A screwball comedy where Elwood (Jimmy Stewart) has an invisible fairy friend named Harvey, that he says is a 6-foot tall white rabbit. His sister and niece are trying to have him committed since his behavior unnerves all the high-society folks they're trying to schmooze. The initial attempt backfires, and the rest of the film is everyone trying to track Stewart down and get him back in the sanitarium.
I expected the movie was going to play coy about whether Harvey was real or not, but that's not the case. It maybe explains how someone who is as pleasant and friendly as Elwood can seem so oblivious to the discomfort he causes in other people. Although that would raise the question of how responsible Elwood is for their discomfort. He isn't doing it deliberately, he's trying to be friendly, but for a lot of people it doesn't work that way.
Stewart plays the calm center as everyone else runs around frantically. Much of the time he ambles into or out of a scene of chaos like he's doing a guest spot from some other movie. He'll stand around for a while, chat pleasantly, be as helpful as can be. Then, he just walks away while everyone gets distracted by sexual tension between Dr. Sanderson and Nurse Kelly, or Elwood's sister freaking out at the sight of Mr. Wilson, the sanitarium attendant.
There isn't a character I'd describe as consistently funny, but there are a few laughs, and other parts that made me smile.
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