The Graduate

Starting with the hopeless future of recent graduate Ben Braddock (Dustin Hoffman in his first star role), The Graduate follows the life defining moments in the man's summer and follows his escapades. The movie starts out with Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" which plays beautifully with the picture director Mike Nichols wanted us to see. A young man who is lost in the real world and trying to find his way.

Upon arriving home, his parents throw him a huge party where Ben feels uncomfortable and is soon discovered by Mrs. Robinson (Ann Bancroft) the very attractive wive of his father's business partner. Mrs. Robinson lures Ben away from the party by asking him for a lift home. She uses her powers to lure young and ignorant Ben into her house and then asks Ben if he wants a drink, She talks about her life's problems and Ben stupidly asks, "Mrs. Robinson are you trying to seduce me?" She laughs at such a question and Ben feels very awkward and tries to leave but Mrs. Robinson is trying to seduce him, and tells Ben that anytime that he feels the "urge" to see her that he can call. This whole encounter becomes very funny and extremely awkward.

Ben does soon feel the urge and calls Mrs. Robinson, and Ben her that he is at the Taft Hotel. She responds by saying she'll be there in a n hour. Ben Not really knowing how these things work tries to talk to the clerk at the front desk, the first thing Ben hears is "Are you here for an Affair", a very good play on words, Ben is surprise but then finds out that there is a ball going on. He wants at the bar and meets up with Mrs. Robinson. He tries to get a room and stumbles through it all and it is very funny. He gets the room calls Her from a telephone booth that is only 20 feet away. He goes up to the room and tries to prepare it. Mrs.Robinson shows up and the whole scene is awkward and hilarious. They get "down to business".

Ben is soon caught between his affair and the girl who he wants, Elaine Robinson(Katerine Ross) the daughter of Mrs. Robinson so yeah it gets pretty messed up. The rest of the movie is for anyone who reads this to find out. It has been paradied many times over by ever genre and generation after the movie was made. It is that good, Simon and Garfunkel got a boost by the movie because it was their soundtrack that palyed thoughout the movie, and the most famous of their songs, "Mrs. Robinson" shot up the charts after the movie was released. It is filled with laughs, good music, and cultural reflections of the sixties. I would give it a 9/10 on my rating scale.