One of the best movies of its time.

Rating: 9/10 (2 May 2011)

Every teenage boys dream, a complete no strings attached relationship with and older, married woman. That's exactly what happens to Dustin Hoffman's character, Benjamin Braddock, in the film The Graduate. Directed by Mike Nichols, this film puts a whole new twist on friends with benefits. This film may have been shot in the late 60s but it has the drama and scandal ism that excites the youth of any day and age. Benjamin Braddock just graduated from college and has no idea what to do with his life. His family and his family's friends are very wealthy and upstanding citizens. This in turn creates even more stress for Benjamin to be as equally successful. This is a big connection to everyone who has been at a crossroad at least once in his or her life. But then he then gets the opportunity of a lifetime after driving his father's business partner's wife, Mrs. Robinson, home one late night. He has an affair with this woman; what is meant to be a one-night stand turns into a complete summer romance. Benjamin is now living the life. He's just graduated, has no job, lounges in his parent's pool for hours on end, and has a woman at his beck and call. The best part about this arrangement is that nobody knows. Nichol's directional genius throws in a twist for the entire audience when Ben realizes the chance of a lifetime isn't scoring with Mrs. Robinson but getting together with her daughter Elaine. Now Benjamin's confused out of his mind and the audience is getting pulled deeper in the drama of this film through Benjamin's anguish and confusion. What's Ben going to do now? He can continue the affair with Mrs. Robinson or create a new relationship with Elaine. Of course if he chooses Elaine, he has to tell her about his and her mother's secret hook-ups. Without surprise that's exactly what he does and what's expected of Elaine besides to slap him across the face. By this time, we as the audience are wondering how this film could get any better. This is just an entire soap opera season channeled into a two-hour film. Benjamin can't give up on his love for Elaine that easy. He must prove to her that he is worthy to have her hand in marriage, despite what he did and the lies Mrs. Robinson told to escape the talk of her affair. Only more surprise and heartache comes to Benjamin when he finds Elaine is already engaged to another man. He follows Elaine to college in hopes to win her back. He follows her around campus and gets an apartment in her same city, and stalks her for quite a while. The suspense just keeps building. Though with everything Benjamin does, Elaine still can't forgive his transgressions. It all comes down to Elaine's wedding day with an exciting act by Elaine. The happy but somewhat confusing ending falls into place and Elaine and Benjamin can live happily ever after. This film drives an audience crazy. Mike Nichols sure brings down the house with everything you'll ever need in a movie: sex, lies, excitement, love and a romantic ending.