The following analysis reveals a comprehensive look at the Storyform for Harold and Maude. Unlike most of the analysis found here—which simply lists the unique individual story appreciations—this in-depth study details the actual encoding for each structural item. This also means it has been incorporated into the Dramatica Story Expert application itself as an easily referenced contextual example.

8 of the 12 essential questions

For some reason, HAROLD AND MAUDE's excellent soundtrack wasn't released in America, but there was a 1972 Japanese release on A & M Records. The film begins with Harold Chasen (Bud Cort) preparing to hang himself in the elegant din of his mother’s mansion. Visit Tunefind for music from your favorite TV shows and movies. Find all 0 songs in Harold and Maude Soundtrack, with scene descriptions. Listen to trailer music, OST. In that the vast majority of the songs were already on pre-existing albums, a complete soundtrack for Harold and Maude was not released at the time. A Japanese version did come out in 1972, however, it was more of a compilation album which included five songs that weren’t used for the film and omitted the two songs written specifically for it.

Change

Main Character Resolve

Through Maude’s influence, Harold loses his obsession with death and destruction and embraces life—driving his hearse (without him inside of it) over a cliff.

Stop

Main Character Growth

Harold must lose his fear of change, and stop alienating those who try to get close to him by faking suicide.

Be-er

Main Character Approach

Harold reacts to his mother’s domineering ways by pretending to be dead, instead of fighting her or leaving home; when Maude steals his hearse, he passively lets her drive him home; he modifies his new sports car into a hearse like his old one; etc.

Male

Main Character Mental Sex

When Harold sees the effect his supposed death has on his mother, he causes it to happen again and again in a bid to get her attention; to avoid being drafted, he causes his uncle to think he has psychotic tendencies.

Decision

Story Driver

After the Chemistry lab explosion, Harold decided he liked being dead, and took up faking suicide; Mrs. Chasen tells Harold what she’s decided to do with his life:
MRS. CHASEN: I only have a few minutes, Harold, but I do want to inform you of my decision. [..] In short, Harold, I think it is time you got married.
(Higgins, p. 11)
Mrs. Chasen decides the answers to the dating questionnaire herself; Confronting Maude in the nude, Harold starts to make his own decisions:
MAUDE: Do you disapprove?
HAROLD: Me! No. Of course not.
MAUDE: (she wants the truth) Really. Do you think it’s wrong?
HAROLD: (thinks, decides, reports his conclusion) No.
(Higgins, p. 34)
Maude decides to end her life, bringing the story to an end.

Optionlock

Story Limit

Harold exhausts the potential marriage partners his mother supplies, holding out for Maude; Maude feels that she’s lived her life to the fullest, and that the options life has left for her are not worth living for, and so she finally chooses death.

Failure

Story Outcome

Mrs. Chasen, the psychiatrist, Uncle Victor, and the priest fail to persuade Harold to adopt a conventional lifestyle that they would feel comfortable with—and which he would have to pretend to enjoy.

Good

Story Judgment

Harold learns to love and be loved—to embrace the new (playing the banjo) and to end his fascination with death—finally driving his hearse over the cliff, destroying it.

Psychology

Overall Story Throughline

Mrs. Chasen and her helpers are concerned with turning Harold around to their way of thinking. Maude shows Harold her upbeat view of life, which includes embracing its end. Harold is concerned because:
HAROLD: I don’t think I’m getting through to mother like I used to.
PSYCHIATRIST: Does that worry you?
HAROLD: Yes. It does worry me. [..] I put a lot of effort into these things.
(Higgins, p. 6-7)

Being

Overall Story Concern

Everyone wants Harold to live his life in the way they recommend: Mrs. Chasen wants him to marry a nice young woman and drive a nice sports car; Uncle Victor wants him to “take on a man’s job” in the Army and die for his country “like Nathan Hale”; the priest wants Harold to marry someone who can give him children; the psychiatrist thinks Harold’s “alienation from the regular social interaction” can be isolated and coped with; Maude encourages Harold to embrace life and growth and love, like her.

