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 #191 | 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:

This is Benjamin. He's a little worried about his future.

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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

Steve McQueen, George Peppard, George Hamilton, Anthony Perkins, Keir Dullea, Brandon De Wilde and Michael Parks were considered for the role of Ben Braddock.

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Goofs

On Benjamin's driving trips from Berkeley to LA, he goes through a tunnel. This tunnel, north of Santa Barbara, is actually a northbound tunnel. There is no southbound tunnel, contrary to the scenes in the movie.

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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 Jeopardy!: Episode #22.218 (2006)

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Soundtracks

"See See Rider"
(uncredited)
Written by Ma Rainey

User Reviews

Rebelliousness and reality...

I'm not sure why evil, decadent Mrs. Robinson sets her sights on dazed and shy college grad Benjamin Braddock, son of the middle-aged couple she and her husband socialize with; it's never really explained, and neither is Benjamin's sexual past (it's hinted that he's a virgin when they end up in a hotel room together). It's also not explained why Mrs. Robinson definitely does not want Benjamin to get to know her daughter (she's angrily adamant about it, even willing to expose her own affair to prevent the two kids from going out for a drive!). Despite the gaps in the narrative and the lapses in logic (and taste, some might say), "The Graduate" is still a landmark film, crystallizing the helplessness of the '60s. Surprisingly, the ultimate theme of the movie is love--an impulsive, rebellious kind of love, but still the rather old-fashioned notion of love conquering all. And yet this brings up another question: is Benjamin really in love with sweet college girl Elaine or is she just a conquest? Or maybe the best thorn he can stick in Mrs. Robinson's side? Benjmain is told he cannot see her, he cannot have her, and that surely fuels his desire to marry her. The film presents love as the answer, but then (with an amusing, sobering final shot) second-guesses itself. "The Graduate" doesn't dig too deeply, it's lightweight (even with Dustin Hoffman's outburst in the church--the only time the movie gets some fury going), but it does take chances; it wasn't ahead of its time, it just came along at the right time and is still a relevant, glossy modern comedy. ***1/2 from ****