They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants DVD
Directed by	Anthony Harvey
Written by	James Goldman
Starring	George C. Scott Joanne Woodward
Music by	John Barry
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date(s)	June 9, 1971
Running time	98 min
IMDb profile

They Might Be Giants is a 1971 film based on the Broadway play of the same name (both written by James Goldman) starring George C. Scott and Joanne Woodward. This work is copyrighted. ... James Goldman (June 30, 1929 - October 28, 1998) was an American playwright, and screenwriter, and brother of William Goldman. ... George C Scott as General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubricks George Campbell Scott (October 18, 1927 – September 22, 1999) was a film/stage actor, director, and producer. ... Joanne Woodward Joanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward (born February 27, 1930) is an Academy Award-winning American actress. ... People called John Barry include: John Barry (1745-1803), an officer in the Continental Navy. ... Universal Pictures is the main motion picture production/distribution arm of Universal Studios, a subsidiary of NBC Universal. ... June 9 is the 160th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (161st in leap years), with 205 days remaining. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... A minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour and to 60 seconds. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... Film is a term that encompasses motion pictures as individual projects, as well as the field in general. ... Broadway theatre[1] is often considered the highest professional form of theatre in the United States. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... James Goldman (June 30, 1929 - October 28, 1998) was an American playwright, and screenwriter, and brother of William Goldman. ... George C Scott as General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubricks George Campbell Scott (October 18, 1927 – September 22, 1999) was a film/stage actor, director, and producer. ... Joanne Woodward Joanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward (born February 27, 1930) is an Academy Award-winning American actress. ...

Synopsis

Justin Playfair (Scott) is a millionaire who retreats into fantasy after the death of his wife, imagining himself to be Sherlock Holmes, the legendary fictional detective. Complete with a deerstalker hat, smoking pipe and violin, he spends his days in a self-constructed criminal laboratory, constantly paranoid of plots hatched by his (that is, Holmes's) arch-enemy, Professor Moriarty. A mansion on Diamond Head Road in Honolulu near Diamond Head State Park. ... See fantasy for an account of the literary genre involving the development of common or popular fantasies. ... Sherlock Holmes as imagined by the seminal Holmesian artist, Sidney Paget, in The Strand magazine. ... A deekstalker (right) along with typically associated paraphenailia of Sherlock Holmes A deerstalker is a type of hat that is typically worn in rural areas, often for hunting. ... Youth with pipe, by Hendrick Jansz Terbrugghen A smoking pipe is a device used for smoking combustible substances such as tobacco and cannabis. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Professor Moriarty, illustration by Sidney Paget which accompanied the original publication of The Final Problem. Professor James Moriarty is a fictional character who is the best known antagonist of the detective Sherlock Holmes. ...

When his brother (Lester Rawlins) places Justin under observation in a mental institution, and conspires with his former business associate to get his power of attorney, Justin attracts the attention of Dr. Mildred Watson (Woodward), a psychiatrist who becomes fascinated by his case. After Justin demonstrates a knack for Holmesian deduction, the institution releases him, and Watson meets with him at his home. Playfair is initially dismissive of Watson's attempts at psychoanalyzing him, but when he hears her name, he enthusiastically incorporates her into his life as Dr. Watson to his Holmes. A power of attorney or letter of attorney in common law systems or mandate in civil law systems is an authorization to act on someone elses behalf in a legal or business matter. ... Psychiatry is a branch of medicine that studies and treats mental and emotional disorders (see mental illness). ... There are several meanings for the word deduction: Natural deduction Deductive reasoning Deductions in terms of taxation, such as Itemized deductions Standard deduction See also: Logic Venn diagram Inductive reasoning Both statistics and the scientific method rely on both induction and deduction. ... Psychoanalysis is a family of psychological theories and methods based on the pioneering work of Sigmund Freud. ... Dr. John H. Watson is a fictional character, the sidekick of Sherlock Holmes, the fictional 19th century detective created by Arthur Conan Doyle. ...

The duo then begin an enigmatic quest for "Moriarty", with Playfair/Holmes following all manner of bizarre and (to Watson) unintelligible clues, growing closer to each other in the process.

Defining quote

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

They Might Be Giants

The title is an indirect reference to Don Quixote's famous exploit of attacking windmills, believing them to be "monstrous giants". Despite the protest of his aide Sancho Panza and being soundly defeated at the hands of the "giants" (that is, being tossed away by a mill's sail after getting his lance caught up in it), Quixote maintains his belief that the mills are not buildings but giants. In reference to this, Playfair argues: Image File history File links Wikiquote-logo-en. ... Wikiquote is a sister project of Wikipedia, using the same MediaWiki software. ... (now usually spelled by Spanish-speakers; is an archaic spelling) (IPA: ) or (The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha) is a novel by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. ... Spanish Windmills at La Mancha A windmill is an engine powered by the wind to produce energy, often contained in a large building as in traditional post mills, smock mills and tower mills. ... The mythology and legends of many different cultures include mythological creatures of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. ...

Of course, he carried it a bit too far. He thought that every windmill was a giant. That's insane. But, thinking that they might be... Well, all the best minds used to think the world was flat. But, what if it isn't? It might be round. And bread mold might be medicine. If we never looked at things and thought of what they might be, why, we'd all still be out there in the tall grass with the apes. 15th century adaptation of a T-O map. ... Penicillin nucleus Penicillin (sometimes abbreviated PCN) refers to a group of β-lactam antibiotics used in the treatment of bacterial infections caused by susceptible, usually Gram-positive, organisms. ...

It is also worth observing that the relationship between Playfair and Watson is very much like that between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, with one appearing delusional in following his inscrutable motives, and the other seeing clearly, but following the "visionary" out of concern, and later implicit friendship. The relationship between Playfair and Watson takes this a step further by blossoming into a romance.

Critical views

The film opened to mixed reviews. Leonard Maltin was a notable critic to hold it in good esteem. Leonard Maltin (born December 18, 1950 in New York City) is a widely known and respected American film critic. ...

Trivia

The band They Might Be Giants named itself after this movie. They Might Be Giants (commonly abbreviated to TMBG) is an American alternative rock duo consisting of John Linnell and John Flansburgh, collectively known as the two Johns or John and John. Known for their experimental pop music, they have been popular on college campuses and earned a reputation for intellectual...