Harold and Maude Quotes
These Harold and Maude Quotes Are Based On The Cult Drama Flick.There are so many She Done Him Wrong quotes that can help you when you are tired of being in the same old rut, and all you need is a little push, a little inspiration, a smile on the face, change of mood, bring you out of the banality of life, make you laugh a little, or may even make you cry a bit, and these Harold and Maude Quotes exists just do that.
Directed by Hal Ashby and released by Paramount Pictures, this 1971 American romantic black comedy-drama includes rudiments of dark humor and existentialist drama. The screenplay for the film was written by Colin Higgins and was published as a novel in 1971. Filming was done in locations in the San Francisco Bay Area including both Holy Cross Cemetery and Golden Gate National Cemetery, and the ruins of the Sutro Baths.
The plot follows the exploits of a young man named Harold Chasen who is depressed and intrigued with death. Harold floats away from the life that his detached mother suggested for him, and gradually develops a strong friendship, and eventually a romantic relationship, with a 79-year-old woman named Maude, who exposes him to the wonders and possibilities of life and teaches him about living life to its fullest and that life is the most treasurable gift of all.
Initially the movie was criticized and commercially got a jolt at the time of the release. But the film developed a cult following and began making a profit in 1983. The film is ranked number 45 on the list of 100 Funniest Movies of all Time by the American Film Institute. In 1997, the movie was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant”.
Harold and Maude were released to mixed reviews, with some critics being offended by the film’s dark humor. Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film 1.5 out of 4 stars and wrote, that it is ultimately a movie of attitudes. Vincent Canby also criticized the film, stating that the actors are very aggressive, very creepy and off-putting.
The reputation of the film has increased significantly; Rotten Tomatoes labelled the film as “Certified Fresh” and gave it a score of 84% based on 45 reviews, with an average score of 7.7/10.
We have dug up these Harold and Maude quotes from the depths of the internet and brought together best of these sayings in a single article.
“Grab the shovel, Harold.”
“I suppose you think that’s very funny, Harold.”
“Turn the radio off, it saves battery.”
“Well if some people get upset because they feel they have a hold on somethings. I’m just acting as a gentle reminder, here today, gone tomorrow so don’t get attached to things. Now with that in mind I don’t mind collecting things. I’ve collected quite a lot of stuff in my time. Yeah, this is all memorabilia — but it’s incidental, not integral, if you know what I mean.”
“Harold: I am sure picking up on vices.
Maude: Vice, Virtue. It’s best not to be too moral. You cheat yourself out of too much life. Aim above morality. If you apply that to life, then you’re bound to live life fully.
“Harold: I like you, Maude.
Maude: I like you, Harold.
“Harold: Maude.
Maude: Hmm?
Harold: Do you pray?
Maude: Pray? No. I communicate.
Harold: With God?
Maude: With Life.
“Harold: This is real nice. Makes me want to do somersaults.
Maude: Well, why don’t you?
Harold: I’d feel stupid.
Maude: Harold, everyone has the right to make an ass out of themselves.
You just can’t let the world judge you too much.
“Harold: You hop in any car you want and just drive off?
Maude: Well, not any car — I like to keep a variety. I’m always looking for the new experience.
Harold: [smiling] Maybe.
[sobering] Nevertheless, I think you’re upsetting people. I don’t know if that’s right.
Maude: Well, if some people get upset because they feel they have a hold on some things, I’m merely acting as a gentle reminder: here today, gone tomorrow, so don’t get attached to things. Now, with that in mind, I’m not against collecting things…
“Maude: That little tree. It’s in trouble. Come on.
[They walk over to a tree growing through the sidewalk in front of a building]
Maude: Look at it, oh. It’s suffocating. Well, it’s the smog. You know, people can live with it, but trees — it gives them asthma. They can’t breathe. The leaves, look, they’re turning all brown. Harold, we have got to do something about this life.
Harold: What?
Maude: We’ll transplant it. To the forest.
Harold: You can’t do that
Maude: Why not?
Harold: This is public property.
Maude: Well, exactly.”
“Maude: Here we are. Oat straw tea and ginger pie. Excuse the mismatched saucers.
Harold: This is definitely a new experience for me.
Maude: Oh, wonderful. Try something new each day.
After all, we’re given life to find it out. It doesn’t last forever.”
“Maude: I should like to change into a sunflower most of all. They’re so tall and simple.
What flower would you like to be?
Harold: I don’t know. One of these, maybe.
Maude: Why do you say that?
Harold: Because they’re all alike.
