Synopsis
Young adult Harold Chasen, solitary and friendless by choice, is obsessed with death, this fascination manifesting itself in he staging his own fake suicides, driving a hearse and attending funerals, even of people he doesn't know, all to the chagrin of his exasperated wealthy mother with whom he lives. Mrs. Chasen is determined for Harold to be "normal", including her sending him into therapy to deal with his issues and finding him a girlfriend through a computer dating service. It is at a series of funerals that Harold meets Maude, on the cusp of her eightieth birthday, she who too attends funerals of strangers. Unlike Harold, Maude is obsessed with life - her own life to be more precise - she does whatever she wants to please herself, damned what others may think or how they may be affected. Since she can't take material possessions with her, she is more interested in experiences, with whatever material possessions she has - often "borrowed" without asking - only to further those experiences. Their friendship is initially based on how the other can further their own priority. But as Maude shows Harold how to truly live, Harold falls in love with her. Their relationship, already limited in time by the sheer math, is curtailed even more as Maude shows him only not how to live well, but die well.
Film Credits
Cinematography by John A. Alonzo, with production design by Michael D. Haller.
Screenplay
Colin Higgins
Cinematography
John A. Alonzo
Production Design
Michael D. Haller
Costume Design
William Ware Theiss
Music
Cat Stevens
Country
United States
Language
English
Set In
20th century
Rating
PG
Runtime
91 min
Awards
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award3 wins & 3 nominations total
IMDb
7.8/10 · 86K votes
Rotten Tomatoes
86%
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