Harold (Bud Cort) is a self-destructive and needy suicide-obsessed teen who spends his leisure time attending funerals, watching the flattening of buildings, visiting junkyards, replicating suicides in order to get the attention of his uninterested mother, and having meetings with his psychologist. Maude (Ruth Gordon) is a nearly 80-year-old free spirit. She believes in living each day to its fullest, and trying something new every day. Not only is her view of life quite joyful but she also has a rather carefree attitude towards death as well. So, what do these two have in common? Well, quite a lot apparently. He is entranced by her quirky outlook on life and she teaches him about living life to its fullest and that life is the most precious gift of all. An extremely unlikely romance ensues. Overall, this film is rather ambivalent with regards to the idea of suicide. Both characters deal with it (with varying results) and the audience never quite knows how to feel about it. Harold And Maude is the epitome of a film that you can't believe you're laughing at, yet you are, and theres nothing wrong with that.
Jesse Gumbarge is editor and chief blogger at JarvisCity.com - He loves old-school horror films and starting pointless debates. You can reach out at: JesseGumbarge@JarvisCity.com
