Hal Ashby (1929–1988)

Perfect cast, who all give great performances--especially Grant and Worden--make this bittersweet semi-comedy compelling from start to finish. Great LA locations, cars, Beatty's Triumph motorcycle, etc. etc. make it a visual treat. Great dialogue. But it's the three women, Grant, Christie, and Hawn whose nuanced, always surprising, performances make this a real winner.

A morbid, rich teenager falls in love with a crazy old lady.

Re-watching it for the first time in several years, I started off annoyed at how self-absorbed Maude is (not annoyed that the character's written that way, mind you, but annoyed with Maude personally - the character's too entertaining to want her to be different). But as little hints of her life are dropped here and there, I came around to understanding her a little, and seeing the events of the film in a different perspective - as show more the conclusion to a long, tragic story.

Concept: C
Story: B
Characters: A
Dialog: A
Pacing: B
Cinematography: B
Special effects/design: B
Acting: B
Music: A

Enjoyment: A

GPA: 3.3/4

(Dec. 2011) show less

Young, rich, and obsessed with death, Harold finds himself changed forever when he meets lively septuagenarian Maude at a funeral.

Director: Hal Ashby
Writer: Colin Higgins
Stars: Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort and Vivian Pickles

2025 movie #80. 1979. Peter Sellers next to last performance. He plays Chance, a simple-minded gardener of few words, who is hailed as a genius in Washington. He was nominated for Best Actor Oscar.