Film 162 in the "1001 Films to See Before You Die" challenge is 1967's "The Graduate". This Mike Nichols romantic comedy is based on Charlie Webb's novel of the same name and tells the story about a recent college graduate with no well-defined aim in life, who is seduced by an older woman, Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), and then proceeds to fall in love with her daughter Elaine. And after watching six terrible films in a row, I really needed something to cheer me up. That and I wanted to listen to Simon and Garfunkel records. This is a fantastic film which has everything could ask for. Love, betrayal, loveable/hate-able characters, memorable scenes and a soundtrack that still holds up after 48 years. I really enjoyed the final scenes at the wedding. I laughed out loud when Ben locked everyone in the church. I don't know why but I found that really funny. Also, who hasn't sung the lyrics to "The Sound of Silence" or "Mrs Robinson" while watching this? If this film has taught me anything, its that you shouldn't let your parents pick who you should marry and make your own choices. This is a film that I would defiantly recommend. In 2010, The New Yorker had this to say about the film, "Hoffman's virginal panic when the leggy Anne Bancroft.... bullies him into bed is... almost Harold Lloyd-like in its portrayal of courage barely conquering fear of the unknown". I found myself relating to Ben at the start of the film. Both of us have graduated and don't really know what to do next in life? Do you pursue your dreams? Fun Fact of the Film - Despite their on-screen age difference there were only six years between Hoffman and Bancroft in real life". If you have seen this film, then let me know what you thought of it in the comments. Here is what I had to say while watching 1967's "The Graduate".
Film - The Graduate
Year - 1967
Director - Mike Nichols
Written by - Calder Willingham, Buck Henry
Staring - Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross
IMDb Rating - 8.1/10
My Rating - 8.4/10
Length - 101 min (1h 41min)
Genre - Comedy, Drama, Romance
Welcome to Los Angeles International Airport
And the first of many Simon & Garfunkel songs play - "The Sound of Silence"
I never have been a fan of Panovision - You can barely see anything
Ben meets with his dad to talk about his future
That fish tank is louder than Dustin Hoffman
At the graduation party, everyone keeps asking about Ben's future
Someone offers Ben a job in "Plastics"
It's pretty clear that Ben doesn't want to be there
You're my only friend fish
Mrs Robinson confuses Ben's bedroom for a bathroom
Don't mind me putting cigarette ash all over your bed
Don't you hate it when your car keys get lost in the fish tank
We're here now get off of my car!
I ain't letting you leave until my husband gets home... Drink?
You're an alcoholic? I'm leaving!
She really doesn't want Ben to leave
Close your legs you dirty slut
"Mrs Robinson you're trying to seduce me"
This is my daughter's room! Let's have sex in it
How bad are those tan lines?
All I want to do is go home and listen to Elvis records
Oh God! You're nude!
What are they flashing to?
Mr Robinson comes home from a game of golf to find Ben at the bar
It's nice that The Robinsons label their drinks
"You'll never be young again"
Mr Robinson talks to Ben about some of his memories about him
Just let me leave!
Ben isn't a ladies man! - He's just like me
At Ben's 21st birthday
Ben's dad wants Ben to show off his $200 scuba gear
His breathing is so loud he can't hear what anyone is saying
Go for a swim in the pool while we watch
So... They're making Ben celebrate his 21st by sitting at the bottom of a swimming pool
Ben rings Mrs Robinson for drinks at a hotel
Sir, the queue is over there
Better attend this party that I'm not invited to
I know my drink has a straw but I don't like using them
Let's have a chat in a hotel room that we haven't booked
If getting a hotel room was that easy I would travel more often
My luggage is just a toothbrush
I'll go up first and you come up five minutes later
I'm safe! No one is in my hotel room
If you're planning on having sex, always close all windows, curtains and blinds
Don't kiss me when I have a mouth full of smoke
Straight in for a boob drag
I would have sex with you but I can't! Excuse me while I bang my head against the wall
Let's do something else together!
Mrs Robinson just called Ben a virgin
"The Sound of Silence" plays again - Not the type of song you can have sex to
Nothing like lying in the sun drinking beers by the pool
He got dry very quickly
I was just having sex and now I'm back home in the living room
Nothing says "sex was good" like a cigarette
I can't make out the name of the song
Ben's dad tells Ben off for not considering Graduation School
Mr Robinson suggests Ben meet with his daughter, Elaine, when she's in town
Why is the bathroom very steamy if all he's doing is shaving?
Don't you hate it when you cut yourself shaving?
Let's not have sex anymore! Let's chat about art
Scrap that, let's talk about Mr Robinson
They're married but sleep in seperate bedrooms?!?
She tells Ben that she married Mr Robinson because she got pregnant
Ben asks her what car she got pregnant in a Ford
She then tells Ben not to see Elaine because she thinks he's not good enough for her
Let's both apologise to each other and pretend this never happened
He promises that he won't go on a date with Elaine so he can continue having sex with Mrs Robinson
So.. Mr Robinson wants Ben to see Elaine but Mrs Robinson doesn't want Ben to see her
Excuse me while I drown myself
Ben decdes to go ignore Mrs Robinson and is taking Elaine out
Who cares about traffic jams when we can drive like a lunatic
Slow down you're walking to fast! You know I can run in high heels
Out of all the places to take a date, you take her to a strip club
Out come the nipple tassles!
