A smart and funny 60's flick

Rating: 8/10 (6 March 2006)

I saw this during it's initial theatrical release and it was a memorable coming of age film for it's time. A young Dustin Hoffman as Benjmin turns in a performance that would catapult him to superstar status as the shy and aimless collage grad suffering from post graduation burnout. He received an Academy Award nomination but did not win. Also nominated was Anne Bancroft as the mean-spirited seductress Mrs. Robinson who also went home without an Oscar. The beautiful Katherine Ross in her role as Benjamin's girlfriend Elaine who becomes betrothed to another and is the daughter of Mrs. Robinson received her only Academy Award nomination in her career. Buck Henry and Calder Willingham wrote the script which also received an nomination. The film also was nominated for Best Picture but the only award it won was for it's Director Mike Nicols. Rounding out this fine cast are William Daniels, Murry Hamilton, Norman Fell, Alice Ghostly and Buck Henry. Shut out from nominations for the great Simon & Garfunkel soundtrack was writer Paul Simon who memorable songs perfectly captured the times and feeling of this film. This was a big film for it's day depicting the generational gap but doesn't hold up as well as many others from it's era or from the year of 1967. I've seen this many times and would recommend it and give it an 8.5 on a scale of 10.