IMDb > Harold and Maude (1971)
Harold and Maude
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Harold and Maude (1971) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
8.1/10   28,336 votes »
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Up 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
Colin Higgins (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Harold and Maude on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
20 December 1971 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Tagline:
They will defy everything you've ever seen or heard about screen lovers! [Video] See more »
Plot:
Young, rich, and obsessed with death, Harold finds himself changed forever when he meets lively septuagenarian Maude at a funeral. Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination See more »
NewsDesk:
(33 articles)
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User Reviews:
Death, Love and Life See more (265 total) »

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
See more »
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Runtime:
91 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Maude's picture frames are empty. In Colin Higgins's book, Harold asks why she removed the photographs (the scene was not used in the movie). Maude tells him they mocked her by their images remaining sharp even as her memories were fading, implying that she is suffering from Alzheimer's or a similar form of dementia.See more »
Goofs:
Continuity: 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.See more »
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.
See more »
Soundtrack:
I Think I See The LightSee more »

FAQ

How old are Harold and Maude supposed to be?
What is the order of the Cat Stevens' songs and where are they available?
Is "Harold and Maude" based on a book?
See more »
11 out of 12 people found the following review useful.
Death, Love and Life, 19 March 2008
Author: Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The self-destructive and needy wealthy teenager Harold (Bud Cort) is obsessed by death and spends his leisure time attending funerals, watching demolishing of buildings, visiting junkyards, simulating suicides trying to get attention of his indifferent, snobbish and egocentric mother and having sessions with his psychologist. When Harold meets the anarchist seventy nine year-old Maude (Ruth Gordon) at a funeral, they become friends and the old lady discloses others perspectives of the cycle of life for him. Meanwhile his mother enlists him in a dating service and tries to force Harold to join the army. On the day of the eightieth anniversary of Maude, Harold proposes her but he finds the truth about the end of the cycle of life.

The cult "Harold and Maude" was a huge success in Brazil for people of my generation with a refreshing and funny exposition of themes like death, love and life through the friendship and love of a teenager and a septuagenarian woman. The complex Harold is a young man that needs the attention of his indifferent mother. He found in his childhood the only moment that she really seemed to be worried about him after a serious accident in school and he uses to fake suicides trying to have the same attention back. Maude is an anarchist old woman not attached to material stuff like properties or collections that steals cars for self-locomotion. Along a few days, Maude gives a lesson of life to Harold, changing his behavior and feelings forever. The performances of Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort in this weird love story are unforgettable and the soundtrack with Cat Steven's songs is another plus. Unfortunately "Harold and Maude" has been forgotten in Brazil by the distributors and neither the VHS nor the DVD has been released in my country; I just have a tape recorded from the cable TV. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Ensina-me a Viver" ("Teach me to Live")

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Harold and Maude (1971)
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Unbelievable RubyHypatia
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