The Graduate (1967)

Timeless Work of Art

1967 was a huge year for film. In my opinion, the best film of that year was Mike Nichols' "The Graduate". It was the most unique film of its time and is now considered a timeless classic.

Aside from it's release date, costumes, props and the Simon & Garfunkel soundtrack place this film in the 60s. What makes it a timeless classic is that nothing dates it, we see no Vietnam War and no hippies. Also the themes from this film, coming of age, rebellion (against parents, against the status quo) and alienation all still apply today.

The acting and cinematography make this film a masterful work of art. Dustin Hoffman accurately portrayed a 21 year old college graduate with a life full of uncertainty. He was awkward and dryly funny. Director of photography Robert Surtees added to the uncertainty with inventive cinematography, always placing Ben to the left or right. Not too mention, the always memorable "leg" shot.

"The Graduate" is a must have movie for all film buffs. If you don't have it, I highly recommend you get a copy. July 16, 2008

A True Classic

The last time I saw the Graduate was in 1967. Till this day I feel that it is still a great movie. I enjoyed it immensely. A added note: This was the first movie Richard Dreyfus played in. His part was very small. He said in the movie, " Do you want me to call the cops". How young he looked then. It only seems like yesterday. How fast time travels. Great Classic. I highly recommend it.
Ken P. June 16, 2008

A film that graduates at the head of its class...

`The Graduate' is by far one of my favorite movies ever made; maybe top ten, at least top twenty (I never imagined how hard it would be to compile a list of fifty films); the point being that it is pure genius. Director Mike Nichols takes Calder Willingham's screenplay (based off of Charles Webb's novel of the same name) and delivers it to us with a delicate yet subtle brazenness that adds layers of emotional weight and clarity to the film. Couple that with a slew of fantastic performances by just about everyone in the cast and you have a film that is legendary, classic and frankly `important' in the catalogue of cinematic achievements.

`The Graduate' tells us the story of young Benjamin Braddock who is just that, a college graduate. Upon returning home to a life undecided Benjamin finds himself being pursued by the older, beautiful and married Mrs. Robinson. There is no denying that Benjamin is intrigued by the proposition but he is awkwardly hesitant. Temptation can only lay undisturbed for a short time and soon Benjamin is entertaining her pursuits and falls into a full-fledged affair with Mrs. Robinson. His life is finally starting to interest him, and then a corkscrew is thrown in the mix. Mr. Robinson wants Benjamin to take out their teenage daughter Elaine. When Benjamin falls in love with her his world starts to unravel as Mrs. Robinson threatens to expose their affair in an effort to keep him away from her daughter.

What make this movie so iconic are the marvelous performances by the entire cast, Hoffman and Bancroft especially. Anne Bancroft is marvelous as the seductive and manipulative Mrs. Robinson; a woman who knows what she wants and knows how to get it. She very comfortable slides into character and single handedly created a character that will go down in history as one of the most recognizable and memorable screen vixens. Dustin Hoffman is marvelous here, truly outstanding. Benjamin Braddock was his breakthrough and garnered him his first Oscar nomination, which should have been his first win. His handling of Braddock's awkward shyness (even his audition was an awkward mess) was phenomenal. He became Benjamin, lived and breathed him, and really delivered in a way that no other actor could have. I'm often reminded of this performance when I watch Jake Gyllenhaal act, for Gyllenhaal has that same awkwardness about him as Hoffman possesses in this role (maybe that says good things for Gyllenhaal).

The rest of the cast excels as well, especially Katherine Ross, who plays Elaine. She is welcoming and vivacious and everything a man could want, thus adding to the believability that Benjamin would chose her over her aggressive mother. Murray Hamilton is great as Mr. Robinson, even if he is underused and William Daniels and Elizabeth Wilson deliver as well as Benjamin's parents.

`The Graduate' is one of those films that defined a generation. It's a film that captured everything that made the 60's what it was and created a standard for all other films approaching this genre to live up to. The feeling of the film, the fluidity, the casting; everything down to the music (Simon and Garfunkel were a prime choice) come together beautifully to help embellish the riches springing forth from `The Graduate'.

In the end I must declare that everyone should see this iconic film. There are so few true gems in this world, so few films that are undeniably splendid. Even when compiling my list of favorite films I come to realize that many of them are purely of my own opinion; but `The Graduate' is one of those movies that is universally lauded and adored; a film that we call all agree is truly one of the very best. April 22, 2008

PLASTIC

The Graduate DVD

Dustin Hoffman became a star with this film about a young 21-year old man who is seduced by an older woman, Mrs. Robinson. It is an excellent satire on the Generation Gap at the time.

Highly recommended for fans of Dustin Hoffman and people who grew up in the 1960's and 1970's.

Gunner April, 2008.
April 12, 2008

A Great Movie!

A risky, well-acted, well-cast story of a young man's (Dustin Hoffman's) coming-of-age.

I don't believe there's anything I could say about 'The Graduate' that hasn't been said before. Beyond being a remarkable film, it is a movie which, unlike plenty of its peers, still holds up extremely well today.

Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman, and Katherine Ross shine as apathetic, anhedonic outcasts in a tale seamlessly combining all of the maladies of being young and confused into one movie.

It's difficult not to commiserate with each character in a very distinct and human way. Mike Nichol's best film, in my opinion. April 3, 2008

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