Harold is a young rich man with a death fixation. Between childhood and adulthood, his mother and other authority figures control his life. He plays morbid pranks, usually to no reaction. While attending funerals of strangers, he meets Maude (Ruth Gordon), an older woman who changes his life.
Many films of the era tried to tap into the zeitgeist of the youth movement, often with the sincerity and authenticity of an episode of The Monkees. Here, everything is unconventional to the point of subversive, without feeling forced. The values and expectations of the establishment are wonderfully subverted.
Harold and Maude make an unexpected couple, Ruth being fifty one years older than Harold’s Bud Cort. But in the end it becomes a very believable relationship. She is the most unconventional of adults with a healthy relationship with death. She shows him that it is ok for him to be himself, have fun, and not fear the inevitable. There isn’t a moment that doesn’t ring true.
This is a black comedy in the truest sense. But beyond humor, it has heart and a point of view. AMRU 4. Now, if it weren’t for all that Cat Stevens music …
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