The Graduate ★★★★ 1967 (PG) Famous, influential slice of comic Americana stars Hoffman as Benjamin Braddock, a shy, aimless college graduate who, without any idea of responsibility or ambition, wanders from a sexual liaison with a married woman (the infamous Mrs. Robinson) to pursuit of her engaged daughter. His pursuit of Elaine right to her wedding has become a film classic. Extremely popular and almost solely responsible for establishing both Hoffman and director Nichols. The career advice given to Benjamin, "plastics," became a catchword for the era. Watch for Dreyfuss in the Berkeley rooming house, Farrell in the hotel lobby, and screenwriter Henry as the desk clerk. Based on the novel by Charles Webb. 106m/C VHS, DVD, 8mm, Wide. Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross, Murray Hamilton, Brian Avery, Marion Lorne, Alice Ghostley, William Daniels, Elizabeth Wilson, Norman Fell, Buck Henry, Richard Dreyfuss, Mike Farrell;
Director:
Mike Nichols;
Writer:
Buck Henry, Calder Willingham;
Writer:
Robert L. Surtees;
Cameo:
Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Dave Grusin. Oscars '67: Director (Nichols); AFI '98: Top 100; British Acad. '68: Director (Nichols), Film, Screenplay; Directors Guild '67: Director (Nichols); Golden Globes '68: Actress—Mus./Comedy (Bancroft), Director (Nichols), Film—Mus./Comedy, Natl. Film Reg. '96;; N.Y. Film Critics '67: Director (Nichols).
