Harry Coombes (Art Carney) was talking about his neighborhood when he made the comment in my summary line above, but he could just as easily have been talking about the relationship with his family, old friend Jacob, or even himself. The story is about running down, growing old, and re-evaluating one's life for missed opportunities and what might have been.
I was surprised by another reviewer's mention that Carney took the role after it was written for, but turned down by James Cagney. Interestingly, Carney and Cagney appeared together a full decade later in the TV movie, "Terrible Joe Moran", in which Cagney portrays the main character not unlike Harry in a lot of ways. In that film, Carney is Cagney's neighbor and friend, sharing pearls of wisdom with Cagney's estranged granddaughter and the viewer.
The story of "Harry and Tonto" is played in a series of vignettes once Harry is forcibly removed from his New York City apartment, making way for an urban parking lot. That in itself is a disquieting commentary on modern life, when a commercial parking structure carries more value than human life. Though Harry has every reason to be cynical over the way the lives of his sons and daughter turned out, that doesn't seem to be his way, as Harry takes it all in stride and appears to rise above the fray. He also has an acceptance of ultimate finality, as one is conditioned by the death of Jacob, setting us up for the eventual demise of traveling companion Tonto. Still, it's hard to keep a dry eye over Harry's loss.
My favorite scene was the one with Harry arrested and in jail with cell-mate Chief Dan George. As Sam Two-Feathers, the Chief is dead pan hilarious discussing how he put the death spell on Edgar Red Bear, and how he was once jailed for his horse dumping in a hotel lobby. Quoting his character Old Lodge Skins from the movie "Little Big Man" - Sometimes the magic works, sometimes it doesn't'. Fans of Art Carney will probably agree that in this film, most of the time the magic works.
I was surprised by another reviewer's mention that Carney took the role after it was written for, but turned down by James Cagney. Interestingly, Carney and Cagney appeared together a full decade later in the TV movie, "Terrible Joe Moran", in which Cagney portrays the main character not unlike Harry in a lot of ways. In that film, Carney is Cagney's neighbor and friend, sharing pearls of wisdom with Cagney's estranged granddaughter and the viewer.
The story of "Harry and Tonto" is played in a series of vignettes once Harry is forcibly removed from his New York City apartment, making way for an urban parking lot. That in itself is a disquieting commentary on modern life, when a commercial parking structure carries more value than human life. Though Harry has every reason to be cynical over the way the lives of his sons and daughter turned out, that doesn't seem to be his way, as Harry takes it all in stride and appears to rise above the fray. He also has an acceptance of ultimate finality, as one is conditioned by the death of Jacob, setting us up for the eventual demise of traveling companion Tonto. Still, it's hard to keep a dry eye over Harry's loss.
My favorite scene was the one with Harry arrested and in jail with cell-mate Chief Dan George. As Sam Two-Feathers, the Chief is dead pan hilarious discussing how he put the death spell on Edgar Red Bear, and how he was once jailed for his horse dumping in a hotel lobby. Quoting his character Old Lodge Skins from the movie "Little Big Man" - Sometimes the magic works, sometimes it doesn't'. Fans of Art Carney will probably agree that in this film, most of the time the magic works.