The Graduate (1967)

Featured Audience Ratings

• KJ P

  
  The film moves at a very fast pace and the performances feel so real that you forget you are watching a movie sometimes. After Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) graduates from college, he is trying to find himself as one of his parents friends (Mrs. Robinson) try to seduce him into having sex… More
  The film moves at a very fast pace and the performances feel so real that you forget you are watching a movie sometimes. After Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) graduates from college, he is trying to find himself as one of his parents friends (Mrs. Robinson) try to seduce him into having sex with her. She becomes very convincing, so they sneak around. While this goes on, his parents really want him to marry her daughter. Everything spirals out of control here and the film unfolds. I loved watching this movie, but there was a little too much "sexuality," instead of development in the story. Still, it is a great film all around with fantastic writing, great motivations, and a superb cast. "The Graduate" is worth it's hype!

• Sanjay R

  
  The overall synopsis isn't too interesting, but the way it's delivered is. Dustin Hoffman carries this movie with his quirky take on a "drifting" graduate student who decides to spice up his life. The directing, cinematography and screenplay are all great as well.

• Manu G

  
  This is Benjamin. He's a little worried about his future. Excellent Film! "The Graduate" was a classic movie that spoke for an entire generation. Dustin Hoffman really acted splendid and the plot is just so good combine with 60's music by Simon and Garfunkel. Mike… More
  This is Benjamin. He's a little worried about his future. Excellent Film! "The Graduate" was a classic movie that spoke for an entire generation. Dustin Hoffman really acted splendid and the plot is just so good combine with 60's music by Simon and Garfunkel. Mike Nichols won in that year 1968 a Best Director Oscar and well deserved! Go see it! Benjamin Braddock returns home to California after successfully completing college. He gets a hero's welcome from his parents but Ben isn't quite sure what to do with the rest of his life. He is soon seduced by Mrs. Robinson, the wife of his father's partner, who methodically pursues the inexperienced young man. Soon, they are meeting regularly in hotel rooms. Warned by her to stay away from her daughter Elaine, his father goads him into taking her out on a date. He finds he quite likes Elaine but when she learns he's been having an affair with her own mother, she'll have nothing to do with him. He's smitten however and pursues her

• Lenny M

  
  Hoffman is hungry.

• Sam B

  
  While I can't possibly buy what happens between Hoffman and Ross' characters in the second half of the film (the result of that implausibility being an ending which felt lazy to me as a result), Hoffman's amazing performance coupled with direction more inventive and… More
  While I can't possibly buy what happens between Hoffman and Ross' characters in the second half of the film (the result of that implausibility being an ending which felt lazy to me as a result), Hoffman's amazing performance coupled with direction more inventive and evocative than the majority of film's made today makes this worthy of its classic status.

• Jameson W

  
  Excellent, excellent, excellent. This brilliant film launched the career of one of Hollywood's greatest actors, Dustin Hoffman. After a few short moments, it's easy to tell why. His performance as Benjamin Braddock is flawless, to say the least. Alongside Hoffman is Anne… More
  Excellent, excellent, excellent. This brilliant film launched the career of one of Hollywood's greatest actors, Dustin Hoffman. After a few short moments, it's easy to tell why. His performance as Benjamin Braddock is flawless, to say the least. Alongside Hoffman is Anne Bancroft, who also gives a stunning, memorable performance as Mrs. Robinson. Katharine Ross also is convincing as Elaine Robinson. <br/>The best way to describe The Graduate is just that it's so memorable. Every scene is so unique and so different. The scuba-diving scene, Hoffman with the cross at the church, the final bus scene. It's just a joy to watch... <br/>The great sountrack by Simon and Garfunkel is also quite nice. <br/>Basically, if you haven't seen this film, see it. It's wonderful and I cannot recommend it enough.