Maude: Oooh, but they’re not. Look. See, some are smaller, some are fatter, some grow to the left, some to the right, some even have lost some petals. All kinds of observable differences. You see, Harold, I feel that much of the world’s sorrow comes from people who are this, [she points to a single daisy] yet allow themselves be treated as that [she gestures to a field of daisies].”
“Maude: Oh, that was fun. Let’s play something together.
Harold: I don’t play anything.
Maude: Nothing? Oh… Dear me. Everybody should be able to make some music. That’s the cosmic dance.”
“Maude: What a fuss this is — so unnecessary.
Harold: Don’t die, Maude, for Christ’s sake.
Maude: Oh, Harold — oh, don’t upset yourself so.
Harold: I love you. I love you!
Maude: Oh, Harold… That’s wonderful. Go and love some more.”
“Psychiatrist: Tell me, Harold, how many of these, eh, suicides have you performed?
Harold: An accurate number would be difficult to gauge.
Psychiatrist: Well, just give me a rough estimate.
Harold: A rough estimate? I’d say…fifteen.
Psychiatrist: Fifteen?
Harold: That’s a rough estimate.
Psychiatrist: Were they all done for your mother’s benefit?
Harold: No. No, I would not say “benefit.”
“Psychiatrist: Uh, tell me, Harold, what do you do for fun? What activity gives you a different sense of enjoyment from the others? What do you find fulfilling? What gives you that… special satisfaction?
[long pause]
Harold: I go to funerals.”
“A lot of people enjoy being dead. But they are not dead, really. They’re just backing away from life. Reach out. Take a chance. Get hurt even. But play as well as you can. Go team, go! Give me an “L”. Give me an “I”. Give me a “V”. Give me an “E”. L-I-V-E. LIVE! Otherwise, you got nothing to talk about in the locker room.”
“Ah, me. Free as a bird. You know, at one time I used to break into pet shops and liberate the canaries, but I decided that was an idea way before its time. Zoos are full, prisons are overflowing. Ah, my. How the world still dearly loves a cage.”
“Do you enjoy knives?”
“Don’t get officious. You’re not yourself when you’re officious. That is the curse of a government job.”
“I haven’t lived. [beat] I’ve died a few times.”
“I’ll never understand this mania for black. Nobody sends black flowers, do they? Black flowers are dead flowers. Who sends dead flowers to a funeral? It’s absurd.”
“[A flock of sea gulls fly across the sky] Dreyfus once wrote from Devil’s Island that he would see the most glorious birds. Many years later in Brittany he realized they had only been sea gulls… For me they will always be — glorious birds.”
“I heard a story once in the Orient about two architects who went to see the Buddha. They had run out of money on their projects and hoped the Buddha could do something about it. ‘Well, I’ll do what I can,’ said the Buddha, and he went off to see their work. The first architect was building a bridge, and the Buddha was very impressed. ‘That’s a very good bridge,’ he said, and he began to pray. Suddenly a great white bull appeared, carrying on its back enough gold to finish construction. ‘Take it,’ said the Buddha, ‘and build even more bridges.’ And so the first architect went away very happy. The second architect was building a wall, and when the Buddha saw it he was equally impressed. ‘That’s a very good wall,’ he said solemnly, and began to pray. Suddenly the sacred bull appeared, walked over to the second architect, and sat on him.”
“No answer.”
“The zoos are full and the prisons overflowing. My, my. How the world so dearly loves a cage.” She”
“It’s best not to be too moral. You cheat yourself out of too much life. Aim above morality.”
“well’, he said. ‘most people aren’t like you. They’re locked up in themselves. They live in their castles – all alone. They’re like me.’
‘Well, everyone lives in his own castle’, said Maude. ‘But that’s no reason not to lower the drawbridge and go out on visits.”
“Maude : The earth is my body; my head is in the stars.”
[pauses]
“Maude : Who said that, Harold?”
“Harold : I don’t know.”
“Maude : Well, I suppose I did, then.
[seagulls fly across the sky] ”
“Maude : Dreyfus once wrote from Devil’s Island that he would see the most glorious birds. Many years later in Brittany he realized they had only been seagulls… For me they will always be – *glorious* birds.”
“Maude : You know, at one time, I used to break into pet shops to liberate the canaries. But I decided that was an idea way before its time. Zoos are full, prisons are overflowing… oh my, how the world still *dearly* loves a *cage.*”
“Harold : Maude?”
“Maude : Yeah?”
“Harold : [pulls the stamped coin from the arcade out of his pocket] Here.”
“Maude : A gift!
[reads the engraving] ”
“Maude : “Harold loves Maude.”… and Maude loves Harold. This is the nicest gift I’ve received in years.
