He's the type of person that does believe in invisible rabbits, and as he enjoys the beauty of nature, there is one thing that he would like to become more than anything. A tree. It's ironic that he has the name that he does, and for Jason Robards, this wistful comedy was a nice little surprise. Instead of a worried, eccentric sister, he has a worried, frazzled wife, played beautifully by Sandy Dennis, and a good, understanding friend in Suite librarian Jean Simmons. As a mailman, he's tired of his route, spending time talking to the people that seemed to understand him, and that includes Simmons home he begins to have harmless picnics with, telling her all about his secret desires to sprout roots and become like the happy couple in Greek mythology who turned into trees so they could be together forever. Like Mr. Limpet who wanted to be a fish, he may get his wish.
Unlike that family classic, this is a very obscure film, based on a 1942 Broadway play and surprisingly filmed more than 30 years later. Robards is at his best, on the verge of going on to win two consecutive Oscars. He also goes against type by playing a very gentle soul, but not so passive that he won't stand up to the well-meaning priest who comes with two men and a straitjacket after hearing Robards' desires. Others try to talk him out of his seeming insane dream, but this is also about how sometimes the well-meaning public can go a little bit too far when things happen they don't quite understand.
Dennis plays a more mature variation of the film roles she played in the 60's, and is quite amusing with her perplexed reactions. Simmons, as lovely as ever, is always a delight to watch, and her character is as angelic as Robards is, which is probably why she understands him more than his wife. But there is not a relationship that's going to be anything more than a friendship, and their scenes together are beautiful. I'm glad I came across this one, a delightful companion piece to the 1971 comedy "They Might Be Giants" where George C Scott thought he was Sherlock Holmes and ironically ended up with a psychiatrist named Doctor Watson. I'll take wistful flights of fancy any day over reality.
Unlike that family classic, this is a very obscure film, based on a 1942 Broadway play and surprisingly filmed more than 30 years later. Robards is at his best, on the verge of going on to win two consecutive Oscars. He also goes against type by playing a very gentle soul, but not so passive that he won't stand up to the well-meaning priest who comes with two men and a straitjacket after hearing Robards' desires. Others try to talk him out of his seeming insane dream, but this is also about how sometimes the well-meaning public can go a little bit too far when things happen they don't quite understand.
Dennis plays a more mature variation of the film roles she played in the 60's, and is quite amusing with her perplexed reactions. Simmons, as lovely as ever, is always a delight to watch, and her character is as angelic as Robards is, which is probably why she understands him more than his wife. But there is not a relationship that's going to be anything more than a friendship, and their scenes together are beautiful. I'm glad I came across this one, a delightful companion piece to the 1971 comedy "They Might Be Giants" where George C Scott thought he was Sherlock Holmes and ironically ended up with a psychiatrist named Doctor Watson. I'll take wistful flights of fancy any day over reality.