I watched Harvey for the nth time last night and when it was over, I couldn’t decide how we’re supposed to think about Elwood. I told my wife that I thought he was rude even though he considers himself “pleasant” instead of “smart”. His relentless insistence that people either have a drink with him or go to his house for dinner would be quite annoying IRL. He also failed to take into consideration what his sister and niece thought about having company over.
I am totally separating the character from the performance. I have always thought that Stewart played him brilliantly.
What say you Dopers? What do you think of Elwood P. Dowd?
I love Elwood P. Dowd, but I’d hate to be his sister. He has such a positive outlook, and he doesn’t seem disappointed when his offers are turned down. That’s what I think is his saving grace – it’s a heartfelt but casual invitation, no pressure whatsoever.
Elwood relies on his charm. He does insist on inviting people for drinks or dinner, but if you turn him down, he’ll accept that, even if he might make the offer again. He’s also very attentive to the others around him, which makes him more likeable. He’s genuinely interested in other people.
I know Harvey is supposed to be cute and heartwarming and all that crap, but scenes in which an ostensibly sane character tries to describe a crazy situation and gets completely flustered to the point where they start to sound crazy themselves get on my nerves. The same sort of thing happens in Move Over, Darling and other “screwball” comedies. Geez, people, take a deep breath, calm down and explain the problem clearly.
Well, technically, it is HIS house. He can have whatever company over that he wants.
I’m sure his eccentricities would get really old after awhile, but when I watch the movie, I just love him. He seems so warm and kind to everyone around him, and he seems really concerned about everyone being taken care of and comfortable. He’s even willing to give up his best friend so that Dr. Chumley can go to Akron.
Is there a sub-text to this film (or the book) that the reality of “Harvey” remains an open question, and people are potentially simply investing in his delusion cause it’s so pleasant (and thus Harvey does not really exist) , or is Harvey represented as a “real” mystical entity that exists quite apart from Elwood’s mental state.
Harvey is real in the movie and it is Elwood’s demeanor of being a pleasant rummy and talking about Harvey that leads others to question his mental state.
Elwood is sane but tipsy and Harvey is for real. It is the others around him that cannot adjust their world view to this reality. It actually is driving his sister nutty instead.
I never thought of that, but now that you mention it, I guess it pretty likely that Dr. Chumley got to go to Akron with Harvey. Wow. I’ve seen this movie dozens of times, and every time I watch it, I take away something new.
The beauty of the dope: I had never really thought about this until reading this thread.
Elwood is THE ultimate in nice/kind/generous. He is the kind of genuinely loving person we’d either all want to be, or would like to meet. That is, no ulterior motives other than to be your friend and to know you. Period.
We are all so jaded in dealing with so many insincere people - anyone who is “that” nice/friendly is “after” something (either selling something or wanting you to join their church), that believing a person like Elwood P. Dowd could actually exist (and be harmless) is as difficult as believing in…a 7 ft. tall, invisible rabbit !
That is, in the same way no one in the movie can believe in Harvey’s existence, we, the audience, have the same difficulty in believing Elwood could be a real person ! It’s brilliant !
I knew Harvey was real after Mr. Wilson looked up Pookah in the dictionary and he reads the definition of what a Pookah is and finishes with “…crackpots, rumpots and how are you Mr. Wilson? How are you Mr. Wilson?? Who in the dictionary wants to know?”
(I also got the idea of trying egg & onion sandwiches from this movie and they’re great!)
