Harold and Maude

This screening will include a meeting of The Westdale Film Society! Open to Members of any membership level, we invite you to stay after the screening as Jeff will lead a casual, guided discussion with your fellow film lovers about the movie, stories and context about its creation, and the experience of watching it in on the big screen in our historic cinema. Coffee and refreshments will also be served!

Schedule: 1:00pm – Introduction to the film by host Jeffrey Bender 1:15pm – Film screening 2:45pm – Westdale Film Society meeting and discussion with coffee and snacks provided by Valentino's (Must be a Member to attend) 4:00pm – Film Society meeting concludes *Times are approximate

With the idiosyncratic American fable Harold and Maude, countercultural director Hal Ashby fashioned what would become one of cinema’s most beloved comedies. Working from a script by Colin Higgins, Ashby tells the story of the emotional and romantic bond between a death-obsessed young man from a wealthy family (Bud Cort) and a devil-may-care bohemian sixty years his senior (Ruth Gordon). Equal parts gallows humor and beguiling sincerity, Harold and Maude dissolves the line between darkness and light – along with those that separate people by class, gender, and age – and features indelible performances and a remarkable soundtrack by Cat Stevens.

Jeffrey Bender

Jeffrey Bender has hosted a number of in-person and online Film Talks with the Westdale, most recently 'Great Beyonds: The Afterlife on Film', featuring four essential explorations into the afterlife as interpreted throughout film history. He serves as the host of the Westdale Film Society meetings, and whenever possible, splitting discussion duties with guest speakers, who share their insights on each of the Society's screening selections.