Can you stop waving your boobs at me?
Ben tells Elaine that this was all his parents idea to go on the date
One kiss later and the two are back in love
All you need is a drive-by dinner with a group of bikers
"I could make you some cofffee" - That's the first sign that someone wants sex
Lets continue our night out at the hotel
Sorry, I'm a regular
Nice to know Ben drives a Alfa Romeo
And again the background noise is louder than Dustin Hoffman
How can I explain my affair with Mrs Robinson without Elaine knowing?
Thanks for the left-over burger and fries
Since when does it rain in Los Angeles?
Mrs Robinson doesn't want Ben near Elaine again otherwise she'll tell Elaine everything
Ben tells Elaine everything
Hi Mrs Robinson! Bye Mrs Robinson
There goes everything I had with The Robinsons
Ben tells his parents that hes marrying Elaine
She doesn't want to marry me! She hates me!
Cue "Scarborough Fair"
Better find Elaine at Berkeley
Don't you hate "Outsiders"?
This is getting stalker levels of seeing someone
Stop listening to our conversation stranger
Staff at Berkeley don't mind me sitting in their lessons
How dare Carl steal the love of my life
Even the monkeys are laughing at me
Elaine bursts into Ben's room and tells Ben that Mrs Robinson is accusing him of rape
Sorry hotel owner! I'm watching a horror movie
Even the hotel owner wants Ben out because he doesn't like him
Are you gonna ignore that shaving cream on your face?
It makes him look like he has a chin strap
Elaine returns in the middle of the night wanting a kiss
I'll consider marrying you
Let's go get blood tests
Those lessons were quick
WHAT!!!! You're marrying Carl?
Can you take your conversation somewhere that isn't the library
Good night!? It's 2pm
Cue more Simon & Garfunkel - A whistle remdition of "Mrs Robinson"
That man had a Jewfro
Mr Robinson is in his hotel!
He tells Ben that he and Mrs Robinson are getting divorced because of Ben
"We may as well have been shaking hands"
Mr Robinson tells Ben to never see Elaine unless he wants to be in jail
Elaine has left a note for Ben saying she's doing what's right for her
Time for another version of "Mrs Robinson" while Ben continues to stalk Elaine at her home
It's Mrs Robinson! She's called the police on Ben while Elaine is getting married to Carl
How did he managed to avoid the police?
Better head back to Berkeley to find Elaine
Just leave the car door open while I find where the wedding is
Carl's mates tell him it's in Santa Barbara
Damn! I've destroyed the yellow pages!
I'm a priest! Tell me where Alan Street is
Wouldn't be an Alfa Romeo if it didn't break down
Fuck it! I'll run to the wedding
I'm guessing the wedding is in this building with the cross on it
Too late! Elaine has married Carl!
Better show my love for Elaine by making a scene
We've got us a fight in a church
He's locked everyone in the church and taken Elaine
Lets escape on the bus
Cue "The Sound of Silence"
Shall we get married on the bus?
The End
Film - The Graduate
Year - 1967
Director - Mike Nichols
Written by - Calder Willingham, Buck Henry
Staring - Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross
IMDb Rating - 8.1/10
My Rating - 8.4/10
Length - 101 min (1h 41min)
Genre - Comedy, Drama, Romance
Welcome to Los Angeles International Airport
And the first of many Simon & Garfunkel songs play - "The Sound of Silence"
I never have been a fan of Panovision - You can barely see anything
Ben meets with his dad to talk about his future
That fish tank is louder than Dustin Hoffman
At the graduation party, everyone keeps asking about Ben's future
Someone offers Ben a job in "Plastics"
It's pretty clear that Ben doesn't want to be there
You're my only friend fish
Mrs Robinson confuses Ben's bedroom for a bathroom
Don't mind me putting cigarette ash all over your bed
Don't you hate it when your car keys get lost in the fish tank
We're here now get off of my car!
I ain't letting you leave until my husband gets home... Drink?
You're an alcoholic? I'm leaving!
She really doesn't want Ben to leave
Close your legs you dirty slut
"Mrs Robinson you're trying to seduce me"
This is my daughter's room! Let's have sex in it
How bad are those tan lines?
All I want to do is go home and listen to Elvis records
Oh God! You're nude!
What are they flashing to?
Mr Robinson comes home from a game of golf to find Ben at the bar
It's nice that The Robinsons label their drinks
"You'll never be young again"
Mr Robinson talks to Ben about some of his memories about him
Just let me leave!
