Harold and Maude (1971)

85% of critics liked it
(40 reviews)
92% of users liked it
(52,970 ratings)

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 attention of his mother (Vivian Pickles), but she keeps planning his brilliant future for him instead.… More 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 attention 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

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: Hal Ashby
Written By: Colin Higgins
Genres: Romance, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Dec 20, 1971 Wide
On DVD: Jun 27, 2000
Studio: Paramount Home Video

Critic Reviews

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.
Vincent Canby, New York Times
[Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon] both are so aggressive, so creepy and off-putting.
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. Nothing more to report today.
Variety Staff, Variety
Marked by a few good gags, but marred by a greater preponderance of sophomoric, overdone and mocking humor.
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 counterculture (Maude) helps Harold avoid the army.
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.
Scott G. Mignola, Common Sense Media
A classic of dark comedy.
Cole Smithey, Daily Radar
If there's one comedy to represent the woof and warp of the early '70s, "Harold and Maude" is it.
, 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.
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.
Stefan Birgir Stefansson, sbs.is
weird, very very weird
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
It's not quite a romance, not quite a buddy picture. It is, however, one of the '70s quirkiest comedies, and its bleak morbidity is uncommonly matched by its over-the-top hilarity.
Widgett Walls, Needcoffee.com
The epitome of a film that you can't believe you're laughing at, but you are. A lot. It hurts. In a good way.
Daniel Eagan, Film Journal International
Black comedy that's a bit too whimsical
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
A black comedy cult classic.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
By turns funny, moving and outrageous - sometimes all at once - the film is Hal Ashby's masterpiece.
Ross Anthony, Hollywood Report Card
Certainly a little twisted, but with such a powerfully warm 70's sunflower heart, "Harold and Maude" endears. I think of it as the cinematic equivalent to "The Little Prince"

Read all 17 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Dan S

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.… More
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. Cort'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.
Emile T

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.
Mark W

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… More
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 elaborate 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.
Jennifer D

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 bit.… More
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 bit. 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!
AJ V

I absolutely love this movie, the black comedy is hilarious, and the actors are perfect. I highly recommend this one.
Rubia Carolina .

"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.… More
"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, his 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. (...)
Shauna R

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,… More
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-spirited 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.
Spencer S

Amazingly, this is the greatest love story of all time. Who knew so many suicides could be included in one film?
Leigh R

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.
Aaron N

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… More
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 really 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.
erika b

good film.
Pierluigi P

All the creepiness, quirkiness or darkness that the story might arouse is overshadowed by the incredible chemistry and sweetness of the two leads, especially dear old Mrs. Ruth Gordon. If you think you would never fall in love with an octogenarian woman you clearly haven't seen… More
All the creepiness, quirkiness or darkness that the story might arouse is overshadowed by the incredible chemistry and sweetness of the two leads, especially dear old Mrs. Ruth Gordon. If you think you would never fall in love with an octogenarian woman you clearly haven't seen her here. A hysterical but also touching little gem. Great song catalog by Cat Stevens.
Tim S

Superb movie. I was captivated from the start.
Lady D

A very quirky black comedy, that has an either love it or hate quality to it. The storyline could be a metaphor for any socially unacceptable relationship and if you find the deeper meaning to this film, then you will truly absorb the story. … More
A very quirky black comedy, that has an either love it or hate quality to it. The storyline could be a metaphor for any socially unacceptable relationship and if you find the deeper meaning to this film, then you will truly absorb the story. Of course for me the icing on the cake was the Soundtrack featuring ing my favourite recording artist Cat Stevens. Unusual and original.
Anthony L

Probably the best 'Alternative' love story ever made. Harold and Maude are two brilliant characters played by the also and always brilliant Cort & Gordon. The various 'suicides' had me in stitches. Hal Ashby is a very overlooked director, the fact he never won… More
Probably the best 'Alternative' love story ever made. Harold and Maude are two brilliant characters played by the also and always brilliant Cort & Gordon. The various 'suicides' had me in stitches. Hal Ashby is a very overlooked director, the fact he never won an award is criminal. This is one of my favourite films of all time.
Randy T

