We all know the tale.
Death-infatuated young man meets soon-to-be octogenarian woman at a funeral, kick-starting a torrid love affair that extends to both emotional and physical realms. It’s the classic love story, right?
Starring Bud Cort as Harold and Ruth Gordon as Maude, this 1971 film was even more unconventional when it was released more than four decades ago. Though it’s now considered iconic, it was initially met with mixed criticism, including a tepid review from the late Roger Ebert. But that’s only because it was before its time.
At its core, the plot follows a coming-of-age theme with a confused Harold seemingly unable to cope with the reality of his own existence. He goes so far as to stage graphic scenes of suicide to try to shock his mother into actual understanding, but to no avail. Depending on the scene, he’s also either terribly or hilariously impotent when it comes to connecting with other human beings.
That is, until Maude enters his world. At 79 years young, she stands as the most full-of-life character throughout the 91 minutes. She casually steals cars, a police motorcycle and even a tree from a street; not to mention, she has the majority of the more quotable lines in the movie.
Above all, Harold and Maude ingeniously walks a tightrope over dark humor while still holding true to genuine aspects of pathos. The ending is phenomenal and with the whole soundtrack provided by Cat Stevens, it’s a quirky but endlessly rewarding must-see prior to graduation.
[ READ MORE: LIST: Movies you need to see before graduating ]
