Harvey

From Tony:
This was terrific! I knew more about it than I had originally thought because, as I remembered halfway through, Dan Merluzzi and I did a scene from the stage version of Harvey senior year. Only we used sock puppets.
Jimmy Stewart just brings this big kind of magic to a movie. It's unreal. My generation doesn't have a Jimmy Stewart, and I don't think anyone will ever be able to bring what he does to a character. There's a lot of pessimism and apathy in movies--especially in the list I gave you--so it was really refreshing to see something so uplifting. Another thing I'll say about Ol' Jimmy, it's crazy how he switches between stuff like this, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, etc. in cowboy mode or doing Hitchcock. He still brings that same spark with him, but he is just so lovable and, I don't know...innocent isn't the right word. But do you know what I mean. Comparing the HARVEY Jimmy Stewart to the VERTIGO Jimmy Stewart...I guess its the difference in his age and the fact that, yeah, he's an actor be shit, the man was a force of nature!
As great as Elwood was as a sort of insane voice of reason he was surrounded by some great characters. I loved Wilson, the attendant at the nut house, especially. Chompin' on a stogie, breath stinking of an egg and onion sandwich, spittin out all kinds of "Dame" "Screwball" and other Three Stooges-ish talk and he still manages to woo sweet, uptight, lame duck Mertle. Elwood was the eye of a hurricane made up of the aristocratic, career minded, love struck, love seekers, low brows and delinquents of the time, all of who were too damn busy or too dumb to get the point: that life might be short, but all you need to do to enjoy it is ignore that fact and make the time anyway. He tells you this when he mentions Harvey's "Ability" to stop time "Science has over come space and time," he said, "well Harvey has overcome not only space and time, but any objections." Another lovely line was when he says that his mother told him "In this world you must me oh so smart or oh so pleasant. Well for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant." He then said "You may quote me," so I did, 'cause quotes make you look like you know what you're doing.
But it's true. His sister and her rich friends are all smart, but Christ if that party she through at the beginning (and I love when the recently paroled drunk called in "a clam bake") looked as boring and as lame as hell. Dr. Sanderson is smart but can't see the beautiful girl just outside his door every day. Wilson wasn't smart or pleasant. You get that I get what they were saying.
In the same way that there will never be another Jimmy Stewart, there is a certain sense of magic and wonder lost from movies. They never hint that Harvey is anything other than a magical spirit sent to make everyone's life better. They even tried to explain him through psychobabble, but Elwood burst that bubble. I feel like if they made this today they'd cop out and have Elwood reveal to the chick from Grey's Anatomy or whoever the fuck they shoe-horned in as his love interest that Harvey isn't real and he knew what he was doing all along and then he'd wink at the camera. We give ourselves up to the premise that yes, this booze bag sees an actual giant rabbit. To take that away from us is a gyp. And I'm glad that they didn't take Harvey away from Elwood, that really would have made me sad.
p.s.
if they DID make this today (and since they haven't remade it yet they probably and thankfully won't) Elwood would be a pot head, someone would have pooped on someone else and the word "fuck" would have taken the place of any comma or period normally found in a sentance. also: more tits.

From Mom:
am so glad you liked this movie. I thought you might find it old fashioned and sappy.

Instead it stood it's ground, and as for my feelings,it is timeless.I agree with you that if it were made today, it would lack the magic. How sad that we need to spell everything out inorder for the viewer to "get it". I agree that Jimmy Stewart is amazing as an actor. What I like about him is that he makes the viewer feel every emotion as he is acting/feeling it himself. He can go from happy go lucky to insanely crazy as he does in "It's a Wonderful Life" all in a 2hr span, and totally be believable during the whole transformation.

I disagree with you about there not being a Jimmy Stewart in your generation.I think that there are a few actors that can create this same persona, it's the writing and directing that lacks imagination.Everything is in your face and shoved down your throat.I think Hollywood thinks it's doing us a great service by portraying life as it REALLY is. If it's done correctly and with intelligence, you can achieve the same "magic" of yesteryear and still get your message across.

I'm also glad that Harvey and Elwood are still together!

From Tony:
I'm totally with you on the writing and directing not being what it used to. Dick and fart jokes sort of took the adult comedy by a strangle hold. But who would you consider to be even close to a Jimmy Stewart?

From Mom:

Well, you're making me put my money where my mouth is,but I think that Tom Hanks possesses similar qualities. I like Hugh Jackman,Christian Bale and Tobey Maguire. I think that they deliver diverse performances, and emotionally involve the viewer . Now, I know that you'll laugh at this one, but I think that Will Smith can deliver that "every man" persona if given good material that isn't stereotypical token black leading man junk. But when you really come down to it that era of the leading man is long gone.