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Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort, Vivian Pickles, Cyril Cusack, Charles Tyner ... see more see more... , Ellen Geer , M. Borman , Eric Christmas , Gordon Devol , Judy Engles , Ray K. Goman , Shari Summers , Bill [William] Lucking , G. Wood , Susan Madigan , Jerry Randall

A young man with a death wish and a 79-year-old high on life find love in Hal Ashby's cult black comedy. Deadpan rich boy Harold (Bud Cort) keeps staging elaborate suicide tableaux to get the attentio... read more read more...n of his mother (Vivian Pickles), but she keeps planning his brilliant future for him instead. Obsessed with the trappings of death, Harold freaks out his blind dates, modifies his new sports car to look like a mini-hearse, and attends funerals, where he meets the spirited Maude (Ruth Gordon). An eccentric to the core, Maude lives exactly as she pleases, with avid collecting and nude modeling among her many pursuits. To the disgust of Harold's relatives and the befuddlement of Harold's shrink, Harold falls in love with her. As lilting Cat Stevens tunes play on the soundtrack, Maude teaches Harold a valuable lesson about making the most of his time on earth. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

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92% liked it

52,923 ratings

Critics

85% liked it

40 critics

PG, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Hal Ashby

Release Date: December 20, 1971

Keywords: funny, cult

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DVD Release Date: June 27, 2000

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Stats: 4,864 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (4,864)

  • fb619846742
    April 9, 2012
    fb619846742
    A sublime, well-acted, surprisingly moving black comedy of a young man (Bud Cort) who is obsessed with death, and how he meets and falls in love with a 79-year old free-spirit (Ruth Gordon). What sounds creepy and boring is actually consistently funny and never uninteresting. Cor... read moret's disengaged stare and ghost-like appearance combined with Gordon's pig tails and high exuberance make for an unlikely pair to be sure, but it is still convincing despite being totally ridiculous. A little show in parts, but overall a phenomenal black comedy that rightfully has earned a cult following over the years.
  • emilebond007
    May 29, 2011
    emilebond007
    A movie that talks about life and death by defying any possible norms one would set for oneself. And the movie still succeeds in being coherent and in sending ideas too precursor for its time. A masterpiece and a quite beautiful one as much as it is disturbing.
  • MrMarakai
    March 28, 2011
    MrMarakai
    Director Hal Ashby made a name for himself throughout the 70's with several high-quality films like "Being There", "The Last Detail" and "Coming Home", but it's this lesser known film that's his best work.
    Harold (Bud Cort) is a young morbid man who fakes his own death in elabor... read moreate suicides, just to get the attention of his rich neglectful mother. He also attends funerals of people he has never met just to indulge his obsession with death. It's at one of these funerals that he meets an old lady named Maude (Ruth Gordon), who is so positive and full of life that Harold is captivated by her and they both begin to fall in love with each other, exploring the wonders and beauty of life.
    This is one of those 'sleeper' films that seems to pass people by, for no other reason than they haven't heard of it or it can be difficult to get hold of. It was shamefully ignored come awards season also. Over the years though, It has garnered enough word-of-mouth attention to become a cult classic, and rightfully so. It's an absolutely superb little black comedy that sensitively deals with themes of suicide, death, love and overall, life itself. It's also the most unconventional love story you're ever likely to see. The thought of a relationship between a young man in his late teens and an old lady in her late 70's may put some off. However, this is a relationship that's delicately handled with fabulous performances from Bud Cort as the morbid, death obsessed Harold who has a 'sense of the absurd' and especially Ruth Gordon as the eccentric free-spirited Maude, who opens his mind up to having a zest for life. It was for "Rosemary's Baby" in 1968 that Gordon won an oscar but it's here that she delivers one of cinemas finest and quirkiest of characters.
    Cat Stevens' songs throughout, also deserve a special mention. They are just a joy, and a fine example of how a soundtrack can compliment a film.
    An unusual, often hilarious yet touching and heart-warming gem, that leaves you with a big grin from ear to ear. A pure delight.
  • MeetMeinMontauk
    December 27, 2010
    MeetMeinMontauk
    A sweet, morbid black comedy that I was entranced with from the very beginning. Gordon and Cort are fantastic against each other. A feisty, fiery old lady and disaffected, confused teen boy. Marvelous. Slightly weird, but to even present a relationship like this it has to be a bi... read moret.
    Also, I must comment on one reviewer, Mr. Kehr has completely missed the point since he got whiny about the concentration camp mark. If this movie was supposed to be drama over WWII, we would have known. What that was was a story about a lady who had been surrounded by death, got past that and decided to live and not to dwell on it. Contrasting of course with the barely lived teen who was obsessed with killing himself. Go back to English class, Kehr and learn your allegories!
  • ajv2688
    December 21, 2010
    ajv2688
    I absolutely love this movie, the black comedy is hilarious, and the actors are perfect. I highly recommend this one.
  • 5oclockcoffee
    December 20, 2010
    5oclockcoffee
    "You see, Harold, I feel that much of the world's sorrow comes from people who are this (a daisy), yet allow themselves be treated as that (a field of daisies)".

    An unexpected love, great performances, great music, but expected situations and expected final scene. Although, h... read moreis love for her, that grows natural and real, is very touching. My first reaction was: I want to grow old as Maude, but she is, actually, too much charcterized by a free spirit full of uplifting messages. (...)



  • shauna1354
    November 2, 2010
    shauna1354
    Harold and Maude is a quirky, heart-warming and sentimental film worthy of it's status as a cult classic and is probably one of the most important films of all time.