• Jan Marc M

  
  Visually and aurally iconic, The Graduate is a landmark feature that perfectly encapsulated a confused disposition, tempted and eventually succumbed to seduction presented in enigmatic humor and appealing hilarity. Charismatic, The Graduate is a proud demonstration of powerful… More
  Visually and aurally iconic, The Graduate is a landmark feature that perfectly encapsulated a confused disposition, tempted and eventually succumbed to seduction presented in enigmatic humor and appealing hilarity. Charismatic, The Graduate is a proud demonstration of powerful performances, cinematic techniques, and essential messages.

• Colin M

  
  This 1967 Dustin Hoffman film has so many memorable lines, scenes, and sights that it makes you wonder why it couldn't have been succeeded with further films. It's quirkiness and resemblances to the modern romantic comedy genre put off some new reviewers but they miss that… More
  This 1967 Dustin Hoffman film has so many memorable lines, scenes, and sights that it makes you wonder why it couldn't have been succeeded with further films. It's quirkiness and resemblances to the modern romantic comedy genre put off some new reviewers but they miss that the film illuminates the struggles of young adult life and the search of meaning, which to Benjamin Braddock means true love. Cheap Sex, aimless wandering, academic and athletic success, and so forth didn't make him happy. Elaine did. And even still, one can see that Benjamin is STILL uncertain as to his life's direction in the final famous scene, as Hoffman's smile suddenly and slowly morphs into a wince. This film is so subtle in its meanings, and so pointed in its humor and depiction of young adult life, one can't help but enjoy it and I recommend it to anyone and to all.

• Conner R

  
  I've been incredibly harsh on The Graduate over the years and cynical about its overbearing popularity. The thing is, I wasn't alive when the movie came out and it's hard sometimes to see movies in the context of their release. It's easy at this point in time to… More
  I've been incredibly harsh on The Graduate over the years and cynical about its overbearing popularity. The thing is, I wasn't alive when the movie came out and it's hard sometimes to see movies in the context of their release. It's easy at this point in time to say that this movie is dated, but I think that was part of the idea. The Graduate is a complete time capsule movie; it was made to be revolutionary and shocking for the audience that was being exposed to it. Now it still has great aesthetics today, but back in 1967 it must've been amazing. After seeing it multiple times now, I think I've finally managed to appreciate everything it's trying to do and what it wants to say. Maybe I just didn't want to like it due to the fact that there are conflicting morals I have with some of the characters, but that shouldn't be a detriment to the pleasure you get from watching a movie. The fact is, The Graduate is just about as good as you're going to get when it comes to a coming of age storyline. Everything from the performances to the direction feels incredibly natural and has enough realism in it to make anyone recognize similarities to their life (well, if you're a white suburbanite). Dustin Hoffman really is flawless here and completely embodies his nervous and unsure character. I think Ben is a character that I familiarize with in a way that scares me. He does and says things that I probably have and feels thing I know I feel. Anne Bancroft is obviously great here too and does an extremely convincing job as a seductress and will make anyone watching it completely vulnerable to her teasing and mind games. Someone that doesn't get much recognition for her role at all is Katherine Ross; she gives such a sympathetic performance and really makes you fall in love with her for all the right reasons. Mike Nichols is by far the best director of relationship issues. Coming off of Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?, it's easy to see why he knows the ins and outs of portraying a realistic and effective couple on screen. The way he positions the characters and frames everything is just perfect. This presents the world as it was at one point and still is in a lot of ways. Not only has this been influential to film, but just in terms of storytelling and concepts of relationships and life in general.

