Spielberg to remake Harvey?

[callistotoni]

This just in:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006812.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&ref=bd_film

I remember rumblings about a Harvey film-remake back in the early 2000s, when ACT canceled a planned production of Harvey because of a possible upcoming film.

I'm quite fond of Harvey, but man-o-man, I don't know how they'll deal with the whole insane asylum aspect. When the play was written (apparently played from 1944-49) and the movie made (1950) audiences could see those scenes as funny. Post-On Flew Over The Cuckoo's nest insane asylums are not seen as funny -- I don't think a modern audience can see them as anything but horrific. I know I have a lot of trouble getting past my modern mindset when watching the Jimmy Stewart movie (but then again I never see slapstick as funny, anyway, I just mostly just see it as cruelty :-/ YMMV, of course).

But I love a lot of Harvey. I love the idea of a 6 ft invisible rabbit. I love the utter kindness of Elwood P. Dowd. Stewart has a great monolouge (sp) at the bar. And there are great lines that I still quote ("Is he alone?" Bartender: "Well, there's two schools of thought...")

My money is on Tom Hanks in the Stewart role. Strangely, I could also see Paul Giamatti (I know, I'm probably on crack there). Or Liam Neeson, because I think he can pull off a weary kindness. Of course, Jonny Depp can do about anything. Will Smith is mentioned as Vareity -- I could maybe see him in one of the non-Dowd roles, but not as Elwood P. Hmm...

P.S. It occurs to me that some of you might not know what I'm talking about. Harvey is a play (and then a movie) about a middle-aged man who has, as his best friend, a 6 ft invisible rabbit named Harvey. They enjoy life together and don't let anything bother them, really. His family considers him crazy (since he's always trying to introduce Harvey) and his aunt and cousin are convinced that he needs to be committed to an institution if the cousin is ever going to "land a man" (yes, it's a very dated play, I'm afraid). One the surface, it's all about whether it's better to be mellow and happy and see a 6 ft rabbit than 'sane' and let life get to you.

Comments

[kahnegabs.livejournal.com]

I'd like to see Hanks in the role, but your other ideas are good too. Yes, Depp can do anything, but I think him too slender for this role for some reason.

[beanolc.livejournal.com]

This used to be one of my most favorite movies... I haven't seen it in years. Thanks for the reminder. (Oh, Netflix!!)

I don't want them to remake it. That's almost as horrid as remaking To Kill a Mockingbird (which, thank the gods and the late Gregory Peck, will never happen).

[hrj.livejournal.com]

My immediate thought is, "Why Spielberg of all people?" It's not like the movie requires fancy special effects. More to the point, if any fancy special effects are used, it utterly destroys the underlying principle of the story. (As I understand it.)