Ben isn't a ladies man! - He's just like me
At Ben's 21st birthday
Ben's dad wants Ben to show off his $200 scuba gear
His breathing is so loud he can't hear what anyone is saying
Go for a swim in the pool while we watch
So... They're making Ben celebrate his 21st by sitting at the bottom of a swimming pool
Ben rings Mrs Robinson for drinks at a hotel
Sir, the queue is over there
Better attend this party that I'm not invited to
I know my drink has a straw but I don't like using them
Let's have a chat in a hotel room that we haven't booked
If getting a hotel room was that easy I would travel more often
My luggage is just a toothbrush
I'll go up first and you come up five minutes later
I'm safe! No one is in my hotel room
If you're planning on having sex, always close all windows, curtains and blinds
Don't kiss me when I have a mouth full of smoke
Straight in for a boob drag
I would have sex with you but I can't! Excuse me while I bang my head against the wall
Let's do something else together!
Mrs Robinson just called Ben a virgin
"The Sound of Silence" plays again - Not the type of song you can have sex to
Nothing like lying in the sun drinking beers by the pool
He got dry very quickly
I was just having sex and now I'm back home in the living room
Nothing says "sex was good" like a cigarette
I can't make out the name of the song
Ben's dad tells Ben off for not considering Graduation School
Mr Robinson suggests Ben meet with his daughter, Elaine, when she's in town
Why is the bathroom very steamy if all he's doing is shaving?
Don't you hate it when you cut yourself shaving?
Let's not have sex anymore! Let's chat about art
Scrap that, let's talk about Mr Robinson
They're married but sleep in seperate bedrooms?!?
She tells Ben that she married Mr Robinson because she got pregnant
Ben asks her what car she got pregnant in a Ford
She then tells Ben not to see Elaine because she thinks he's not good enough for her
Let's both apologise to each other and pretend this never happened
He promises that he won't go on a date with Elaine so he can continue having sex with Mrs Robinson
So.. Mr Robinson wants Ben to see Elaine but Mrs Robinson doesn't want Ben to see her
Excuse me while I drown myself
Ben decdes to go ignore Mrs Robinson and is taking Elaine out
Who cares about traffic jams when we can drive like a lunatic
Slow down you're walking to fast! You know I can run in high heels
Out of all the places to take a date, you take her to a strip club
Out come the nipple tassles!
Can you stop waving your boobs at me?
Ben tells Elaine that this was all his parents idea to go on the date
One kiss later and the two are back in love
All you need is a drive-by dinner with a group of bikers
"I could make you some cofffee" - That's the first sign that someone wants sex
Lets continue our night out at the hotel
Sorry, I'm a regular
Nice to know Ben drives a Alfa Romeo
And again the background noise is louder than Dustin Hoffman
How can I explain my affair with Mrs Robinson without Elaine knowing?
Thanks for the left-over burger and fries
Since when does it rain in Los Angeles?
Mrs Robinson doesn't want Ben near Elaine again otherwise she'll tell Elaine everything
Ben tells Elaine everything
Hi Mrs Robinson! Bye Mrs Robinson
There goes everything I had with The Robinsons
Ben tells his parents that hes marrying Elaine
She doesn't want to marry me! She hates me!
Cue "Scarborough Fair"
Better find Elaine at Berkeley
Don't you hate "Outsiders"?
This is getting stalker levels of seeing someone
Stop listening to our conversation stranger
Staff at Berkeley don't mind me sitting in their lessons
How dare Carl steal the love of my life
Even the monkeys are laughing at me
Elaine bursts into Ben's room and tells Ben that Mrs Robinson is accusing him of rape
Sorry hotel owner! I'm watching a horror movie
Even the hotel owner wants Ben out because he doesn't like him
Are you gonna ignore that shaving cream on your face?
It makes him look like he has a chin strap
Elaine returns in the middle of the night wanting a kiss
I'll consider marrying you
Let's go get blood tests
Those lessons were quick
WHAT!!!! You're marrying Carl?
Can you take your conversation somewhere that isn't the library
Good night!? It's 2pm
Cue more Simon & Garfunkel - A whistle remdition of "Mrs Robinson"
That man had a Jewfro
Mr Robinson is in his hotel!
He tells Ben that he and Mrs Robinson are getting divorced because of Ben
"We may as well have been shaking hands"
Mr Robinson tells Ben to never see Elaine unless he wants to be in jail
Elaine has left a note for Ben saying she's doing what's right for her
Time for another version of "Mrs Robinson" while Ben continues to stalk Elaine at her home
It's Mrs Robinson! She's called the police on Ben while Elaine is getting married to Carl
How did he managed to avoid the police?
Better head back to Berkeley to find Elaine
Just leave the car door open while I find where the wedding is
Carl's mates tell him it's in Santa Barbara
Damn! I've destroyed the yellow pages!
I'm a priest! Tell me where Alan Street is
Wouldn't be an Alfa Romeo if it didn't break down
Fuck it! I'll run to the wedding
I'm guessing the wedding is in this building with the cross on it
Too late! Elaine has married Carl!
Better show my love for Elaine by making a scene
We've got us a fight in a church
He's locked everyone in the church and taken Elaine
Lets escape on the bus
Cue "The Sound of Silence"
Shall we get married on the bus?
The End