294: The Graduate

[00:00:00] Chapter 7, Classic Film. Let's get into The Graduate from 1967. This one is directed by Mike Nichols, stars Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Catherine Ross, William Daniels and a few others. And the synopsis is a disillusioned college graduate finds himself torn between his older lover and her daughter. So this one

[00:00:26] of course is iconic because of the Mrs. Robinson character and there's the Mrs. Robinson song and it's been referenced over and over and over again across movies and music and you name it. I didn't see this one until probably

[00:00:41] college. I'd heard about it over the years and I think its reputation in terms of this somewhat taboo affair where the young guy has the affair with this older woman while also being engaged and involved with the daughter. So it's

[00:00:56] one that especially for the time was very shocking I guess in some ways and has had quite a shelf life over the years. So that name Mrs. Robinson and that storyline and concept has stuck around for sure. I have seen the movie probably

[00:01:15] three times now and I like it. I think the reputation of that concept or the idea of that really overshadows the rest of the movie. It's charming, it's funny, it's got some heart, it's got some good performances but it's not one whenever I

[00:01:32] watch or however much I read about it I'm in love with. I wouldn't say it's overrated but overhyped maybe is the right word because you hear that all the time at least I did over the years and then finally when I watched I was like

[00:01:45] yeah it was good but Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft are fantastic together and that relationship the flirtations and back-and-forth and all that is really fun and charming and has that seductive quality. Now one thing I wanted to just

[00:02:04] jumping towards the end here that I wanted to get into is the ending of the movie. So I don't really talk to many people about this movie it's rare it comes up in conversation but the thing I always hear about and it's even

[00:02:15] referenced in other movies and shows and things like that but also I remember this in film school where that ending of the movie people were torn on in terms of what it meant. My interpretation because I think some people saw the

[00:02:29] movies ending where Dustin Hoffman runs away with the daughter and they put the cross on the church door and they get on the bus and run away like oh what a cool happy fantasy kind of ending to this weird love story but for me in terms of

[00:02:45] the camera lingering on those characters to me the ending is kind of sad because the daughter she quit college for this relationship she basically threw away her whole family and her support system in that way for

[00:03:02] this guy and for this relationship. Dustin Hoffman is really on his own and so really I think the ending moments of the movie is them realizing all right what are we gonna do now we just had this crazy runaway bride moment but now

[00:03:18] we actually have to live and I don't think even the love between them is all that strong or real in my opinion. So I like the ending in that way because it isn't necessarily the happy-go-lucky ending that you may think it is to me it

[00:03:35] feels like oh crap like now we actually have to come back to reality and figure out is this gonna work do we actually feel the way about each other that we think we do or others think we do how are we gonna live I think Dustin Hoffman

[00:03:48] is unemployed at that point so it's pretty in-your-face reality punch that is subtle and I could see because I don't think even I realized that on my first watch I thought oh why do they seem sad it's kind of weird like they

[00:04:03] just got away scot-free but they really aren't so I really like the ending I don't know if that's something that either confuses people or is a misconception and obviously I'm not saying I'm completely right that's just

[00:04:15] my interpretation of it otherwise not an amazing movie it it kept my interest all the times that I've watched it but it never really would be a best of for me or favorite list or one that I would recommend over a lot of others it's

[00:04:34] worth watching in terms of 1960s weird romance films but not amazing a little underwhelming I guess but that ending does really work for me like I said so I would give it a look it is worth watching I think it's one of those

[00:04:48] movies that whether you like it or not you kind of have to watch I guess for an understanding of film history like it's one of those movies that I see on movies to watch before you die and that sort of thing so give it a look it's worth

[00:05:00] watching it's a good movie I just don't think it's as amazing as its reputation makes it out to be so that is a light four out of five