Harold and Maude is a coming-of-age black comedy-drama film from 1971 directed by Hal Ashby. Starring Bud Cort and the late, great Ruth Gordon, it was box office flop that received mixed reviews at the time, but later went on to become a cult classic and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1997.
Cort plays Harold, a depressed young man who develops a friendship1(and eventually romantic relationship) with Maude (played by Gordon) who teaches Harold about the importance of living life to its fullest. Being a black comedy it goes to some dark places2(and the age difference between the titular characters doesn’t adhere to The Avocado’s preferred rule of “half yr age plus seven” either) but having rewatched it recently I am happy to say I still find it to be an incredibly moving and ultimately life-affirming film.
Bud Cort celebrates his 74th birthday today. Other luminaries who are presumably celebrating another trip around the sun on March 29 include: Amy Sedaris, Astrud Gilberto, Billy Beane, Bobby Kimball, Brendan Gleeson, Christopher Lambert, Elle Macpherson, Eric Idle, exexalien, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Irene, Kim Batten, Lucy Lawless, Marina Sirtis, Maxim Lapierre, Michael Winterbottom, Miguel Gómez, N’Golo Kanté, Perry Farrell, Rex Banner, Shinichi Mochizuki, Terence Hill, Terry Jacks, and Vangelis, as well as Mark’s little brother Michael, Edna in Haiti, a boy named Tsubasa, a girl named Yumeno, and Testicles of Doom, Jr. Feel free to let us know if there’s anyone we left out!
Have a Great Day Thread, Avocado!