The Graduate (A or 4/4 stars)
'The Graduate' (directed by Mike Nichols, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf) is one of the more influential films of the late 1960s because it tackles something that hadn't yet been tackled by Hollywood: the post-college malaise that befalls young, privileged adults when they realize that they have to start their lives. After graduating from college, suburbanite Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) would rather bob in his loving parents' swimming pool than take adult advice about his future. Benjamin is confused about his near-future, overwhelmed, & even embarrassed by the warm attention he's getting; even irked that everyone seems to have advice for him. But the persuasion of family friend Mr. Robinson (Murray Hamilton) to seize every opportunity inspires Ben to accept an offer that he can't refuse: sex with ... ahem ... MRS. Robinson (Anne Bancroft).
Mr. Robinson doesn't know of this, of course. So Benjamin's eye-opening affair continues. Everything seems to be going swimmingly {pun intended} until Ben is pushed to go out on a date with the Robinsons' daughter Elaine (Katharine Ross) & he winds up falling in love with her. Mrs. Robinson sabotages this new relationship & an understandably angry Elaine runs back to college. Determined not to let her get away, Ben follows her to college & then disrupts her family-arranged wedding. Not overly happy about her pre-determined destiny, Elaine escapes with Ben. They jump on a bus. She's still wearing her wedding gown. And they look at each other, as if to say, "Well, now what?". The film also offers an unsettling & ambiguous ending.
With style, evocative cinematography, flashy editing, screwball comedy, timely coming-of-age drama, & superlative acting ... director Mike Nichols has made a fantastic, timeless American motion picture. Speaking of the cinematography, one of the many great images that springs to mind is the one with Dustin Hoffman being shown through the space formed btwn. the bottom frame & Anne Bancroft's outstretched leg ... quite the provocative shot for a film made in 1967. And rather than having a tall, classically-handsome leading actor, Mike Nichols chose a shorter, if potentially more relatable unknown actor for the role of Ben, turning Dustin Hoffman into a true star.
Anne Bancroft is scintillating, sexy, & memorable as Mrs. Robinson. It's an unforgettable & iconic role. Katherine Ross is stellar as her daughter, 'the other woman', so to speak. And lesser performances from Murray Hamilton, Norman Fell, & Alice Ghostley also impress. With a musical score written by Paul Simon & performed by Simon/Garfunkel, 'The Graduate' exudes a real contemporary appeal. You'll never forget this tune, "Well, here's to you, Mrs. Robinson, Jesus loves you more than you will know ... wo, wo, wo", will you?
Mr. Robinson doesn't know of this, of course. So Benjamin's eye-opening affair continues. Everything seems to be going swimmingly {pun intended} until Ben is pushed to go out on a date with the Robinsons' daughter Elaine (Katharine Ross) & he winds up falling in love with her. Mrs. Robinson sabotages this new relationship & an understandably angry Elaine runs back to college. Determined not to let her get away, Ben follows her to college & then disrupts her family-arranged wedding. Not overly happy about her pre-determined destiny, Elaine escapes with Ben. They jump on a bus. She's still wearing her wedding gown. And they look at each other, as if to say, "Well, now what?". The film also offers an unsettling & ambiguous ending.
With style, evocative cinematography, flashy editing, screwball comedy, timely coming-of-age drama, & superlative acting ... director Mike Nichols has made a fantastic, timeless American motion picture. Speaking of the cinematography, one of the many great images that springs to mind is the one with Dustin Hoffman being shown through the space formed btwn. the bottom frame & Anne Bancroft's outstretched leg ... quite the provocative shot for a film made in 1967. And rather than having a tall, classically-handsome leading actor, Mike Nichols chose a shorter, if potentially more relatable unknown actor for the role of Ben, turning Dustin Hoffman into a true star.
Anne Bancroft is scintillating, sexy, & memorable as Mrs. Robinson. It's an unforgettable & iconic role. Katherine Ross is stellar as her daughter, 'the other woman', so to speak. And lesser performances from Murray Hamilton, Norman Fell, & Alice Ghostley also impress. With a musical score written by Paul Simon & performed by Simon/Garfunkel, 'The Graduate' exudes a real contemporary appeal. You'll never forget this tune, "Well, here's to you, Mrs. Robinson, Jesus loves you more than you will know ... wo, wo, wo", will you?