Hoffman and Bancroft Make the Film

Rating: Null/10 (1 January 2012)

Graduate, The (1967)
**** (out of 4)
Mike Nichols' landmark comedy about a college graduate (Dustin Hoffman) who finds himself involved in an affair with Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) only to fall in love with her daughter (Katharine Ross).
While THE GRADUATE isn't nearly as shocking as it was when it was first released and there's no question the slap in the face of traditional values are long gone, the film remains one of the best of the decade and even after all these years it's easy to put a smile on your face. I think the film holds up perfectly well even with the times being a lot different today.
The screenplay itself is certainly a work of art as there are some pretty wild things going on in this picture but the sympathetic character that Hoffman plays is so perfectly written that you can't help but just go along for the ride and enjoy every minute of it. There's no question that Hoffman's brilliance has a strong impact on the film because he so perfectly nails every aspect of the character. Whether it's the shy, naive boy at the start of the film or the more mature one towards the end, Hoffman perfectly nails the part. The silly mannerisms, the way he breaks his speech when nervous and the way his emotions screams out during the finale in the church, all of these are perfectly brought to life.
Bancroft also deserves a lot of credit as the rather sad drunk. We never fully get to know why she does the things she does but I think this is a credit to the screenplay that not everything is spelled out. Both Ross and Murray Hamilton are very good in their parts and add a lot of nice support.
Of course, one of the biggest things in the film is the soundtrack by Simon and Garfunkle. The songs "The Sound of Silence" and "Mrs. Robinson" are two all-time classics but I do feel at times the music is used when it might have been better for the scene to just be silent. I think the film has a lot to say about the generation gap and while the film was probably a lot more fresh and challenging in 1967, that still doesn't take away from the great performances and how well they hold up today.