    Harold is a rich young man, unsatisfied by his life but engrossed with death. Maude is a lively, high-spirit... read moreed 79-year old woman and when the two meet they form a close bond and embark upon some very humourous adventures.

    Harold and Maude one of the most unusual love stories out there, filled with witty dialogue and memorable scenes that leaves the viewer captivated everytime they watch it.

    Bud Cort portrays Harold extremely well, capturing every inch of his morbid nature and blank stares. Ruth Gordon is enjoyable to watch and plays the role beautifully. Plus the Cat Stevens soundtrack fits the film perfectly.

    Harold and Maude is a wonderfully uplifting yet darkly poignant film. It holds a great message about living your life to the fullest and that love has no boundaries. This is a film you must see before you die.
  • FrizzDrop
    October 31, 2010
    FrizzDrop
    Amazingly, this is the greatest love story of all time. Who knew so many suicides could be included in one film?
  • dreamfaeries
    August 29, 2010
    dreamfaeries
    This movie was great. I was entranced into their world and loved their chemistry. Ruth and Bud played off of each other brilliantly. Very dark, very funny, very sweet.
  • DrZeek
    July 1, 2010
    DrZeek
    Harold: I haven't lived. I've died a few times.

    An absurdest black comedy concerning two people, one young and one old, seemingly opposites of each other, of course making them attract. It certainly tries to find a balance between dark comedy and quirky love story, but you real... read morely have to invest yourself in the world of these lead characters to appreciate it.

    Harold (Bud Cort) is a depressed, death-obsessed 20-year-old man/child who spends his free time attending funerals and pretending to commit suicide in front of his mother. At a funeral, Harold befriends Maude (Ruth Gordon), a 79-year-old woman who has a zest for life. She and Harold spend much time together during which she exposes him to the wonders and possibilities of life. After rejecting his mother's three attempts to set him up with a potential wife, and committing fake suicide in front of all of them, Harold announces that he is to be married to Maude. Further romantic adventures follow...all to the poppy tunes of Cat Stevens.

    I mention Cat Stevens because its such an appropriate artist to fit into this film, him being one incredibly quirky guy himself. This film really tries hard to be quirky, with how deliberate it is in showing Harold annoy his mother, oppose to shock her, with his ridiculous fake suicides and then bringing in Maude as an elderly hippy. That's all well and good, but you just have to be ready to go on that ride.

    I wasn't really ready. I sat back and found some enjoyment in what was happening, enough to recommend the film in fact, but for the most part Harold remained odd and bug eyed and Maude was just doing the over-the-top old lady thing. These aren't poorly acted by any means, just odd enough for me to take a step back.

    Maude: A lot of people enjoy being dead. But they are not dead, really. They're just backing away from life. *Reach* out. Take a *chance*. Get *hurt* even. But play as well as you can. Go team, go! Give me an L. Give me an I. Give me a V. Give me an E. L-I-V-E. LIVE! Otherwise, you got nothing to talk about in the locker room.

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Critic Reviews

Dave Kehr
October 24, 2007
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

Simpleminded, but it's fairly inoffensive, at least until Ashby lingers over the concentration-camp serial number tattooed on Gordon's arm. Some things are beyond the reach of whimsy. Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 9, 2005
Vincent Canby, New York Times

[Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon] both are so aggressive, so creepy and off-putting. Full Review

Roger Ebert
October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The visual style makes everyone look fresh from the Wax Museum, and all the movie lacks is a lot of day-old gardenias and lilies and roses in the lobby, filling the place with a cloying sweet smell. N... Full Review

Variety Staff
February 13, 2001
Variety Staff, Variety

Marked by a few good gags, but marred by a greater preponderance of sophomoric, overdone and mocking humor. Full Review

Brian Gibson
May 10, 2012
Brian Gibson, Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)

Unlike claustrophobically cute odd-couple movies, bottles some of the flavour of its time. Harold's fake suicides are a pale defiance and reflection of his cloistered, sapped life. The vital countercu... Full Review

Emanuel Levy
June 8, 2011
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

This darkly humorous ,romantic comedy between an introvert adolescent and and old spunky woman, is playing it too safe to be considered truly anti-establishment, but it became a cult picture. Full Review

Scott G. Mignola
January 2, 2011
Scott G. Mignola, Common Sense Media

A classic of dark comedy. Full Review

Cole Smithey
April 12, 2009
Cole Smithey, Daily Radar

If there's one comedy to represent the woof and warp of the early '70s, "Harold and Maude" is it. Full Review

October 24, 2007
TV Guide's Movie Guide

A doggedly eccentric film which some will reject out of hand. Others will find it profundly moving and life affirming. Full Review

Derek Adams
June 24, 2006
Derek Adams, Time Out

It is most successful when it keeps to the tone of an insane fairystory set up at the beginning of the movie. Full Review

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    • Maude: Harold, everyone has the right to make an arse of themselves. You can't let the world judge you too much.
    • Maude: You know, at one time, I used to break into pet shops to liberate the canaries. But I decided that was an idea way before its time. Zoos are full, prisons are overflowing... oh my, how the world still *dearly* loves a *cage.*
    • Harold Chasen: I haven't lived. I've died a few times.
    • Maude: L-I-V-E! Live! Otherwise, you got nothing to talk about in the locker room.
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Harold and Maude Trivia

  • In the movie, "Harold and Maude", which musical instrument did Maude give to Harold?  Answer »
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  • In the movie Harold and Maude, what is Harold's favorite activity?  Answer »
  • Name the actor that played Harold Chasen in Harold and Maude  Answer »
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