IT CAME FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF!

While the the satiric, picaresque novel Don Quixote is an acknowledged literary classic, movie producers have failed to crack the code in successfully adapting it for the big screen.  Maybe the Cervantes novel is too episodic to be translated into a coherent screenplay; or perhaps following a delusional character in the flesh is too realistic to be enjoyed as a fanciful romp.  Whatever the reason, what works on the page does not successfully translate to the screen.  This may seem to be an odd preamble for a review of a film that specifically focuses on the literary character of Sherlock Holmes, but in truth, They Might Be Giants (1971) is much more a Don Quixote movie than a Sherlock Holmes movie.

This adaptation of a rarely-performed stage play by James Goldman (Lion in Winter, Robin and Marion) is the story of Justin Playfair (George C. Scott), a retired judge, who dispels with reality after his wife’s death and chooses instead to believe that he is the world’s greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes.  His brother (Lester Rawlins) hopes to have Justin committed in order to control the judge’s considerable fortune, but in order to do so, he must have the sign-off of a licensed professional.  Enter, Dr. Mildred Watson, Psychiatrist (Joanne Woodward), who agrees to observe Playfair.  Of course, once the psychotic Sherlock hears the name of “Watson,” he insists that she join him, following a series of nonsensical clues through 1970s New York, in a quixotic quest to track down his greatest foe, the evil Dr. Moriarty.

I had not seen They Might Be Giants in twenty years, but a new Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics provided an opportunity to revisit the film.  While I remember enjoying the film when I was younger, I found this viewing to be a bit of a mixed bag.  That said, I have no reservations about the presentation of the film on the disc, and fans of the film should not hesitate to pick up this HD upgrade on video.

Goldman’s original play ran only a few performances in London and was not re-staged, because the author never felt that the script fully came together.  However, after Anthony Harvey’s film adaptation of his subsequent play, Lion in Winter, achieved critical acclaim and box office success, there was demand for more from the team.  Consequently, James Goldman reworked the failed play for the 1971 film.  Unfortunately, while the script is brimming with good ideas, the new recipe still seems a bit half-baked to me.

The story starts off well, and much of the early dialogue, between Justin, his family members, and Watson is excellent.  I especially like the discussion of Don Quixote between Playfair and Watson (from which the title of the film derives).  However, as the story moves along, story problems begin to creep in.  Plot elements are unexplained or dropped completely, such as the blackmail angle that initially sets the game afoot.  Character motivations often do not make sense, and the relationship between doctor and patient morphs into romance without enough table-setting to be believeable.  Worst of all, in adapting the play, Goldman added several more eccentric characters that often act nonsensically, which makes Playfair’s character less special, while simultaneously introducing ham-fisted attempts at physical comedy and wackiness.

Still, the film is worth seeing for the two lead performances.  George C. Scott, one of the best actors of his generation, is completely committed to the part.  He hits all the right notes in playing the comedy and pathos inherent in the character.  Joanne Woodward is equally excellent as the serious, though eternally frazzled, psychiatrist.  They are both incredibly likable in their roles, and that goes a long way.  It is a testament to the skills of both actors that they are largely able to sell the blossoming relationship between the characters, despite the pitfalls of the script.  How much you enjoy They Might Be Giants will largely depend on how much you like the lead performances.

US/C-91m./Dir: Anthony Harvey/Wr: James Goldman (based on his play)/Cast: George C. Scott, Joanne Woodward, Jack Gilford, Lester Rawlins, Rue McClanahan, Al Lewis, Ron Weyand, Oliver Clark, James Tolkan, Kitty Winn, Theresa Merritt, Sudie Bond, Paul Benedict, F. Murray Abraham

For Fans of: Sherlock Holmes completists will want to check out this less logical (more quixotic) take on the world’s most famous consulting detective.

Video: Kino Lorber Studio Classics released They Might Be Giants (1971) on Blu-ray on June 18th.  While the image is sharp, with film grain intact, a more vibrant, colorful transfer could probably be produced from the original film elements.  Still, the presentation is the best the film has looked on home video and probably the best it ever will look (as it is unlikely that Universal will go back to re-scan and restore the original elements).  I suspect that fans of the film will be pleased with the video presentation.

The disc is rounded out with a nice collection of extras:

• An audio commentary with director Anthony Harvey and film archivist Robert A. Harris
• Madness… It’s Beautiful — an 8-minute vintage featurette
• The original theatrical trailers for They Might Be Giants (1971), The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), and Ordeal by Innocence (1984).
• Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature

Streaming: They Might Be Giants is available for rent or purchase on Amazon and other streaming services, but at the time of this review, it was not available through any of the streaming subscription services.

More to Explore: They Might Be Giants is not the only time when the character of Sherlock Holmes has encountered the world of psychiatry. In The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976), the real Sherlock Holmes (Nichol Williamson) is treated by Sigmund Freud (Alan Arkin). Also, in the TV Movie The Return of the World’s Greatest Detective (1976) Larry Hagman played a L.A. cop who comes to believe he is Sherlock Holmes after a head injury.

Trivia: There are differing stories as to how the alternative rock band They Might Be Giants settled on their name, but it seems that the name was at least indirectly inspired by this film.

For More Info: Few literary characters have been filmed as often as Sherlock Holmes, and
Sherlock Holmes On Screen (Updated Edition): The Complete Film and TV History by Alan Barnes and Starring Sherlock Holmes: A Century of the Master Detective on Screen by David Stuart Davies both do a very nice job of covering the many different takes on the character. Also, if you want to read a Don Quixote story that really works, then you should probably read Cervantes’ original novel.