Harold and Maude

E49003

Harold and Maude is a 1971 dark romantic comedy film that became a cult classic for its offbeat love story between a morbid young man and a free-spirited elderly woman, emblematic of countercultural cinema of its era.


Statements (54)
Predicate Object
instanceOf cult film
dark comedy film
film
romantic comedy film
basedOn Harold and Maude (screenplay)
castMember Bud Cort
Charles Tyner
Cyril Cusack
Ellen Geer
Eric Christmas
G. Wood
Ruth Gordon
Tom Skerritt
Vivian Pickles
cinematographyBy John A. Alonzo
countryOfOrigin United States
director Hal Ashby
distributor Paramount Pictures
editedBy William A. Sawyer NERFINISHED
follows New Hollywood movement aesthetics
genre black comedy
dark comedy
romantic comedy
hasCultFollowing true
initialBoxOfficeReception poor
language English
laterReception cult classic
mainCharacter Glaucus
Harold Chasen
Maude
Mrs. Chasen
Sunshine Doré
Uncle Victor
musicBy Cat Stevens
Paul Lewis
notableFor emblematic representation of early 1970s American countercultural cinema
offbeat love story between a morbid young man and an elderly woman
notableSong Don’t Be Shy
If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out
plotSummary A morbid young man obsessed with death forms a romantic relationship with a free-spirited 79-year-old woman who teaches him to embrace life.
producer Charles B. Mulvehill NERFINISHED
Colin Higgins
releaseDate 1971-12-20
releaseYear 1971
runtimeMinutes 91
screenwriter Colin Higgins
setInPeriod late 1960s
theme anti-war sentiment
counterculture
death
individualism
intergenerational romance
nonconformity
suicide

Referenced by (6)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Hal Ashby
Ruth Gordon
notableWork
Harold and Maude ("Harold and Maude (screenplay)")
basedOn
Hal Ashby
directed
New Hollywood
notableFilm
Ruth Gordon ("Maude in Harold and Maude")
notableRole

Please wait…