‘Down the Rabbit Hole’: Cinema & Mental Health in HARVEY (1950)

After a short time away from the Hollywood studio limelight, Citizen Autistic is back, and ready and raring to offer its members more quality autism friendly cinematic fare.

I present to you an October online ‘watch along’ session of feature film classic HARVEY (1950) plus bonus film clips for your viewing delectation, at 8-10 pm on Thursday, 06 October!

Run time: Clocks in at around 1 hour, 50 minutes for both the feature film and clips combined (allow around two hours for whole session).
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Watch2gether:
We will be using the Watch2Gether platform, and the feature film and documentary short will start at 20:00 and finish at 22:00.

Link: The link will be updated on the main event page and emailed out to all Members who RSVPD 24 hours before the scheduled start date, so keep a beady eye on Meetup/your inbox!
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HARVEY – Teaser Trailer (distinctly 1950s style): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWmc_XRpa9U

Feature Film – HARVEY (1950): Starring the effortlessly charming and charismatic James Stewart, from seeing angels in IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, “Jimmy” (as he’s affectionately known) is at it again with the vivid, cheese dream delusions, this time materialising in the form of an invisible six-foot tall rabbit who he insists is his best friend. A well liked though somewhat eccentric middle-aged man, Elwood’s claims are thought to be signs of insanity by his family, leading to a farcical escalation of events in which his own sister tries to commit him to a mental asylum.

Theme: The general focus of this month’s online watch along of films is Mental Health, with the key feature film HARVEY arguably having much to say about mental illness and society’s treatment (or mistreatment) of those suffering from various mental health conditions. The notion of ‘curing’ such individuals with mental illness is challenged, and like such later films as LARS AND THE REAL GIRL, individual difference is presented more as something to be embraced rather than to be feared or judged.
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I very much look forward to welcoming all your shiny virtual avatar selves on Thurs, 06 – again, as always do remember to RSVP to the event page per favore, just so I can tabs on numbers.