The Graduate

Rating: 10/10 (11 April 2010)

This film not only deals with current issues of the 1960's and 1970's but also makes the same intense impact on audiences today. This is one of the reasons I think this film still resonates with audiences today. The editing was not trivial in that it was a character all in itself; it played just as an important role as a Ben or Mrs. Robinson. This is one of the few movies I have seen that causes the audience to reflect on their own decisions and their own livelihood in a way they might have never before. The graduate was made post hays code and therefore took full advantage of the decreased restriction policies. This may have also drawn people at the time to this movie because it was at the initial stages of the new "second golden age." Dustin Hoffman's character "Ben," plays a college graduate who is finding himself and what he wants in life, not necessarily listening to only what he thinks he should do according to his family. He does a fantastic job at convincing the audience of his innocence as a young man and his good intentions that actually make him look (to outsiders) like a liar, cheater, and a little bit nuts. I think this movie was about listening to what you truly want to do and not necessarily just going with the flow of what you think you should do. It also exposes issues that are not necessarily being talked about (especially for that time) and possibly opens up dialog about these issues among friends and families. Not only do you watch this movie and think "what a great story that was, I really enjoyed it," but it also causes the audience to reflect upon themselves and their decisions in life in a way they might have not done before.