The movie and script are so different...

...yet so very not. There is a link to the script/novel in the questions section of the Harold and Maude IMDB page. If not you can always google it. I have seen the movie many times, so I decided to read the script/novelization(not sure what to call it) of the movie. I was so surprised it gave me such a different impression on the story! A lot of it is word for word what happens in the movie, including all of the dialogue. However, it shows a completely different perspective somehow, which is just amazing, and made me fall in love with it even more. The "novel" has more information and detail than the movie. When I watch the movie, I find myself not liking the mother, and I am on Harold and Maude's side. I see the mother as very cold and unemotional. However, the novel gets into the head of the mother, through her perspective, and it completely changes everything. It shows her as this caring and concerned mother who is lost and unsure of what to do about her son. I found myself siding with her instead. It completely changed my view of her. Also, when I read the novel, it gave much more information on how Harold was able to fake his suicides, as well as a lot of other details about him. And as I was reading all of this in the novel, it slowly dawned on me that Harold has Asperger's(high functioning autism). The novel makes it completely obvious that he has Asperger's, which I had never realized when watching the movie. In the novel it is a large part of the character and story, however, the movie doesn't seem to make it as obvious as the book does. I thought that was the most fascinating difference between the novel and the movie. Also, in the novel, more information is given on Maude, and there is a pivotal scene with her before they sleep together which I'm surprised they left out. It talks about him wanting a picture of her, which leads to a heart to heart conversation where Maude tears up telling Harold about herself, which I'm surprised they left out. Also, in the novel, I didn't get the impression they had sex. It didn't even cross my mind and seemed very innocent, yet the movie seemed to want to put a dirtier and more controversial twist on it, which I think is odd. I would definitely suggest reading the novel. It is completely worth it, especially since it is a very short read. You will love it!