Great movie

Rating: Null/10 (28 January 1999)

First of all, I'm 19 years old, and seeing this movie makes me realize that a lot of what went on in the 60's is still relevant today. Nearly everyone I know who graduated around my time is just as unsure of their future and open to suggestion as Ben is in this film. What do we do? Do we settle down with what is sure to be a stable future ("Plastics"), or do we sow our wild oats, as Ben did? This movie isn't about having affairs with our parents friends, not at all. It's about confusion, about a million people telling you what to do and you just wanting to tell everyone to slow down, just let you rest for a second. This movie was great, but I can also understand how some people wouldn't think it was that great. If people come out of graduation knowing exactly what they want to do with their lives, they will probably see this movie as simply about a slightly disturbed kid sleeping with an older woman. However I think many people see it for what it really is.
I agree...Dustin Hoffman's performance was wonderful. It nearly made me nervous just watching him portray the nervousness of Ben. He was terrific. I, too, was really struck by the scene at the end. Ben and Elaine have run off, they're going to be so happy...yeah right! There they sit in the bus, not talking to each other, just staring straight ahead. Sure, they're excited, but for what? And that seems to be life. Decisions are made irresponsibly and too quickly, and things rarely turn out the way you imagine them to be. The ending was sadly perfect. It may be over 30 years old, but this movie is still completely relevant to today's youth. A 9 out of 10.