The Graduate
Academy Award × 1·AFI #17·National Film Registry
A disillusioned college graduate finds himself torn between his older lover and her daughter.
What critics thought
Broadly celebrated on release and still highly regarded, The Graduate nonetheless divides viewers and critics along generational lines — what reads as a portrait of youthful alienation to younger audiences can look like a film cynically selling the very innocence it pretends to skewer. The central fault line is Benjamin himself: sympathy for him tends to curdle with age, while Mrs. Robinson's perspective grows more compelling in retrospect.
“starts out to satirize the alienated spirit of modern youth, does so with uncommon brilliance for its first half, but ends up selling out to the very spirit its creators intended to make fun of... It's a shame – they were halfway to something wonderful when they skidded on a patch of greasy kid stuff.”
Richard Schickel·Life
“funniest American comedy of the year”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
Genres
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Cast & Crew
DirectorMike Nichols
StarringDustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross, William Daniels, Murray Hamilton
The Graduate
Academy Award × 1·AFI #17·National Film Registry
A disillusioned college graduate finds himself torn between his older lover and her daughter.
What critics thought
Broadly celebrated on release and still highly regarded, The Graduate nonetheless divides viewers and critics along generational lines — what reads as a portrait of youthful alienation to younger audiences can look like a film cynically selling the very innocence it pretends to skewer. The central fault line is Benjamin himself: sympathy for him tends to curdle with age, while Mrs. Robinson's perspective grows more compelling in retrospect.
“starts out to satirize the alienated spirit of modern youth, does so with uncommon brilliance for its first half, but ends up selling out to the very spirit its creators intended to make fun of... It's a shame – they were halfway to something wonderful when they skidded on a patch of greasy kid stuff.”
Richard Schickel·Life
“funniest American comedy of the year”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
Genres
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Cast & Crew
DirectorMike Nichols
StarringDustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross, William Daniels, Murray Hamilton