Harold and Maude Anniversary Arrives

Harold and Maude starred Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon. The movie was about a young man with an unusual fascination with death. He hopelessly attempts to gain the attention, and perhaps the affection, of his cold distant mother with endless scenarios of death, seemingly to no avail.

It isn't long before he meets Maude, an old woman without much of a care in the world except to live each day without much care for the rudimentary concerns haunting most of us.

The mixture between Cort and Gordon is magical. Harold and Maude was unlike anything that came before it. To a great extent it was character driven. The carefree octogenarian rescuing the hopelessly brooding fake suicidal young boy from an endless collage of death scenarios.

The movie was hysterical and perhaps still stands as a testament to carefully constructed character and how far you can go with dark comedy. The effects were so well done most of the time, it was hard to believe Harold was faking it. Often times as a young child watching it for the first time, i was under the illusion that Harold may have had supernatural abilities that allowed him to cheat death. As it turned out, it was always a gag.

There are not too many movies scripted today that match what was achieved in Harold and Maude. The film still stands on its own today. It was so simple in its design and yet intriguing. The characters stay with you because despite their juxtaposed natures and backgrounds they get along so well with one another. They feed off of each other in the most positive of ways.

After watching Harold and Maude you aren't disturbed or put off. Despite the numerous self inflicted wounds of Cort, you don't get grossed out. On the contrary, you are drawn in. You will find yourself wondering where this eclectic tale will turn next. The objectifying of Harold becomes more of an association. Not so much with how different he may be from anyone casually observing him. Instead, one realizes how similar he is to most in his needs and wants.

Harold, much like you and I, is rather simple. He finds a unique way to occupy his time but is doing so more to remember that he is indeed alive. The irony stems from the enactment of death scenarios to try a prove to himself that he is alive. The recognition that he is unable to get from his unflinching mother, flows endlessly from Maude who recognizes him as a young man, anxious to learn about life.

The whole mixture is one that makes for an intellectual and visual romp that leaves you laughing and wondering when you could have Harold and Maude over for dinner. Perhaps, just a short dinner at that. Happy anniversary Harold and Maude. Here's to you bringing smiles to generations of viewers to come.