by Paige Boos
Harold and Maude was a comedy directed by Hal Ashby starring Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon. Although the film cost around 1.3 million dollars to produce it didn’t create nearly as much profit-in fact hardly any. When Harold and Maude opened in theaters on December 20th 1971 it was far from a success. It is difficult to find the gross box office amount from opening weekend however there is a consensus that the film completely flopped. Viewers in the 70’s had a difficult time finding humor in the relationship of an elderly woman and an almost teenage boy. .” In fact, even the films producer Charles B. Mulvehhill said, “"You couldn't drag people in. The idea of a twenty-year-old boy with an eighty-year-old woman just made people want to vomit. If you asked people what it was about, ultimately it became a boy who was f*cking his grandmother.”
With critics, the film has/had mixed reactions. On IMBD the film boasts 8.0 out of 10 and an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes as well as a 96% audience score-with top critics on Rotten Tomatoes the film gets a sad 33% rating. Many of the positive reactions to the film are from modern reviews-both critics and audience members. Reviews from the 1970’s or 80’s are not nearly as kind. In 1972 Roger Ebert gave the film only a star and a half saying of Bud Cort’s character, “ It is hard to get very much animation into a character who is obsessed with his own oblivion, but Cort doesn't even try.” And the New York Times stated, “Mr. Cort's baby face and teen-age build look grotesque alongside Miss Gordon's tiny, weazened frame”. Not only did it seem that critics had issues with the plot, dialogue, and characters, but also with the film itself. One reviewer stated, “"The actors are often seen at a great distance and the dialogue reaches us from a great distance, too; the sound level varies so much that we keep losing the voices, and Harold's lines often fade away."
Although top critic reviewers were overwhelmingly negative, when looking at audience reviews from modern times it is apparent that the film has obtained a cult classic standing. The majority of the reviews on IMBD are full stars most applauding the film and some even asking for the sequel. As one reviewer wrote, “this movie makes a profound statement about how one person can have a significant positive impact on another human being and how we should all love and appreciate life while we can.” This is a stark contrast from the critic reviews in 1971 that seemed to find fault with the films fascination with death and gloom. Another writes that the “Strong message, [is] unique, beautiful, perfect, and also surprisingly hilarious. Charming and unforgettable, overall a very important film that will question our perspectives.” However like most films, even cult classics, there are a few negative audience reviews. One reviewer stated, “If someone tells you that you ‘don't get’ this movie, chances are that you really do get it. If you think Harold and Maude is boring, slow, preachy, whiny, precious, and dated, don't give up. You'll also find it to be judgmental, shallow and prejudiced”.
Although the film Harold and Maude may not have been popular at the box office I think it is safe to say that with modern viewers the film is regarded as a classic. It may have taken 12 years to turn a profit but in the process became a classic akin to Rocky Horror, the Big Lebowski, or even Clerks. As the film began being shown on college campuses where the dark humor was a bit more appreciated, the cult following intensified and the film finally began to become a success over a decade later.
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