What is Harvey?

Holly Reese

4-28-13

Harvey

Serio

             I enjoyed Harvey and the humor it employed. It was funny in an intelligent way. Most of the humor comes from the plot and the dialogue. I like that it wasn’t all about slapstick humor (though at the beginning I thought it might, when the man slips and falls on the wet floor and slides into the door of a surgeon’s office). I also liked that t didn’t have to physically show a six foot white rabbit to get laughs.

             If we had actually seen Harvey talking to Elwood, the film would have been very different. I don’t think it would have been as effective if we saw a man in an Easter bunny suit. It would have taken on a tone of a children's movie or been absurd. Harvey as it is, stays right on the line of intelligent and absurd just as the character of Elwood does.

                Jimmy Stewart really brought the character of Elwood to life in a believable way. When he was first introduced, I found him to be a bit annoying. Why was he always offering people his card? He was so polite and had a very different way of speaking. However, when I realized who he was and what exactly was going on, I started to really appreciate him. I want to know a person like Elwood, who is just genuinely happy and always believes the best in people. While by today’s standards it might be weird to constantly invite strangers over for dinner, I liked how selfless Elwood was. My favorite quote that I believe really sums up Elwood’s character was “I always have a wonderful time, wherever I am, whomever I'm with.”

                 I am still unsure about the point of Harvey. Why could Elwood see him and what was the Harvey’s purpose? He could have just simply been a friend for Elwood. He could have been a psychological disorder that stemmed from Elwood’s repressed memories after the death of his mother. He could have been an actual pooka. Maybe it doesn’t matter what or if Harvey represented anything. I think he is intended to be interpreted in whatever way the audience decided. This movie works because we are never told directly what or who Harvey is. I really enjoyed that there is so much to be inferred from this film.