Undoubtedly a product of its time, and that ain't a bad thing.

Rating: 8/10 (3 March 2014)

I can't say this without a hint of shame, but my first exposure to "The Graduate" was that scene in "Wayne's World 2" ("Sorry! Wrong wedding!"). So I came into this movie thinking it was some kind of underdog thing for Dustin Hoffman's character. But there's an appropriate ugliness to this film that disabuses one of that notion very quickly. He's not a character to root for, at all. And there's a sadness to the film's outcome when all is said and done because these are not smart people.
That said, Anne Bancroft can seduce any man with that voice. She ends up pretty hateful in the end, but man, she worked her sultry magic. And Katherine Ross, though she's not playing the sharpest knife in the drawer, does a terrific job in such a thankless role. And this is the funniest performance I've ever seen from Dustin Hoffman, suffering in his terrified awkwardness in the face of a classic '60s cougar (damn if Bancroft didn't pioneer that culture).
"The Graduate"'s a classic for good reason; great soundtrack (relying on only three songs), great characters, and indeed a well-photographed movie. And it leaves us with some nice ambiguity by the end credits (not a happy ending, personally).
It's a well-made film.