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Monday, August 3, 2009
Who should star in Spielberg’s ‘Harvey’ remake?
Steven Spielberg once produced Who Framed Roger Rabbit - now he’ll be working with an invisible rabbit.
In something of a surprise, Spielberg has announced he will next direct a remake of Harvey, the 1950 film that starred Jimmy Stewart. Coincidentally, the film just played the Cool Films series in Dayton a week ago.
Unlike some people, I don’t think the idea of the remake itself is so horrible. Many people call Harvey a “classic,” but having seen it just recently, I don’t think it’s the movie as a whole that’s a classic - it’s not so unimpeachable it shouldn’t be touched, like, say, Vertigo.
It’s Jimmy Stewart’s performance that’s classic - the actor said that was his favorite role. So the real burning question is, who should play Elwood P. Dowd?
Tom Hanks has already been floated as a possibility, but I’d like to throw that out right now. Nothing against Mr. Hanks; I’m sure he could do it, but the choice is flat-out too obvious; the comparisons between him and Stewart have already been overplayed.
I have similar misgivings about Will Smith. I think he could do it too, but putting his name being out there strikes me as more “Let’s get the biggest star we can find” than “Who is truly right for the role?”
I’d like to think outside the box a bit here. It has to go to someone who can be good with physical comedy (essential for playing against an invisible rabbit), but who can also project a slightly loopy charm.
So why not Robert Downey Jr. who once played Charlie Chaplin so well it got him an Oscar nomination? Or how about Johnny Depp, who displayed excellent Chaplin-esque skills in Benny & Joon and knows a thing or two about loopy charm? And here’s an added bonus: both actors have good box office pull.
What do you think? Or who do you think?
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