SCENES

# PG SLUGLINE

1 INT. THE CHASEN'S DEN - DAY The CAMERA is at floor level. A young man enters but we see only his shoes and the cuffs of his pants. We TRACK with him as he walks across the room and stops at a record player. Pause. We HEAR a record drop and begin playing

10 INT. MRS. CHASEN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Mrs. Chasen sitting before her vanity table, humming to herself as she readies herself for bed. She wears a night- gown, a cover for her hair, and she has just finished putting on several different face creams. She gets up,

14 EXT. THE CHASEN POOLSIDE - DAY Mrs. Chasen decked out in a fashionable black bikini, crazy glasses, and an enormous sun hat, walks down the garden steps to the pool. Over this and the end of the above we HEAR her voice.

19 EXT. AUTOMOBILE JUNKYARD - DAY Cranes, auto smashers, bulldozers, and mountains of rusting cars and other junk. Very noisy and very fast cut. A little essay on destructive machinery at work with Harold looking on in rapture.

30 INT. CHASEN'S DEN - DAY Mrs. Chasen is going out, but she comes in to talk to Harold. MRS. CHASEN I only have a few minutes, Harold, but I do want to inform you of my

41 INT. AT THE CHURCH DOOR An anxious Harold stands while Maude puts the top back on his pen. Maude smiles and gestures at a crucifix. MAUDE And why do they keep on about

45 INT. CHASEN DEN - DAY Harold is sitting in a chair. His mother enters and sits down at the desk. MRS. CHASEN I have here, Harold, the forms sent

46 EXT. GRAVEYARD DRIVE - DAY A long line of black limousines follow a hearse in a funeral procession. At the tag of the line is another hearse -- Harold's. 47 EXT. AT THE GRAVESITE - DAY

49 INT. HAROLD'S HEARSE - DAY Harold is sitting in the front seat, wanting to say some- thing but also trying to hold on. Maude drives like a racing car driver, fast and risky, but with complete self- assurance.

53 INT. MAUDE'S APARTMENT - DAY Maude and Harold enter. MAUDE ... I've collected quite a lot of stuff in my time.

54 INT. PSYCHIATRIST'S OFFICE - DAY Harold is on the couch. The psychiatrist sits behind him. PSYCHIATRIST Harold? Harold is day dreaming.

56 INT. PSYCHIATRIST'S OFFICE - DAY PSYCHIATRIST I see. Tell me, Harold, do you remember your father at all? HAROLD

60 INT. CHASEN'S FRONT LOBBY - DAY Mrs. Chasen opens the front door, revealing a cute, blond, typical American co-ed. This is CANDY GULF. CANDY Hello, I'm Candy Gulf.

62 INT. MAUDE'S APARTMENT - DAY The front door opens slowly and Harold enters. HAROLD Maude. Maude. Anybody home? He gets no answer and steps into the room. He looks over

68 EXT. DEMOLITIONS - DAY Shots of falling buildings. The giant demolition ball https://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/Harold-and-Maude.htm 31/92 1/11/24, 12:09 AM "Harold and Maude" by Colin Higgins swings left and right knocking mighty holes in brick walls

75 EXT. BY THE DAISY FIELD - DAY Harold and Maude look out at it. MAUDE (a little perturbed) Why do you say that?

84 EXT. BY THE CONTINENTAL - DAY The police are looking around. Maude boldly walks by. Harold tags reluctantly along. MAUDE Good afternoon, Officer. Bit

87 INT. MAUDE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Harold and Maude sit before the fire. They have just finished dinner. MAUDE A little after-dinner liqueur,

88 EXT. THE CHASEN'S BACKYARD - DAY Harold sits practicing his banjo. We barely recognize that he is playing Maude's Song. He hears his mother calling him and he quickly hides his banjo in a nearby flower pot. His mother enters.

94 INT. GLAUCUS' STUDIO - DAY A brand new block of ice - eight to nine feet tall - stands in the trough in the center of the studio. Glaucus, spryly dressed for autumn, is chipping merrily away. GLAUCUS

95 EXT. HIGHWAY - LONG SHOT - DAY We PAN with a brown pick-up truck as it drives along. A small tree stands swaying in the back. 96 INT. PICK-UP TRUCK - ANGLE FROM SIDE - MED. SHOT - DAY Maude is driving. Harold sits beside her. The car is

99 INT. THE TRUCK - DAY Harold looks uneasily out the back window. HAROLD I think he's following us. MAUDE

109 INT. GLAUCUS' STUDIO - NIGHT The ice block is as we saw it the first night - unfinished and melting. Glaucus, bundled up in his winter clothes, falters towards it with a heavy hammer and chisel. He is fighting off sleep as only a very old man can. He manages

110 INT. MAUDE'S PLACE - NIGHT Maude and Harold are dressed in bright Japanese kimonos. They are relaxing on cushions in the Japanese nook after having just finished supper. Maude puffs pleasantly on a hookah.

111 EXT. THE CHASEN'S BACK YARD - DAY Mrs. Chasen and EDITH FERN come out of the house and walk toward the garage area. Edith, the second computer date, is short, mousy, and looks like a female Don Knotts. MRS. CHASEN

116 EXT. LONG SHOT - THE MEADOW - DAY Harold and Maude have just finished having a picnic. 117 MEDIUM SHOT - THE MEADOW - DAY Maude is putting the things away. Harold lies on his back and looks at the sky.

118 EXT. THE BEACH AT SUNSET The sun sits on the horizon. We PULL BACK to include Harold and Maude sitting on a rock and looking out at the reddening clouds and sea. MAUDE

121 INT. CHASEN'S DEN - DAY Mrs. Chasen is talking to Harold. MRS. CHASEN Harold, I cannot impress upon you too strongly the importance

125 INT. MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT - CLOSEUP - DAY Military file cabinet opened and hand removes a file. 126 INT. A MILITARY CORRIDOR - CLOSEUP - DAY The file is being carried by someone and then dropped into an "IN" box.

