The Graduate

The Graduate is a 1967 American comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols.It is based on the 1963 novel The Graduate by Charles Webb, who wrote it shortly after graduating from Williams College. The film tells the story of Benjamin Braddock (played by Dustin Hoffman), a recent university graduate with no well-defined aim in life, who is seduced by an older woman, Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), and then proceeds to fall in love with her daughter Elaine (Katharine Ross). In additioon, the film is #19 on the list of highest-grossing films in the United States and Canada.

I'd like to give a 2 out of 5 beacause the later half of the movie results in a common love story without any special technologies and very touching plot. Although someone says that it expresses the comfliction between 2 different generations successfully, and some blue scenes in it arouse a lot of pungent criticism, whatever, its later part is still an average romance film. And Ben's sudden falling in love with Elaine makes me confused. How can he want to marry his mistress's daughter in such short time ,and they just have hanged out once?! It will be more convincing if Ben says he loves Mrs. Robinson! On the other hand, the songs in the movie are good ,including“Mrs. Robinson,” “Scarborough Fair/Canticle,” “The Sound of Silence,” and “April Come She Will.” But it seems the music repeats too much which leads the audience get tired of it gradually as they watching.

However, i appreciate the front part of the movie because of the outstanding performance of Anne Bancroft(Mrs.Robinson).


Trivia

Actor Robert Redford was an early hopeful for the part of Ben but turned it down because he felt he couldn’t act naïve enough for the role. In addition, actor Charles Grodin turned down the part following a disagreement over his salary.
The Graduate screenwriter Buck Henry also plays the role of the room clerk in the film.
Quotes

Mr. McGuire (at graduation party): “I just want to say one word to you … just one word.”
Braddock: “Yes, sir.”
McGuire: “Are you listening?”
Braddock: “Yes, sir I am.”
McGuire: “Plastics.”
Thanks to Microsoft ? Encarta ? 2009. ? 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation.
 
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Graduate