Desire

Overall Story Issue

Maude is always looking for the new experience; she prefers to end her life at 80 rather than “just marking time”; Mrs. Chasen arranges dates for Harold to make his life more meaningful; Uncle Victor wants to “make a man” of Harold; Harold pretends to enjoy killing, in order to escape the draft; the psychiatrist puts down Harold’s desire for Maude as an Oedipus complex, and the priest is sickened by it; Harold wants to marry Maude.

Ability

Overall Story Counterpoint

Harold’s incapable of enjoying a date with the superficial women his mother selects for him; Harold likes playing dead, but—unlike Uncle Victor—has no talent for killing people for his country.

Overall Story Thematic Conflict
Desire vs.Ability

Harold’s desire to marry Maude is stronger than his ability to satisfy the needs of Mrs. Chasen and her cronies, though he’s not skilled enough to prevent Maude from fulfilling her desire to end it all.

Expectation

Overall Story Problem

Harold expects to keep on keeping on with his morbid way of life, and to continue to shock his mother with his suicides; Mrs. Chasen, Uncle Victor et al, expect Harold to adopt their value system.

Determination

Overall Story Solution

Mrs. Chasen determines that it’s time for Harold to “put away childish things and take on adult responsibilities”—and get married to a young woman of her choosing.

Trust

Overall Story Symptom

The computer dates trust Harold will be sociable like his mother, but receive a surprise; Mrs. Chasen trusts the dating service because it “screens out the fat and ugly”; Harold trusts in Maude enough to share the new experiences she recommends; the motorcycle cop trusts that Maude will act like a stereotypical “little old lady”; etc.

Test

Overall Story Response

Harold tests people’s sense of humor and gullibility by faking suicide; Mrs. Chasen gets pre-screened dates from the dating agency for Harold; she fills in the dating questionnaire herself, to get Harold a date suitable to her; the psychiatrist examines Harold’s feelings; Harold tests Uncle Victor’s limits by “killing” Maude.

Thought

Overall Story Catalyst

Mrs. Chasen thinks it’s time for Harold to get married, so she sets up dates for him; the unconventional Maude causes Harold to re-think the conventional viewpoints he’s picked up from his mother; Harold’s exposure to Maude’s positive thoughts on life, growth, and love lead him away from thoughts of death.

Wisdom

Overall Story Inhibitor

Mrs. Chasen and Uncle Victor apply conventional wisdom to what they see as Harold’s problem: institutionalize him, if not in marriage then in the Army; Mrs. Chasen, the priest, the psychiatrist, and Uncle Victor subject Harold to their wise opinions of why he shouldn’t marry Maude; Explaining a bit too subtly why she’ll be leaving Harold well before the altar, Maude shares with him the wisdom of a maxim she read on the head of a pin:
MAUDE: “And this too shall come to pass away.” And the wise man was right - if you remember that, you can’t help but live life fully.
(Higgins, p. 61)

Becoming

Overall Story Benchmark

As the story progresses, Mrs. Chasen’s efforts to change Harold’s lifestyle become more and more drastic: she enlists the help of the Psychiatrist, a dating service, a new car, and finally Uncle Victor’s military service. Harold accelerates the staging of his fake suicide attempts to include the “murder” of Maude.

Additional Overall Story Information →

Overall Story Throughline Synopsis

“Bud Cort is Harold, a rich, suicidal introvert with a soft, unformed face—he’s 19 but looks younger. Ruth Gordon is poor but spunky Maude, the wizened 79-year-old woman who’s like a cheerleader for Life. She lives in a railway car, would like to change into a sunflower, frets over how to save an ailing tree, prankishly steals vehicles and drives crazily; she advises Harold to “reach out.” ..Harold reaches out by falling in love with Maude, and their love is con

Harold And Maude Soundtrack