[she throws the stamped coin into the water] ”
“Harold : [gasps, bemused] ”
“Maude : So I’ll always know where it is.
[last lines] ”
“Maude : Oh, Harold… That’s *wonderful.* Go and love some more.”
“Maude : Vice, Virtue. It’s best not to be too moral. You cheat yourself out of too much *life.* Aim above morality. If you apply that to life, then you’re bound to live life fully.”
“Harold : Maude.”
“Maude : Hmm?”
“Harold : Do you pray?”
“Maude : Pray? No. I communicate.”
“Harold : With God?”
“Maude : With *life*.”
“Maude : [gesturing to a sick tree growing through a sidewalk] Harold, we have *got* to do something about this life.”
“Harold : What?”
“Maude : We’ll transplant it. To the forest.”
“Harold : You can’t do that.”
“Maude : Why not?”
“Harold : This is public property.”
“Maude : Well, *exactly*.”
“Harold : You hop in any car you want and just drive off?”
“Maude : Well, not any car – I like to keep a variety. I’m always looking for the new experience.”
“Harold : [smiling] Maybe.”
“Harold : [more seriously] Nevertheless, I think you’re upsetting people. I don’t know if that’s right.”
“Maude : Well, if some people get upset because they feel they have a hold on some things, I’m merely acting as a gentle reminder: here today, gone tomorrow, so don’t get attached to things *now.* With *that* in mind, I’m not against collecting stuff.”
“Maude : [to a motorcycle officer] *Don’t* get officious. You’re not yourself when you’re officious – That is the curse of a government job.”
“Harold : I like you, Maude.”
“Maude : I like you, Harold.”
“Harold : So… you don’t use the umbrella anymore?
[Maude does not hear him] ”
“Harold : No more revolts?”
“Maude : [Maude is crying, and finally looks at Harold] Oh, yes! Every day. But I don’t need a *defense* anymore. I embrace! Still fighting for the Big Issues, but now in my small, individual way.”
“Maude : That was fun! Let’s play something together.”
“Harold : I don’t play anything.”
“Maude : Nothing? Dear me, everybody should be able to make some music. That’s the cosmic dance.”
“Maude : [at her 80th birthday party] I couldn’t imagine a lovelier farewell!”
“Harold : Farewell?”
“Maude : Oh, yes, dear… My 80th birthday.”
“Harold : But you’re not going anywhere… are you?”
“Maude : [long pause] I took the tablets an hour ago. I’ll be gone by midnight.”
“Harold : [after a long pause] WHAT?
[immediately cut to an ambulance] ”
“Maude : Tell me, do you dance?”
“Harold : Pardon me?”
“Maude : Do you sing and dance?”
“Harold : Uh, no.”
“Maude : Uh, no. I thought not.”
[laughs]
“Maude : [Maude is driving Harold’s hearse through a cemetery] Hey, this old thing handles well! Ever drive a hearse Harold?”
“Harold : Yeah.”
“Maude : Well! It’s a new experience for me!
[the hearse is seen squealing through a curve] ”
“Maude : Good on curves! Shall I take you home Harold?”
“Harold : Uh, this is my car.”
“Maude : [looks at Harold] YOUR hearse?”
“Harold : Y’hearse!”
“Maude : Ohhhhhhhhhhhh!
[the hearse is seen screeching to a stop] ”
“Maude : Then YOU shall take ME home!”
“Maude : Consistency is not *really* a human trait.”
“Harold : What were you fighting for?”
“Maude : Oh, big issues. Liberty. Rights. Justice. Kings died, kingdoms fell. I don’t regret the kingdoms – what sense in borders and nations and patriotism? But I miss the kings.”
“Maude : Grab the shovel, Harold.”
“Motorcycle Officer : License, lady?”
“Maude : I don’t have one. I don’t believe in them.”
“Motorcycle Officer : How long you been driving, lady?”
“Maude : About 45 minutes,
[turning to Harold] ”
“Maude : wouldn’t you say, Harold? We were hoping to start sooner but you see it’s rather hard to find a truck.”
“Motorcycle Officer : This your truck?”
“Maude : Oh no, I just took it.”
“Maude : [Upon entering her house] It’s all memorabilia, but incidental and not integral, if you know what I mean.”
“Harold : [referring to police officer] He’s following us.”
“Maude : Is he? Police always want to play games!”
“Maude : [watching funeral party] Who sends dead flowers to a funeral? It’s absurd.”
“Maude : [observing trash sorting operation] I ask you though Harold, is it enough?”
“Maude : Vice, virtue, it’s best not to be too moral; you cheat yourself out of too much life. Aim above morality. When you apply that to life, then you’re bound to live it fully!”
