The Graduate (1967)

What can you say about The Graduate? Craig suggested I write about this film after we rewatched it with a friend on Monday, and I'll admit I got nervous. The Graduate is such an important movie, and I didn't want to cheapen it with my rambling about how great it is

I remember the first time I saw it in my film history class. It kinda blew my mind. And the guy I sat next to in class brought me a CD of the soundtrack and told me I was "pretty in a refreshing way" but that's another story, haha. I remember how funny it was, but it also left me feeling melancholy...it perfectly captures that moment when you realize that life is really starting now and you have to make something of yourself or drift aimlessly.

Let's backtrack to the plot. Recent college graduate Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman), has returned home and unsure about what to do next. He begins an affair with Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft, who's absolutely phenomenal), a friend of his parents, and eventually falls in love with her daughter Elaine (Katharine Ross). The movie definitely has laughs, but it's also very sad. The moment that stays with me most is when Mrs. Robinson, when asked what she majored in, sadly replies "Art," after previous claiming to know nothing about art. How much of our identities are we giving up to "grow up"? Are we going to like who we are at the end of our lives?

This film was a game-changer. The world of cinema was evolving, and by the late 60s and the end of the Hays Code, things were ready to get yanked into new territory. Watching The Graduate is an exciting and thought-provoking experience, and one that I highly recommend.