They Might Be Giants

This is the 21st post in our Movie of the Week series.



They Might Be Giants was released in 1971 and despite the claim that it was based on a Broadway play, They Might Be Giants was never performed in the U.S. but rather only in London. The movie and the play were both written by James Goldman who always felt that he never got the play quite right and refused to have it published, this changed after the movie was released. The movie starred George C. Scott and Joanna Woodward.

The movie tells the story of Justin Playfair, a millionaire who succombs to living in a fantasy world rather than dealing with the death of his wife. He envisions himself as Sherlock Holmes and builds himself a crime lab in order to catch his arch-nemesis Professor Moriarty. His brother has him sent to a mental institution for observation and it is there that he gains the attention of Dr. Mildred Watson. She becomes intrigued with his case and once he is released she visits him at his home. He rejects her attempts to talk to him until he hears her name, at which point he automatically makes her the Watson to his Holmes. She joins his quest for Moriarty and together they form a close bond while following clues that only make sense to Playfair.

The movie opened to mixed reviews but has a 70% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The band They Might Be Giants took their name from this movie.

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