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Classic movie of the week: The Graduate
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That is number 42 on the American Film Institute’s top 100 movie quotes of all time. One thing this quote and the other 99 on the A.F.I. list have in common is that they all have the power to inflict an instantaneous recognition of the film they're from, even if you have never seen it. And if you have never seen Mike Nichols’ film The Graduate, you are depriving yourself of the opportunity to witness how; the right casting, a good director, and a developed screenplay, are what truly makes a great film.
The Graduate stars Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin Braddock, a recent college graduate trying to figure out what to do next in his life. Benjamin reluctantly finds himself caught up in an affair with the wife of his father’s business partner. Mrs. Robinson played by Anne Bancroft, is a lonely alcoholic housewife who longs for the life she could have had before she got married. Mrs. Robinson uses her powers of manipulation and reverse psychology to persuade Benjamin that he wants to have an affair with her. Ben’s initial reaction to the idea of being with Mrs. Robinson is fear: fear of Mr. Robinson finding out, fear of his parents finding out, and fear of breaking the rules. When Ben decides he wants to go through with the affair, all those reasons for why he shouldn’t do it became all the reasons why he should. Ben’s situation becomes even more complicated when he falls in love with Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, Elaine. After being forbidden by the Robinsons to see their daughter, Ben has to track down Elaine to stop her from marrying another man, all leading up to the famous church scene where Benjamin bangs on the glass above the wedding party screaming “Elaine.”
What is it about this film that makes it a classic; why should you watch it? This film holds up so well, because you have actors like Dustin Hoffman who capture the awkwardness that Benjamin feels in every situation and the desolation that he sees for his inevitable future, and then you have Anne Bancroft, who makes 
Mrs. Robinson so pushy and curt that you see why she is able influence Benjamin: By challenging Benjamin’s ability to make any decision, she is able to push Ben any direction she wants; making his decisions for him. This was the second film for director Mike Nichols, and with the opening sequence of Ben arriving at the airport, Nichols was already establishing his style as a director. The script for this film is one of a kind, but it is the quiet moments that Nichols captures with Benjamin that can be the most effective. Simon and Garfunkel wrote and performed all the music for The Graduate, proving to be a clever addition that the film could not have been the same without: “Mrs. Robinson,” one of Simon and Garfunkel most famous songs, was written specifically for this film, and the “Sound of Silence” adds an emotional depth to the film when it is used to parallel Ben’s mental state. With the music being so prevalent in the film the songs can become tedious, specifically “Scarborough Fair,” which is used in length repeatedly and features the duo repeating the chorus “…parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.” With lines like that being sang over art house camera shots, it should be no surprise that the film was made in 1967. Bottom line: This film does not move fast, but the content packs a punch. Although it is mainly a drama, the humor in the scenes can’t help but come out, especially when you have a protagonist like the ever stumbling Benjamin Braddock.
See It, Skip It, or See It?: You should have already seen it.
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