Here’s the nicest thing anyone said to me, and it was by someone who didn’t even like me.

Me: I want to be like Maude when I grow up.
She: I think you’re like Maude now!

But I ain’t never killing myself. Life is short enough without shortening it any further.

It doesn’t.  The original lead up to the love scene was longer, as was the actual romance between Harold and Maude.  Film stills exist that clarify this, but it is rarely mentioned that the film was “severely” edited by the studio.  The film’s original trailer includes scenes not seen in the actual movie as well.

“The part that meant a lot to me when I first saw it was Harold explaining how when he dresses, he wants gray and to not be seen: to basically just disappear (despite the awesome fake death attempts) and I fully understood that.”

This is as unfair as holding the Beastie Boys culpable for nu-metal.

That modded car is so sweet...

I guess Maude was anti-fascist.  I imagine most concentration camp survivors are not pro-fascist.

Love this film and great write up Caroline. You nailed it.

I would be remiss in my duty, if I did not tell you, that the idea of... intercourse - the fact of his firm, young... body... commingling with the... withered flesh... sagging breasts... and flabby b-b-buttocks... makes me want... to vomit.

It might not have helped that to some it felt slightly disjointed. It isn’t just the subject matter, but the fact that the film had a good 30 minutes excised. So much so that Bud Cort essentially refused to promote the film, since it wasn’t a situation in which director Hal Ashby got final cut. Cort felt that…

Harold begins talking to Maude at about 19 minutes and 20 seconds.

Aliens was another movie that he (while admiring its production and giving it a good score over all) Ebert mentions that he couldn’t really enjoy because of all the violence. Even in 1986, it was hardly that violent of a movie!

You know this does feel very proto Wes Anderson, down to people dying in dry comedic ways.  Wes Anderson meets the graduate is one hell of a combination.

To be fair, Pete’s Dragon is kind of terrifying.

It’s funny seeing how grossed out he was by The Thing. I’m like Roger, you sweet summer child, there are movies out there (even in ‘82!) that make The Thing look like Pete’s Dragon. Isn’t it your job to watch them?

Or after himself! For a brief time after he lost the ability to speak Ebert had decided that a pair of younger critics should run his show in 2011 — one of whom was this site’s (well, I know he isn’t full time anymore, but still) Ignatiy Vishnevetsky! Seriously, I thought he and Christy Lemire did a pretty decent job…

Gods Ebert could be a real asshole sometimes.  Still read all his reviews and watch his show (which was never the same after Siskel) constantly. Even though I was like 10 when I started.

Great write-up of a film I’ve loved for decades (my avatar might give that away). I’m really glad you mentioned Harold’s need not just to discover how to L-I-V-E LIVE!, but also learn about pain and that loss and pain are okay (also, is he still dealing with trauma around his father’s death?). It’s something that’s…

I was roughly Harold’s age when first seeing this. The film, and its soundtrack, became instant faves of mine. I could relate to the angst, and the need for darker feelings to be acknowledged and discussed without shame. But it was also the right time for me to hear Maude’s advice (and Cat Stevens’) on how to step out…

I truly lost some respect for Wes Anderson after seeing Harold and Maude. A film which, quite frankly, he’s never really lived up to.

I had really good mashed potatoes in a restaurant once and asked the server how they made them so good.  He just said “a little bit of salt, a little bit of pepper, and a whole lot of butter.”