Harold and Maude

[bluestar]

Although I've been aware of this film's good reputation for a long time, I watched it for the first time this evening. I think it's a little gem of a film. Though dated in places, I think it managed to avoid most of the traps a story of this nature could easily have fallen into. It's not overly twee nor does it drive home it's life affirming message with a blunt instrument. I thought all the performances were exceptional and though it's obviously Ruth Gordon's film, I felt Bud Cort's portrayal of Harold was a skilful & subtle one. Harold is a character one could easily despise & yet I couldn't help but feel warmth toward him throughout. With Cat Steven's music beautifully deployed, if the film's intentions are to lift one's spirits a little, well......it certainly worked on me.

No great insights or realizations there, I know, as I've only just finished watching it but I think it's a film that could easily stand repeated viewing and I intend to run it again at the weekend. But I would be interested in the meantime to hear other members thoughts on the film.

Many thanks.......

[SteveDave]

Love this film. Everyone I've shown it to loves it too. Although at first they baulk at the thought of a love story between an old woman & a young fellow. By the end they're weeping. In a good way.

It also contains this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNgbmW_DXaU

[bluestar]

Yes, that was a great sequence showing his uncle in the military, his psychiatrist & his priest each vocalising their disapproval of Harold's relationship with Maude straight to camera. And on the wall behind them were each of their 'patron saints'. For the priest, as we see, the Pope; for his psychiatrist, Sigmund Freud.....And for his uncle, a smiling Richard Nixon, which just creased me up. 

As you said, a film about a relationship between a 20yr old man & a 79yr old woman could be a hard sell to friends but actually, it's just.....fine. I'm going to do more research on Ruth Gordon who I was only vaguely aware of, beforehand. She seems to have been quite an extraordinary woman herself......

[Icehaven]

Probably my favourite film most of the time. ''I would not say benefit.'', and the nonchalant wave before he bursts into flames are probably my favourite small moments in film ever.

[Dark Poet]

Submarine (out this week) drawing a lot of comparisons:

Submarine Trailer

[bluestar]

Oh, this looks very good. Thanks for posting that.

[Icehaven]

There's another recent film, Charlie Bartlett, that was partly an H&M (and Ferris Bueller) er, homage. The main protagonist starts out as an updated Harold, and several scenes were 'knowingly' recreated, particularly the talking-to-therapists bits. Inevitably it falls woefully foul of the comparisons (but Robert Downey Jnr is good). Which is partly why I'm not really fussed about Submarine*, as soon as I saw the trailer, particularly that kid, I thought 'Harold and Maude', (or God forbid, a British Charlie Bartlett.)

* that, and my borderline irrational dislike of Richard Ayoade.

[bluestar]

Well, I'm going to see Submarine tonight in Soho. I don't really know anything about Ayoade (sp?). I've seen one episode of The IT Crowd, which I thought he was very funny in. And he once guested on Jonathan Ross' Saturday morning radio show with the American fella from The Mighty Boosh & I thought he came over like the most unbelievable arse. Both guests did. I can't remember what they were promoting, which is probably quite telling, but their whole attitude dripped with sarcasm & petulance. A really juvenile approach to the whole thing; " Oh, isn't this awful & shallow & mainstream?....". Well, yes...but what did they expect? Whatever one thinks of Ross, & I rather like him when he's not doing his full on gobby wanker routine, he handled them in an extremely polite & mature manner and they came out of it looking like a couple of spoiled kids.

Nothing to do with the film, of course, & I'm really looking forward to it. I haven't re-run Harold & Maude, yet, & will try to do so next weekend. It'll be interesting to see what, if any, direct links I can spot between H & M and Submarine. I'll definitely give this Charlie Bartlett a go, too. Thanks for the heads up......

[Maybe Im Doing It Wrong]

I think it was Rich Fulcher and Matt Berry who were absolute petulant adolescent cunts on the Ross show, rather than Ayoade.

[bluestar]

Oh Christ, was it? Thanks for putting me right & apologies to Mr Ayoade for my mistake. NO-ONE should ever be falsely accused of being either of those two.

[Maybe Im Doing It Wrong]

They were indeed total arseholes.

[holyzombiejesus]

My friedn works in a cinema where Richard Ayoade did a Q&A last week and can't stop saying what a lovely guy he is.

As for H&M, I was really lucky to manage to get hold of a copy of this...



...last year. It's the most beautifully packaged record I own; it comes with a bonus7", book and 2 posters. Various other treats were randomly put into some of the records too.

http://www.theuncool.com/vinyl/harold-and-maude-soundtrack/

[Icehaven]

My friedn works in a cinema where Richard Ayoade did a Q&A last week and can't stop saying what a lovely guy he is.

As for H&M, I was really lucky to manage to get hold of a copy of this...



...last year. It's the most beautifully packaged record I own; it comes with a bonus7", book and 2 posters. Various other treats were randomly put into some of the records too.

http://www.theuncool.com/vinyl/harold-and-maude-soundtrack/

How I want that.

[phantom_power]

the look bud cort gives to the camera after his first computer date has run off after his self-immolation might be one of the best in cinema history.