Harold and Maude (1971)

Young, rich, and obsessed with death, Harold finds himself changed forever when he meets lively septuagenarian Maude at a funeral.

Director:

Hal Ashby

Writer:

Colin Higgins

Stars:

Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort, Vivian Pickles

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ruth Gordon	...	Maude
Bud Cort	...	Harold
Vivian Pickles	...	Mrs. Chasen
Cyril Cusack	...	Glaucus
Charles Tyner	...	Uncle Victor
Ellen Geer	...	Sunshine Doré
Eric Christmas	...	Priest
G. Wood	...	Psychiatrist
Judy Engles	...	Candy Gulf
Shari Summers	...	Edith Phern
Tom Skerritt	...	Motorcycle Officer (as M. Borman)
Susan Madigan	...	Girlfriend
Ray K. Goman	...	Police Officer (as Ray Goman)
Gordon Devol	...	Police Officer (as Gordon DeVol)
Harvey Brumfield	...	Police Officer

Storyline

Self-destructive and needy but wealthy teenager Harold is obsessed with death and spends his leisure time attending funerals, watching the demolition of buildings, visiting junkyards, simulating suicides trying to get the attention of his indifferent, snobbish and egocentric mother, and having sessions with his psychologist. When Harold meets the anarchic seventy-nine-year-old Maude at a funeral, they become friends and the old lady discloses other perspectives of the cycle of life for him. Meanwhile, his mother enlists him in a dating service and tries to force him to join the army. On the day of Maude's eightieth birthday, Harold proposes to her but he finds the truth about life at the end of hers.

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Plot Keywords:

funeral | suicide | death | junkyard | fake suicide | 

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Taglines:

His Hangups Are Hilarious

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

GP

Details

Official Sites:

Japan Sky Way [jp]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 December 1971 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ensina-me a Viver

Filming Locations:

Berkeley, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mildred Lewis and Colin Higgins Productions, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When considering the role of Harold, Bud Cort asked the opinion of director Robert Altman, his mentor. Altman cautioned that rising star Cort might find himself forever typecast. For this reason, Cort turned down the role of Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

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Goofs

About 50 minutes into the film, when Maude is doing donuts around the officer, the driver-side window of the truck is alternately up/down between shots.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mrs. Chasen: [after spotting Harold hanging from a noose in the living room] I suppose you think that's very funny, Harold... Oh, dinner at eight, Harold. And do try and be a little more vivacious.

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Connections

Referenced in The Nanny: The In-Law Who Came Forever (1999)

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Soundtracks

"Piano Concerto No. 1"
(1874-5) (uncredited)
Written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
In the score after a psychiatrist session

User Reviews

When is the sequel coming?

Over 30 years have passed since Harold and Maude premiered. Since then, there hasn't been a more "different" and enjoyable love story about two completely odd people. The story is so unique, it is held in a category all its own. A man, who only feels alive when he's dead is introduced to a woman who is planning on death but lives life day to day. The moral of the movie is to live and to be. I am hoping for a sequel where Harold becomes the old man and influences a young woman who reminds him of the child he once was to live life to the very fullest.