did anyone ever really graduate?

Rating: 6/10 (8 November 2013)

This movie was comical to an extent, but there was also a serious point to it. I personally felt that it was trying to say to not throw your life away after you graduate from college. The young Braddock man, played to a tee by Dustin Hoffman, was thoroughly confused, and Mrs. Robinson, (which was one of the beautiful Anne Bancroft's most memorable roles which she played well) only made matters worse for him by tempting him to do the wrong he did. It was a character study which delved into the characters' lives. There was also symbolism found in the production; for example, when Braddock was sitting at a zoo, in a cage nearby were three monkeys, and in light of the situation in which Braddock found himself, anyone would have to wonder if this graduate's thinking was any higher than that of the lower form of animals. William Daniels did well as a firm and concerned father of Braddock, and Elizabeth Wilson did fairly well as Braddock's mother. Murray Hamilton showed forth outstanding acting ability as Mr. Robinson, the man who believed that Braddock would be good for his daughter Elaine whom Braddock had been dating; of course, his attitude toward him changed after his affair with Mrs. Robinson, and he was understandably bitter. Though she was not in it as much as most of the others, the beautiful Katherine Ross stole the show as Elaine; this is the role for which she was best known, it seems. The ending was good, though very comical. But again, all the main personages in the movie were immature, to say the least, so you would have to, again, wonder if they ever really graduated. Because of the symbolism and the point of the story, it was a passable film.