The Graduate (1967)

Recent college graduate Benjamin Braddock is trapped into an affair with Mrs. Robinson, who happens to be the wife of his father's business partner and then finds himself falling in love with her daughter, Elaine.

Director:

Mike Nichols

Writers:

Calder Willingham (screenplay), Buck Henry (screenplay),

Stars:

Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman, Katharine Ross

Top 250 #192 | Won 1 Oscar. Another 20 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Anne Bancroft	...	Mrs. Robinson
Dustin Hoffman	...	Ben Braddock
Katharine Ross	...	Elaine Robinson
William Daniels	...	Mr. Braddock
Murray Hamilton	...	Mr. Robinson
Elizabeth Wilson	...	Mrs. Braddock
Buck Henry	...	Room Clerk
Brian Avery	...	Carl Smith
Walter Brooke	...	Mr. McGuire
Norman Fell	...	Mr. McCleery
Alice Ghostley	...	Mrs. Singleman
Marion Lorne	...	Miss DeWitte
Eddra Gale	...	Woman on Bus

Storyline

Ben has recently graduated college, with his parents now expecting great things from him. At his "Homecoming" party, Mrs. Robinson, the wife of his father's business partner, has Ben drive her home, which leads to an affair between the two. The affair eventually ends, but comes back to haunt him when he finds himself falling for Elaine, Mrs. Robinson's daughter.

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Plot Keywords:

love | hotel room | college graduate | hotel | graduate | 

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Taglines:

The Movie That Became A Legend [Video Australia]

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Official Sites:

MGM Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 December 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

El graduado

Filming Locations:

607 North Palm Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$873 (USA) (18 May 2012)

Gross:

$43,153 (USA) (17 August 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lawrence Turman, Embassy Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System) Mono (35 mm optical prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Paul Simon wrote two songs for the film that director Mike Nichols rejected: "Punky's Dilemma" and "A Hazy Shade of Winter". Both appear on the Simon and Garfunkel "Bookends" album. The song "Mrs. Robinson" was not written for the movie; it was the working title of a song Simon was then writing (originally called "Mrs. Roosvelt", and about Eleanor Roosevelt) and Nichols decided to include it. Simon and Art Garfunkel only sing the chorus but none of the verses of the later hit song. Additionally, the chorus portion sung contains some lyrics not featured in the more popular "final" version of the song.

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Goofs

When Ben is seen crossing the Oakland Bay Bridge on his way to Berkeley he is driving on the upper of the two decks of the Bridge which only carries traffic westbound from Oakland to San Francisco and thus would be taking him away from Berkeley. The only way to get to Berkeley by way of the Bay Bridge is to drive Eastbound, and all such traffic is carried only on the lower deck of the Bridge.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Pilot: Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to begin our descent into Los Angeles. The sound you just heard is the landing gear locking into place. Los Angeles weather is clear; temperature is 72. We expect to make our 4 hour and 18 minute flight on schedule. We have enjoyed having you on board, and look forward to seeing you again in the near future.

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Connections

Referenced in Garden State (2004)

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Soundtracks

"Scarborough Fair/Canticle"
(uncredited)
Written by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel
Performed by Simon & Garfunkel
Courtesy of CBS Records

User Reviews

I have one word for you : PLASTICS

What a ride....This is a perfect example of what art can generate if one puts soul and wit into it. Firstly, I find human emotions and life issues depicted in a bitter-comic manner to be a charming combination.Love,sex,insecurity,family relationships,shyness,deception are treated with great humor and witty dialog in this movie.Long and elaborated shots,incredible story-telling creativity (like 1-st person camera views,long still frames,distance frames),video-clip like sequences (beautifully sustained by Simon and Garfunkel's heart-warming poetry and sad irony).There is enough creative film work in The Graduate to suffice for 10 movies.The dialog is excellent and the acting pure genius.And, oh...the time frame...the sixties...don't get me started.The 2000's are like an insurance seminar compared to that... No need to praise this movie anymore, it speaks for itself.It is not,however,a movie for the masses.This is no Ben-Hur type of flick,with spectacular imagery and epic storyline.It is an epic of the inner soul.It requires a bit of meditation, it is only entertaining if you get in touch with your inner self and not expect to watch the screen and BE entertained. Despite its comic appearance,I always felt that it touched a sensitive somehow sad chord in me.It's kinda like:"Haha very funny, but I felt those type of emotions and they didn't seem funny then."It's also so easy to laugh at other people's feelings,torments and emotions, but when you realize that you are also part of that old human comedy and drama, your laughing becomes more restrained.More mature.I always connected with this movie, and with Mike Nichols.Too bad they don't make'em like this anymore.We live in an era where people like John Woo and Michael Bay are starting to dictate what we will be watching more and more.What a shame....