• Dan S

  
  A well-made if over-rated story concerning a recent college graduate (Dustin Hoffman), unsure about what he wants to do with his life, who becomes entangled in an affair with a seductive housewife (Anne Bancroft) who just so happens to have a gorgeous daughter that catches his eye as… More
  A well-made if over-rated story concerning a recent college graduate (Dustin Hoffman), unsure about what he wants to do with his life, who becomes entangled in an affair with a seductive housewife (Anne Bancroft) who just so happens to have a gorgeous daughter that catches his eye as well. I still don't quite understand why this film is considered a "classic", it's a fine movie, but it has a number of flaws. The ending is just utterly ridiculous, and the writing really does not do a good enough job realistically developing the relationship between Hoffman's character and Katherine Ross's. With that said, it boasts one of the finest soundtracks in the history of cinema, as well as an outstanding lead performance from the always dependable Hoffman. I just wish the ending didn't get so melodramatic and the writing was beefed up a little bit in order to completely convince me that the daughter still felt something for Hoffman's after everything he had done, that was the one big thing I just didn't end up buying.

• Sanjaya &

  
  I heard a lot of good reviews before I watch this movie and I must say all of those good reviews were true, "The Graduate" is simply to be said : ONE OF THE BEST MOVIE EVER MADE.. Nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress, with a… More
  I heard a lot of good reviews before I watch this movie and I must say all of those good reviews were true, "The Graduate" is simply to be said : ONE OF THE BEST MOVIE EVER MADE.. Nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress, with a winning on Best Director for Mike Nichols.. The story began from a simple question : what will you do after you graduate? Benjamin Braddock just got it all wrong after a little seduction from Mrs. Robinson and then he fell in love with her daughter, Elaine.. The story seems to be ordinary, but how Willingham and Henry wrote it so it can be a very interesting movie is a great thing.. Yet, the directing style from Mike Nichols is great, I love it.. But all the credits should be given to the three main character : Dustin Hoffman, Katharine Ross, and the legendary Mrs. Robinson played by Anne Bancroft.. Hoffman and Ross just show their great potential as young actors and that's a great thing, while Anne Bancroft told them that she could do better than them.. Overall, it's a great movie with a great screenplay, great directing, and great acting from the cast.. No doubt "The Graduate" listed as #17 AFI's 100 Movies..

• Melvin W

  
  The Graduate is one of my favorite movies. Dustin Hoffman just gives such a funny and emotional performance; it's hard not to love. Katherine Ross is also amazing as Elaine. Their performances thrown in with a great plot make it one of the best movies ever. Simon and Garfunkles… More
  The Graduate is one of my favorite movies. Dustin Hoffman just gives such a funny and emotional performance; it's hard not to love. Katherine Ross is also amazing as Elaine. Their performances thrown in with a great plot make it one of the best movies ever. Simon and Garfunkles soundtrack is awesome, and the movie boasts one of the best scenes ever when Hoffman races to the wedding. The Graduate definitely is one of the all time greats.

• Tim S

  
  One of the greatest films ever made. Youth alienation, marital infidelity, lost love, and coming of age are all the essentials ingredients to make one of the finest films of any age for any age. A masterpiece.

• Brad W

  
  Wonderful

• John H

  
  The acting is here and there, the cinematopgraphy is here and there, but the story is solid and that's plenty for me to love this movie!

• Daniel J D

  
  I can't believe it took me so long to see this. Its startlingly funny and tantalizing for a mainstream movie in the sixties. And it's so strange hearing dustin hofman's voice behind his young self after seeing several of his later films. It's obvious where this… More
  I can't believe it took me so long to see this. Its startlingly funny and tantalizing for a mainstream movie in the sixties. And it's so strange hearing dustin hofman's voice behind his young self after seeing several of his later films. It's obvious where this film inluenced later films. Up until the second half of the elaine arc, it's pretty realistic and relatable. I kept waiting/hoping to see an extra scene after the credits where elaine/ben are in a hotel room, she's just starting to undress, and he's watching, saying, "Mrs. Robinson, are you trying to seduce me?"

• AJ V

  
  This is often considered a classic film, I wouldn't go that far, but it is a good movie nonetheless. It has a quirky sort of humor about it, and an interesting if taboo tale of love. I loved the ending too. If you like 60s movie, you'll need to see this one.