127D INT. UNCLE VICTOR'S CAR - DAY Uncle Victor and Harold are seated in the back of the General's military limousine. As they ride along, Uncle Victor is being very expansive. Harold is being unusually attentive.

127H EXT. BY THE RESERVOIR - DAY They are seated under a tree, close to the dam. UNCLE VICTOR They came at me from all sides, hundreds of 'em. We kept firing -

127K EXT. THE AMUSEMENT PARK - NIGHT Three dancing skeletons cackle uproariously. They are afixed to dungeon-like doors. Suddenly the doors fly open and a little cart carrying Harold and Maude comes bursting out. They are laughing.

134 INT. PENNY ARCADE - NIGHT Back by the wall Harold looks at the group around Maude with open admiration. He turns to the machine by him, drops in a penny, and begins stamping out something in metal.

136 EXT. THE NIGHT SKY The beautiful burst of a skyrocket. 137 INT. MAUDE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Harold and Maude sit at the piano. They are playing in duet the Love Waltz that they danced to. At the con-

145 INT. MAUDE'S APARTMENT - DAY TIGHT SHOT of a hand picking cigarette ash into an ash- tray. We PAN over and see that it is Harold sitting up in bed, bare-chested, casually smoking. He takes a deep drag and blows the smoke out in a manner that is decidedly

148 INT. PSYCHIATRIST'S OFFICE - DAY Mrs. Chasen is lying on the couch. She turns to the psychiatrist. MRS. CHASEN He's serious.

152 INT. CHASEN'S DEN - CLOSEUP - HAROLD - DAY HAROLD. But you didn't ask if I love her. 153 INSERTS - THREE FAST CLOSEUPS

162 EXT. DOWNTOWN STREET - NIGHT With SIRENS WAILING, an ambulance tears around a corner. Cars pull over as it speeds down the street. 163 INT. THE AMBULANCE - NIGHT Maude is lying down. She holds the daisy in her hand.

164 EXT. THE PARKING LOT OF HOSPITAL EMERGENCY - NIGHT The ambulance SCREAMS in and stops. The two attendants open up the back. They slide Maude onto a gurney and wheel her toward the door. HAROLD

166 INT. HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM - NIGHT TO DAY CAMERA LOCKED DOWN. Harold sits on a couch. To his right is a window, to his left a chair and a lighted lamp. He waits. SLOW DISSOLVE TO:

183 EXT. A SEA CLIFF ROAD - DAY Harold's mini hearse swerves around the corner at high speed. Dust rises and tires screech. On the TRACK the crying has stopped but the MUSIC is building to a new climax.

200 EXT. TRACKING SHOT IN FRONT OF HAROLD - DAY He started slow but now he is gradually beginning to play the song in its original upbeat tempo. He gets better and better at it. The song is very catching and Harold's tear-stained face registers what could

Harold and Maude

A death-obsessed young man finds his zest for life through an unlikely friendship with a free-spirited octogenarian who teaches him to embrace the beauty of the world, even in the face of its impermanence.

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Overview

Unique Selling Point

This script's Unique Selling Proposition (USP) lies in its ability to blend dark humor, introspection, and unconventional dialogue to challenge societal norms and expectations. The writer's unique voice creates a distinct tone that adds depth to the story and characters. The script stands out from others in its genre by exploring themes of mortality, individuality, and the pursuit of joy in life. Its target audience will be drawn to its thought-provoking and unconventional storytelling techniques, as well as its ability to balance humor with profound moments. Overall, this script offers a compelling and original piece of storytelling that will captivate its audience and leave a lasting impact.

AI Verdict & Suggestions

This rating is from a single AI engine based on structure, character, tone, and emotional engagement.

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Note: As Neil Gaiman says, ”People are usually right about what's wrong, and usually wrong about how to fix it.” Consider the suggestions in this analysis as potential catalysts: adopt what strengthens your vision, and let the rest deepen your understanding of what the story wants to become.

Model Upgrade — March 31, 2026

Our AI readers were upgraded — the verdicts and written analysis on this page are from our newer, significantly stronger models.

The scoring scale changed with the upgrade, so scores may not be directly comparable to earlier analyses.

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Story Facts

Genres:

Comedy 45% Drama 40% Romance 35% Action 15% War 5%

Setting: Contemporary, Various locations including the Chasen's den, Maude's apartment, a hospital, an amusement park, and a sea cliff road

Themes: Death and Suicide, Mother-Son Relationship, Unconventional Love, Individuality and Self-Expression, Transience of Life, Mental Health

Conflict & Stakes: The primary conflicts in this story revolve around Harold's struggle with his own mortality, his unconventional interests, and his desire to break free from his mother's control. The stakes are his own happiness, freedom, and the potential for a meaningful connection with Maude.

Mood: Darkly humorous and contemplative

Standout Features:

Unique Characters: Harold and Maude are unconventional and memorable characters that stand out in the story.
Dark Humor: The screenplay's blend of dark humor and melancholy creates a unique and engaging tone.
Exploration of Life and Death: The screenplay's exploration of existential themes and the meaning of life adds depth and resonance to the story.

Comparable Scripts: Harold and Maude (1971), American Beauty (1999), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Script Level Analysis

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Overall Score: 8.00

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This section looks at the extra spark — your story’s voice, style, world, and the moments that really stick. These insights might not change the bones of the script, but they can make it more original, more immersive, and way more memorable. It’s where things get fun, weird, and wonderfully you.