Harold and Maude may ostensibly be about death—so much so, that by Harold’s 10th fake suicide attempt, you’ll be rolling your eyes—but it’s also a sweet tale that celebrates life’s small joys and everyday people. The film’s two sides are personified by the titular characters. Harold seems tired of life, while Maude is all about it. And yet, Harold comes from privilege, while Maude hides a dark past. They learn about and from each other, but ultimately it’s the kindness they show one another, in a society that treats them as outsiders, that gives the film its heart. It sounds simple on paper, but Harold and Maude is packed with the kind of style, sound, and deadpan wit that dominates modern independent cinema (see: The Submarine, or Rushmore). It didn’t make waves back in 1971 when it premiered, but decades later, it remains a cult favorite for these reasons.
A deadpan young man obsessed with death meets an eccentric septuagenarian who teaches him to live life to the fullest.
Unhappy with his life, 20-something Harold (Bud Cort) fakes his death to get the attention of his emotionally unavailable mother. Things take a turn when he befriends Maude (Ruth Gordon), a 79-year-old free spirit.
Is Harold and Maude a romance? Who knows. It’s not the central point of the film, but it is a question that gets asked more and more as the years go on.
If you ever need proof the British have the darkest sense of humor, show them this death-obsessed film, which they’ve deemed a “romcom.”
Golden Globes
2 nominations
BAFTA
1 nomination
