Harold and Maude. 1971. USA. Directed by Hal Ashby. Screenplay by Colin Higgins. With Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort, Vivian Pickles. 4K digital restoration by Paramount; courtesy Paramount. 91 min.
An 18-year-old boy, obsessed with death (few films have shown so many mock suicides) and despondent over his family’s conservative morals and patriotic militarism, is transformed after attending (another) stranger’s funeral, where he falls in love with a 79-year-old woman who lives life to the fullest by breaking the law every day. Considered too weird and subversive, Harold and Maude was released with almost no promotion, and audiences consequently ignored the film. But its influence on scores of dark, quirky comedies since is undeniable, and it is now considered one of Hollywood’s biggest cult films. Hal Ashby’s offbeat stoner personality and Cat Steven’s mellow music were perfect matches for Colin Higgins’s unconventional script, written when he was still a UCLA film student. Harold and Maude remains mandatory viewing for every outcast and nonconformist film lover.