"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."
Ping C

A beautifully shot film set in the bay area about the 'unconventional' love between a young man and a vivacious older woman. It's a very touching story, although the, ahem, consummation of their love made me cringe a bit.
Sarah G

Director:Hal Asby Released: 1971 Stars: Bud Cort, Cyril Cusack and Ruth Gordon Genre: Comedy, Drama Country: USA Harold is a depressed, death-obsessed… More
Director:Hal Asby Released: 1971 Stars: Bud Cort, Cyril Cusack and Ruth Gordon Genre: Comedy, Drama Country: USA Harold 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, 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. However, Maude has a surprise for Harold that is to change his life forever. Harold and Maude, considered one of the great classic films of the 1970's and one of the great films of all time. One film which has always been on my "to watch" list and other films always got in the way. Luckily it was my DVD to be sent to me and sat down an watched it. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it suprised me a bit. Firstly, Harold and Maude feels way ahead of it's time. With the Cat Steven's soundtrack, often used in Wes Anderson films, you feel like it was made 5 or 6 years ago. It still has a "fresh feel" to it, which is why it's still being watched even today. The Wes Anderson like presentation of the film, makes you want to keep watching and really gain an insight into the livs of Harold and Maude. Again, Cat Steven's soundtrack is key to the freshness of the film for me. The film opens up with Harold walking down the stars, with Steven's OST and attempting another "fake suicide." Instantly we can see that character's deep and troubled. far away from life with his Mother. Harold is presented as a deep and troubled man, but also with a constant pale face, again reinforcing to us as the audience what kind of behaviour that you should expect from this character. Harold visits the psychiatrist, who's room is depicted as a set from a Kubrick film, i.e- huge , spacious room which feels like it is going to move in on you. The dialogue with the Psychiatrist is short, and with a hint of black humour, which again instantly puts you with the character-you feel what he is feeling. the acting of Bud Cort, as Harold is key to the presentation of his character. For example we wouldn't have thought of him that way if it wasn't for his portrayal. The performance and presentation of the character of Maude is the exact opposite of Harold. Once they meet at funerals, you can see they are similiar. Maude, the care free woman seems to have the mind of a 25 year old but gives Harold advice on life and how to get the most out of it. Harlold makes Maude feel like a younger woman which makes for c harming on screen couple. I loved the uneasiness of Harold and the attitude of Maude, which seemed to gel together onscreen instantly. One of my favourite scenes is where they re-plant a tree that was originally in the street-then they stopped by the police. One scene to look out for. Overall, Harold and Maude is one film to discover in American cinema. Harold and Maude is a classic indie like film that we have come to know today. Reminiscent of Wes Anderson films and slightly different to the Graduate, the film is one not to get grossed out by the content of the film but enjoy the chemistry between one of cinema's odd couple and a truely inspiring film. I can guarantee you'll be humming Cat Steven's soundtrack to the film after... 9/10
Stefanie C

subversively comic and uplifting.
Jennifer X

Maude is an adorable, adorable woman who lives on in the hearts of emos everywhere. This movie is so gentle and so incredibly fresh. Hal Ashby is not the kind that acts all arrogant and pretentious just because he is so original, at least not in here. Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort flesh… More
Maude is an adorable, adorable woman who lives on in the hearts of emos everywhere. This movie is so gentle and so incredibly fresh. Hal Ashby is not the kind that acts all arrogant and pretentious just because he is so original, at least not in here. Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort flesh out their characters and don't caricature them to the point of ridiculousness, which they very easily could. I can see why this is a cult movie - it's so...inspirational, but witty, and subtle. The composition is beautiful and the contrast of Harold's house to the stuff that happens at the end is striking. Cat Stevens kills.