The Graduate
4/5 stars
As we now move on to the mid-sixties, a time of rebellion and distrust, we now see an influence of that into the entertainment world. The Graduate, directed by Mike Nichols and starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft is a prime example of how the times really changed from the fifties to the seventies. The path this film ventured on is one that at that time might have been controversial.
It all begins with a young, awkward lad coming home to celebrate his recent graduation from college. At his graduation party, a family friend, Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) asks Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) to give her a ride home. After they arrive, she exclaims how she is afraid to be home alone and invites Ben into her house. She says she wants to show him a portrait of her daughter and proceeds to trick him into being locked in the room while she undresses and tries seducing him. Meanwhile Mr. Robinson pulls into the driveway and Ben panics and rushes downstairs to act like nothing happened at all. He then nervously says his goodbyes and heads out of the house. Feeling anxiety about his future as an adult, Benjamin decides to take it easy for awhile. With nothing better to do, he decides to take Mrs. Robinson up on her offer and invites her to the Taft Hotel where they proceed to have a little “fun”. This secretive affair continues until Mr. Braddock convinces Benjamin to take Elaine Robinson (Katharine Ross) out on a date, against his promise he had made to Mrs.Robinson to never see Elaine. Ben then askes her on a date and realizes that he has feeling for her. Mrs.Robinson is livid and tells ben that if he continues she will let her daughter know of there affair. Ben decides he will tell her before Mrs.Robinson can and Elaine does not take it all to well. In response, Elaine moves on and starts to date Carl Smith (Brian Avery). Things between them heat up and they decide to get married. Ben finds out about this and has this idea that him and Elaine are destined for each other. He frantically makes it to the wedding on time and cries out loud for Elaine to run away with him. She does and after a brief quarrel with Elaine’s family members Ben and Elaine escape the church and runaway on an unknown path to their futures. And that is where The Graduate leaves you hanging.
Overall, when you think about it, this film was really an eye opener as far as the boundaries it crossed and how perverted it really was. Especially as a film of that time we are sure that it caused a lot of controversy. It’s kind of a sign of how the times really were back then however, and it displayed a change in the way society presented itself from the fifties to the late sixties. The very interesting and never predicting plot was enough for Evan and I to view it as a film that is worth your time watching. Dennis Hoffman does a brilliant job playing the role of the awkward and very silly Ben Braddock. Not only was The Graduate an important piece of history it was also a well put together, downright funny film and there will surely never be anything like it.