• Veronique K

  
  of course i cannot dismiss the artistic value of "the graduate" and i could certainly comprehend its showcase of the existential anxiety for seeking an identity in the mind-numbing society which crashes individuality. so the man feels confused and dazed, certainly troubled,… More
  of course i cannot dismiss the artistic value of "the graduate" and i could certainly comprehend its showcase of the existential anxiety for seeking an identity in the mind-numbing society which crashes individuality. so the man feels confused and dazed, certainly troubled, and so lost in agony that he sleeps with her girlfriend's mother, played by sexy anne bancroft whose legs are killers to prey a man into her bedroom. the whole case is apprehensible, even i am a woman. but what aggravates me is the ending where dustin hoffman evades into his girldfriend's wedding with an ardent assertation of love...the camera tends to loom upon the contorted faces of the girl's family members with an uglified malice. then the girl scurries to the man as if he's some sort of romantic hero who pulls off some grand gesture to quest for his one true love. i found that quite arbitrarily narcissistic, why wouldn't you? it's like saying "sorry, chic. i screwed your mom, despite all the fantastic laids i've got from her, you're still my true love, and your mom is a goddamned bitch. so just run toward me, away from your evil family, build a life with me in exclusion of all the rest of your relatives even i have nothing'...however, i think it is unbelievable that the woman could embrace the man again without any burdening emotional trauma, or at least some degree of hesitation in the rite. perhaps, to me, the more authentic reality would be the woman alienates herself from the mother and never talks to the boy, seeking her possible happiess with another man whom she would never introduce to her mom. (ha) maybe also some crisis of self-confidence would haunt her for the rest of her life. on the other hand, if the genders are reversed, you've discovered your girlfriend having numerous flings with your father who seems to be more capable than you when it comes to sexual gratification, would you forgive her and beg her to marry you on your knees??? the usual case would be the boy is still in basic terms of the father, but the woman is certainly ditched for sure as if she's just a plaything for the father and son. (ps) RELATION OT 500 DAYS OF SUMMER does anyone notice that dustin hoffman's "the graduate" symbolizes a turning point in this movie? the movie narrates in the outset that tom's view of love is poisoned from his misinterpretation of "the graduate," a movie he watched in full tears as kid, as a reference of tom's romanticist side. the story is told by fragmented intercutted scenes of past and present, and let's stitch the pieces together, the last date of tom and summer happens right after she watches "the graduate" with tom in some retro-theater and she was also in full tears, then she announces they should remain friends: a nicer way to say "let's split!" love and destiny is the two words repeatedly brought in the movie, and the movie's message is those who believe in destiny and love are meant to lose the game of love, and those who don't believe it are winners. love and destiny are what "the graduate" romanticists root for. tom loses the game of love due to his "the graduate symptom" and summer's the domineering winner in the relationship. but when summer is absorbed by "the graduate symptom," she loses her "it girl mojo" and decides to get married all at a sudden. (volunteers to be the loser in the another game of love)...in the end, when tom ditches the ideas of love and destiny aside (and there're only coincidence), he wins autumn. is that supposed to be a positive message no matter how clever and subtle it's been delivered? i do wonder. btw, i truly think "the graduate" is full of shits. i mean the "romantic" part.

• Cassie H

  
  I absolutely loved it. GREAT romantic comedy. Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft are hilarious. :) I love it! :)

• Ross C

  
  If you only ever see one movie from the 60s then make it this one. Colourful 60s California scenes together with the Simon & Garfunkel soundtrack alone make it worth seeing. The plot is also something that many can sympathise with - the end of childhood, gaining emotional maturity… More
  If you only ever see one movie from the 60s then make it this one. Colourful 60s California scenes together with the Simon & Garfunkel soundtrack alone make it worth seeing. The plot is also something that many can sympathise with - the end of childhood, gaining emotional maturity and finding one's own way in life.

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