Movie Monday: Harvey (1950)

I haven’t done many reviews of James Stewart’s classic films, but that is about to change today! One of my all-time favorite movies that he starred in was the 1950 film Harvey. Let’s dive a little deeper into what made this movie so special to audiences everywhere.

If you haven’t ever watched the film Harvey before (which I highly recommend that you do), basically this movie is about how James Stewart’s character seems to have either escaped reality through the form of befriending an imaginary rabbit that stands six feet tall or this bunny (who is named Harvey) is very real and is here to show everyone involved that life is a lot easier than what it seems. Either way, there is a definite heartwarming aspect to the movie Harvey. Many times, after having watched this film I walk away feeling inspired and my heart is filled with a certain kind of hope.

Something about the way James Stewart plays his protagonist character (or maybe you could argue that the imaginary bunny, Harvey, is the protagonist, but since there is no actor for that role, we will let Stewart have his moment to shine) has elements of other characters we have seen Stewart portray throughout his film career. However, there was a certain essence even in the smallest gestures that sets this role apart from the all of the others. It is hard to put my finger on just what it was that made James Stewart’s portrayal of this character particularly special, but if I had to sum it up, I would say that it included a childlike wonder. The glint in his eye when he talked to or about Harvey, whether real or imaginary, made this six-foot rabbit seem at the very least very real to him.

Apparently, I am not alone in my fondness for James Stewart in this role. Stewart was nominated for an Oscar thanks to Harvey. This was also one of Stewart’s favorite roles to play, and many times he revived it in the stage version of Harvey.

More than anything else, I think that this film speaks on what it really means to have faith in something, in anything at all. Just because no one else could see Harvey didn’t make Stewart’s character start to question his own belief in the rabbit! Instead, he continued to take Harvey with him everywhere he went, he was respectful of Harvey’s decisions (and if you have seen this film you know what I mean), and he even would go and get drinks with Harvey. The level of faith that James Stewart’s character has in Harvey begins to grow on others. They begin to wonder if they might be slowly losing their sanity, but the truth is they just needed to expand their minds.

Not everything that you see is real, not everything that isn’t seen isn’t real. The truth of the matter is the only person who can decide if something is real or not is each and every individual. In that way, the story of Harvey also speaks a lot to what it means to have freedom of choice. Stewart’s character is assumed to be insane, and on more than one occasion his physical freedom is threatened with the going to an asylum. However, Stewart’s character is not deterred because this wouldn’t prevent his belief in the existence of Harvey and, therefore, his mental freedom.

I think Harvey is a beautiful film with a beautiful message. Like I said at the beginning of this review, if you haven’t seen Harvey yet, I highly recommend watching it as soon as possible! This is one classic you don’t want to slip away!

Much Love,

Sarah