Premiere, 04/01/2004, p.64, "[T]hanks to the perfectly cast Bancroft, Mrs. Robinson not only became the archetype for the older woman as seductress, but also the source of distraction for many an adolescent male."
Chicago Sun-Times, 03/28/1997, p.31, "...[Bancroft] is a great beauty....To watch it today is like opening a time capsule..."
Entertainment Weekly, 05/12/2006, p.64, "The hit ages like wine and should speak just as eloquently to disaffected grads in the 21st century." -- Grade: A-
Ultimate DVD, 11/23/2007, p.111, 5 stars out of 5 -- "[A] breakthrough....Nichols's stylishly constructed film still feels fresh today..."
Uncut, 08/01/2000, p.124, "Mike Nichols' classic is as fresh, perceptive and witty as it was in 1967."
Total Film, 06/01/2000, p.104, "...A wonderful comedy of manners..." -- 4 out of 5 Stars
USA Today, 11/13/1992, p.3D, "...[A] mellowed-out great movie..."
Title Note
Theatrical Release: December 21, 1967
THE GRADUATE was added to the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 1996.
Features bit parts by actors Richard Dreyfuss and Mike Farell, as well as co-screenwriter Buck Henry.
The soundtrack for THE GRADUATE includes Simon and Garfunkel's "Sounds of Silence" and "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme." The film is the first Hollywood production to use already established hit songs in the soundtrack.
Charles Grodin was originally cast to play the lead in THE GRADUATE.
Product Quotation/Excerpt
"I just want to say one word to you...just one word."--Mr. McGuire (Walter Brooke) to Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) "Yes, sir."--Ben "Are you listening?"--Mr.McGuire "Yes, sir. I am."--Ben "Plastics."--Mr. McGuire
"Don't you think that idea is a little half-baked?"--Mr. Braddock (William Daniels) to Ben "Oh no, Dad, it's completely baked."--Ben
"Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me."--Ben to Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft)
Distributor Note
Nominated* for seven Academy Awards® and winner for Best Director, this ground breaking and "wildly hilarious" (The Boston Globe) social satire launched the career of two-time Oscar®-winner** Dustin Hoffman and cemented the reputation of acclaimed director Mike Nichols. Pulsating with the rebellious spirit of the '60s and a haunting score sung by Simon and Garfunkel, The Graduate is truly a "landmark film" (Leonard Maltin). Shy Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) returns home from college with an uncertain future. Then the wife of his father's business partner, the sexy Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), seduces him, and the affair only deepens his confusion. That is, until he meets the girl of his dreams (Katharine Ross). But there's one problem: she's Mrs. Robinson's daughter!
Release Note
Blu-ray Disc Features:
2-Disc Set Region [unknown] NTSC Keep Case Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85 Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.35 Audio: Dolby Digital 5.0 - French, Spanish Dolby Digital Surround, DTS HD Master Audio - English Mono - French, English Subtitles - English, French, Spanish Additional Release Material: Featurette Audio Commentary: Ron Shelton - Director Text/Photo Galleries: Stills/Photos Disc 1: THE GRADUATE Blu-ray Disc 2: THE GRADUATE DVD
Product Notes
Director Mike Nichols's THE GRADUATE is the satirical coming-of-age comedy that became an emotional touchstone for an entire generation. In the mid-1960s, Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman), a confused college graduate, is pulled in myriad directions by family, friends, and associates just days after receiving his degree. Seduced by Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), an older friend of the family, Ben carries on an affair with the married woman even as he falls for her daughter, Elaine (Katharine Ross). However, Ben and Elaine's attempts at romance are threatened by the spiteful rage of Mrs. Robinson, who proceeds to hastily arrange Elaine's marriage to someone else, leading up to one of the most memorable endings in cinema history.
With its striking photography and clever editing, THE GRADUATE established Nichols as a major director. The film also made a star out of young Hoffman, who gives an understated portrayal of the perplexed Ben--the actor's first role in a Hollywood film, which he almost didn't get because he wasn't Waspy enough. Outstanding performances by the rest of the cast are highlighted by Bancroft's sexy, embittered turn as Mrs. Robinson and Ross's endearing presence as the gorgeous yet innocent Elaine. The film's impact on popular culture is immeasurable: "Plastics" will live on eternally as depressing but solid career advice, and older women will never eye younger men without fear of becoming a "Mrs. Robinson." Buck Henry (who appears briefly in the film) cowrote the influential screenplay, based on the novel by Charles Webb, and the soundtrack by Simon and Garfunkel remains a movie classic.
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