Episode 124: Harold and Maude (1971)

When you think of the screen couples whose sizzling hot chemistry lit up the screen and made movie audiences curiously sweaty, you think of Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore in “Ghost”, Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger in “9 ½ Weeks”, and of course . . . Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon in “Harold and Maude”? . . . Did I read that wrong? Yes, in this week’s episode of “Isn’t It Romantic” we’re tackling the romance between a suicide-obsessed twenty-something and a free-spirited septuagenarian . . . as so many love stories do.  We’ve got a movie here with a rather . . . unexpected romantic relationship, loads of groovy Cat Stevens music and arguably (well, argued by me) one of, if not the, coolest cars in cinema history.  Seriously, forget the Batmobile, forget Bond’s Astin Martin . . . I want a Jaguar hearse and I want it now! Anyone got one? I’ve got a slightly used pony to trade! Give a listen and find out what we think about this unlikely screen pairing.  And hey, if you want to sing out, sing out!

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5 thoughts on “Episode 124: Harold and Maude (1971)”

  1. I saw this at Harvard Square and had no idea what was playing. It might have been 79 or 80 and I was pulled aside when buying my ticket and was afraid they had seen the 2 bottle of vodka in my coat and were going to throw me out but instead they offered me a free ticket because they thought I was role playing as Harold. To be fair, my hair was very similar at the time and I was very pale. I absolutely LOVE this movie and made my conjoint Robin watch it and he was blown away by it though he really couldn’t handle her death t the end. We tried to see the play in Paris while we were there but it closed the day we got there. I would put this as one of all time favourites and one of the few romantic comedies where I relate to the characters.

    1. Wow, don’t think I’ve ever heard of accidental Bud Cort cosplay before; well done, Vince! I get why Robin was so affected by Maude’s death; it’s very moving and well handled.

      1. I met Ruth Gordon at Boston Public Library once and she was everything you would want her to be.

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