''Harvey'' is a 1996 American

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made fo ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

and a remake of the 1950 classic film (starring James Stewart) based on Mary Chase's 1944 play of the same name. The television adaptation was directed by George Schaefer (his final film project) and starred

Harry Anderson Harry Laverne Anderson (October 14, 1952 – April 16, 2018) was an American actor, comedian and magician. He is best known for his role of Judge Harry Stone on the 1984–1992 television series '' Night Court''. He later starred in the ...

(as the eccentric Elwood P. Dowd),

Leslie Nielsen Leslie William Nielsen (11 February 192628 November 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters. Nielsen was bo ...

, and

Swoosie Kurtz Swoosie Kurtz ( ; born September 6, 1944) is an American actress. She is the recipient of an Emmy Award and two Tony Awards. Kurtz made her Broadway debut in the 1975 revival of '' Ah, Wilderness''. She has received five Tony Award nominations ...

. Though it was filmed in 1996, the film sat on the shelf until July 18, 1999, when it was broadcast by

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

, two years after Schaefer's death.

Plot

Anderson stars as Elwood P. Dowd, a lovable eccentric who claims to have a six-foot invisible rabbit named Harvey as his best friend. Although that amuses people, Elwood's sister Veta (Kurtz) wants him committed to an asylum. Dr. Chumley (Nielsen), the operator of the facility, and several of his employees end up believing in Elwood and that forces them to make their own decisions about his future.

Cast

as Elwood P. Dowd *

as Dr. Chumley *

as Veta Simmons *

Jonathan Banks Jonathan Ray Banks (born January 31, 1947) is an American actor. Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Chillum Heights, Maryland, while attending Indiana University Bloomington Banks did theatre. In 1974, he moved to Los Angeles where he be ...

as C.J. Lofgren, cab driver *

Jessica Hecht Jessica Hecht is an American actress and singer who played Gretchen Schwartz on ''Breaking Bad'', Susan Bunch on ''Friends'', and Carol on '' The Boys''. She has also made numerous Broadway appearances. Early life and education Hecht was born ...

as Miss Ruth Kelly *

William Schallert William Joseph Schallert (July 6, 1922 – May 8, 2016) was an American character actor who appeared in dozens of television shows and films over a career spanning more than 60 years. He is known for his roles on '' Richard Diamond, Privat ...

as Judge Gaffney * Lisa Akey as Myrtle Mae Simmons *

Jim O'Heir Jim O'Heir (born February 4, 1962) is an American actor and comedian, perhaps best known for portraying Jerry Gergich on the NBC sitcom '' Parks and Recreation''. O'Heir first became active in Chicago theater and improv during the late 1980s ...

as Duane Wilson *

Robert Wisden Robert Charles Wisden ( Brighton, 2 June 1958) is an English-born, Canadian actor who has an extensive career in Canadian and American film and television, for which he has won a Gemini Award. Best known for playing U.S. President Richard Nixo ...

as Dr. Sanderson *

Lynda Boyd Lynda Boyd (born January 28, 1965) is a Canadian actress, singer, dancer, musician, and writer. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the films '' Final Destination 2'' (2003), '' An Unfinished Life'' (2005), ''She's the Man'' (2006), and ' ...

as Mrs. Chumley * Alex Ferguson as Zabladowski * Sheila Moore as Mrs. Chauvenet * Sheelah Megill as Miss Tewksbury *

Robin Kelly Robin Lynne Kelly (born April 30, 1956) is an American politician from Illinois who has served as the U.S. representative from since 2013. A Democrat, Kelly served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007. She then served as ...

as Mrs. Greenwalt * Ingrid Tesch as Girl Reporter

Production

The film was shot in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, Canada.

References

External links

* {{George Schaefer 1996 television films 1996 films 1990s fantasy comedy films American fantasy comedy films Remakes of American films CBS network films Films set in psychiatric hospitals American films based on plays Films shot in Vancouver Films directed by George Schaefer Sonar Entertainment films 1990s English-language films 1990s American films