My goth adolescence wasn't complete until I saw Harold and Maude for the first time. And I promptly developed a crush on young Bud Cort, who plays Harold, a morose, death-obsessed son of a wealthy widow. In spite of her attempts to straighten him out and find a nice girl for him, Harold instead stages fake suicide attempts, leaving his mother to find him in all kinds of gruesome conditions.
But that's not why this film, released in 1971, holds the title of the original cult classic. Rather, it's because Harold meets Maude (Ruth Gordon), a septuagenarian on the cusp of her 80th birthday, and falls head over heels in love with her. And it's not hard to see why — Maude is one of the most lovable, free-spirited characters in film history. She defies any rule that gets in the way of her living a full, joyful life. And, her infectious love of existence rubs off on Harold, who's finally happy.
But their love can't last, as Maude has committed to end her life on her 80th birthday — a task she follows through on to Harold's despair. Sadness aside, though, the movie is an utter delight from start to finish.
