Call Her 'Maude'

"I'm Dame Marjorie Chardin, but you may call me Maude." ~Ruth Gordon in Harold and Maude

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When I finally narrowed the list down to Echo, Gatsby, Chaplin and Maude, I was at an impasse.

I like the idea of "Echo," but got tired of saying it (seems it works best only when whispered). Gatsby was fun, no matter how hard I tried... it just didn't fit her. Chaplin was also good, but even people who know of my fascination for "The Tramp" would likely assume the (wrong) gender.

My problems with Maude: it's only one syllable, and my mother, sister and Washington all associate the name with some old television show starring Bea Arthur (later of Golden Girls fame).

And yet, when I returned home from work last Wednesday, the kitten only responded to "Maude." When I took her to the vet a few minutes later — and they asked her name — that's what I told them.

"Call her Maude."

For those folks unfamiliar with the 1971 Hal Ashby cult classic that inspired this name, here's what you're missing: a love story between a 20-something death-obsessed rich boy (Harold) and a 79-year-old woman who's full of life (Maude).

Scratch that. It's not really a love story, though some people sell it as such. It's more so a film that underscores the importance of living. I've not seen a more charming female character on screen since that time, though Amelie (2001) comes close.

But unlike Amelie — which certainly has its quirks — Harold and Maude is a "dark comedy." I.e. the humor is disturbing at times, and many people who watch simply don't get it. Something to consider before you queue it up on Netflix.

Favorite Maude-isms:
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.

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Maude: "My body is the earth, but my head is in the stars." Who said that, Harold?
Harold: I don't know.
Maude: Well, I suppose I did, then.

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Harold: You sure have a way with people.
Maude: Well, they're my species!

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Maude: Harold, everyone has the right to make an ass out of themselves. You just can't let the world judge you too much.

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Maude: 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!
[beat]
Maude: Otherwise, you've got nothing to talk about in the locker room.

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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.