The Graduate (1967)

A disillusioned college graduate finds himself torn between his older lover and her daughter.

Director:

Mike Nichols

Writers:

Calder Willingham (screenplay), Buck Henry (screenplay)

Stars:

Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross

Won 1 Oscar. Another 20 wins & 20 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 from 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:

older woman younger man relationship | college graduate | adultery | famous score | one man two women | 

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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:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mike Farrell's--briefly, as a bellhop in hotel lobby--movie debut.

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Goofs

As Benjamin and Mrs. Robinson drive and run through the "rain" near the Robinson house, the lawns and shrubbery in the background are lit by bright sunshine.

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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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Alternate Versions

There are two versions of the first encounter between Ben and Mrs Robinson. When Ben turns around after Mrs Robinson locks the door to her daughter's bedroom to make a proposition to him. In one, Ben says "Jesus Christ," and "Oh, my Christ" as he views Mrs Robinson in the nude. In another version the words Ben says have been dubbed to "Jesus God" and Oh, my God".

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Connections

Referenced in Svengoolie: The Man with Nine Lives (2020)

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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

One of the best photographed films in history!

I saw this film for the first time in September 1968, after working for just one year as a professional cinematographer. I rapidly saw it five more times, in order to observe technical details of the photography of the film, but every time I completely forgot to look at those details, since I became so absorbed by the film every time. Now, after more than 35 years as a cinematographer and film teacher, I still marvel at Mike Nichols' and Robert Surtees' work every time I see the film. Almost everything you can do with a camera can be seen in this film, and everything is perfectly right for the story. The Graduate is groundbreaking in more areas than the photography. The casting, writing, acting, picture and sound editing are all exceptionally good, and have influenced film-making ever since. I was very happy when I saw that The Graduate reached the 7th position in the American Film Institute's voting of the best American films in history.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 December 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Graduate

Filming Locations:

The Galaxy - 8917 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$37,948, 17 February 1997

Gross USA:

$104,945,305

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$105,015,008

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lawrence Truman Productions

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