What did you all think about the movie?
For whatever reason I thought it seemed like a very comedic version of We Need to Talk About Kevin.
Anyways, share your thoughts!
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I'm such a big fan of this movie! I hoped some other people got something out of it, especially if you've never seen it before. This must have been my 20th time. I haven't read "We Need to Talk About Kevin", but isn't it a psychological story about the parents of a psychopath? I may be under the wrong impresson about "Kevin", but I don't get that vibe off Harold at all. I think Harold's problem is boredom. He's got everything he could want (nice suits, new cars, etc.) but he lives in this tedious world of attending his mother's social functions and listening to her hold court and retell the same dead, fangless anecdotes over and over. The reason Harold is so morbid and keeps faking his own death is because he wants his mother to notice him. But she never does — she must ignore or talk over him a dozen times in the movie. It's never funnier than when she's filling out the dating survey for Harold and it winds up being all about her. Then Maude drops into Harold's life like a bomb. I find Maude harder to understand. Unlike Harold she's someone who really has suffered. I love the poignant moment when we see the concentration camp tattoo on her arm. It's only on-screen for a second and it's never mentioned, but it's there. And yet because she's seen the worst in people, she knows that life and death can both be good things. I've taken a lot from this movie over the years. Aside from the fact that it is very, very funny (to me at least, but then I have a morbid sense of humor), it's also a very touching and very philosophical movie.
Kevin is basically the worst person ever and only his mother notices. I didn't end up liking that movie because I couldn't understand why no one else noticed Kevin is basically satan incarnate. I have the book and may one day read it. Maybe it's better. My only gripe about Harold and Maude is Ruth Gordon's perfermance seems very old Hollywood, more like acting in a play. Bud Cort is fucking perfect. Harold's mom has some of that old theatric style but it works better with a vapid character. My favorite funny moment is when the army guy salutes with his sleeve and a pull string. This is the second time I watched it and I realized the whole movie takes place in a week so that was a cool revelation. I also want to add to my very superficial comments that Ruth Gordon was a hottie back in the day.