beginning, that the camera view moves in a way so that it includes both Harvey and Elwood while not trying to make Harvey’s existence obvious for the story. In some ways, a cinematographer can be the paintbrush of the director’s visual artwork.

There’s a great example of some of the camera’s uses displayed in the film such as when the skeptical Dr. Chumley starts to see Harvey and believes the rabbit is following him to his sanitarium. He cautiously hurries back to his office, eagerly attempting to avoid the animal that is frightening him so much. As he gets back to his office, Dr. Chumley approaches his office window while looking back for any sign of anything behind him. There’s a brilliant close-up of his face right against the moonlight and the viewer can see all of the fear and tension in his expression. The camera then pans to the lawn behind him, showing a rustling bush and swing that begins to sway by itself. The viewer truly believes it is Harvey who had made these movements happen, though it could have just been the wind. The cinematographer utilized the moon light and indirect lighting to create tension in the scene while in another scene, moonlight is used to bring warmth and intimacy. Moonlight is best utilized again in the alley scene with Elwood, Dr. Sanderson, and Nurse Kelly as Elwood explains how Harvey has made such an impact in his life. Viewers can see the pleasantness in his expression, revealed by the soft moonlight, as he yells how his best friend has changed him for the better. Since this is a black and white film, natural light is used more for the outdoor shots while indoor shots have harsher light, especially in the sanitarium. Moonlight brings a feeling of almost unreality while unnatural, fluorescent indoor lighting shows harsh reality. A good cinematographer brings out not only an actor’s style and character portrayal but also acts as the perfect tool to allow the plot to unfold in an artful way. The cinematography for Harvey earns an A for if it had bad camera work it wouldn’t’t the audience “see” Harvey the way Elwood does and with that, it does a great job.

The characters in Harvey are well-developed and truly brought to life by the actors that play them. Elwood (played by James Stewart) is a pleasant, well-mannered man living off of an inheritance from his mother. He lives with his older sister and niece and spends his time at local bars and taking strolls around town with Harvey. There is great depth in his character though Elwood doesn’t change much throughout the film. Harvey had changed him into the person audiences meet in the film. Viewers learn this when Elwood explains how before he met Harvey; he used to work in an office, and he was “smart”. He used his mind well and kept his head close to the ground so as not to let any other thoughts distract him from everyday life. After his mother’s death, Elwood became an alcoholic, met Harvey, and chose to be pleasant instead of clever or smart. The other characters who do change throughout the story are Nurse Kelly and Dr. Sanderson. Nurse Kelly and the doctor both believe Elwood isn’t sane when they first meet him but later on they start to change, namely because Elwood’s pleasantness rubs off on them and they begin to appreciate the little things in life and stop focusing so much on work and societal conventions. Even Elwood’s sister, Veda, changes throughout the film from an exhausted, impatient woman to a loving and accepting one who does not want her brother to change — even if it does mean she will not be accepted as a member in high society. She even allows her daughter to be courted by an attendant at the hospital, who she initially deemed beneath them. The characters all change to be ones more pleasant and accepting in the film, all because of Elwood and his imaginary friend which help the film, but the writer should have expanded more on the comedic abilities of the other actors, so this film deserves a grade of B +

When I experience a film, I pay attention to the characters’ actions and how the actors portray them and how they are enhanced by intricate cinematography. This film’s cinematography greatly improves the overall look of the film, and the director of photography does a great job at showing the actor’s expressions the way they’re meant to be. Harvey’s exquisite camera work, flawless acting and great character development makes it well deserving of its acting Oscar nominations and its win for Josephine Hull’s hilarious portrayal as Elwood’s sister. The well-performed acting and intricate cinematography is what makes this film so loved and memorable and truly deserving of an A+.