Naive, outdated ,simple minded movie,

He drove the hearse off the cliff because he didn't want to be reminded of death anymore. He kept the banjo because it reminded him of his relationship with Maude and provided him with hope for his newly life-affirming view of the world.

I like Bunuel, but I find his view of the clergy and bourgeousie to actually be more didactic and heavy-handed than Ashby's.

I agree that Maude is a dangerous sociopath. Like many suicides, she definitely exhibits signs of narcissistic personality disorder, and I'm glad I don't live in her neighborhood. But, hey, it's a fable, and I don't think viewers are supposed to take her or her actions literally.

I love The Graduate as well, but I don't think it or Harold and Maude should win any awards for subtle characterizations.

I could say that about most romantic comedies over the last 25 years, yet most of them are not as interesting as this merely simple-minded film, which features a slightly disturbed, off-beat young man who tries to gain his mother's emotional attention by staging acts of pseudo-suicide, while she blindly plays matchmaker for him. In the midst of this humdrum famlial relationship, young Harold starts to develop feelings for a vigorous, non-conforming septuagenarian who is a bit of daredevil.


You know I actually agree with you, OP.

I just watched this and I wanted to like it, and there were things about it I did appreciate, but I agree with everything you said nonetheless. The message is mixed and so stuck in the 60s that I would have to force myself to be truly inspired by it but while knowing I shouldn't.

Maude is a dangerous character. It is thinking and philosophy like hers that always get you into trouble and no consequence was ever displayed. Harold was a pretty extreme case on the other side, fixated on death and nothing more, so her loopy do and try everything, be "above" morality, "make an ass of yourself" etc. hippie mumbo-jumbo I guess was the opposite extreme to take but it was awful. Just awful.

And the assertion that plucking away at a banjo, doing drugs, having sex, etc. with her is what cures a very troubled young person like Harold.. the doofus-portrayal of the psychologists and religious figures hardly being subtle... is dumb, even if modern psychology and religion is flawed too. Lamebrained hippies like that of the past can kiss my rear. Thanks for nothing you drugged out, morally-depraved dimwits. Way to pave the way for nothing valuable. Always took real problems and made them far worse. And people sit on their hands and scratch their heads wondering why society is so bad now.

As for the car in the final scene, parting with the hearse and leaving playing the banjo I think was symbolic of leaving "death" and his prior life behind and going forward with what Maude taught him. Again, I hardly find that sound. Where was Harold a month from that moment, I wonder? Probably deeply depressed again with a substance abuse problem.

I couldn't disagree with you more. This is a fine film and I guess you failed to notice, it's a comedy! Of course Maude is a dangerous character. Some of the things she does is for comedic relief. The whole film is a riot and has life lessons within them intermingled with the fun stuff. There's a lot of films that seem dated and some of them are; however, I think the message in Harold and Maude is timeless.




RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman 1967-2014... a tremendously great and talented actor.

Sheesh, what a dour thread. To sum up, several people don't like this film because it doesn't play by the rules of modern indy cinema: it isn't downbeat, nihilistic or "realistic" enough for them. To each their own, I guess.