Review of The Graduate (1967) by Christopher L — 21 Feb 2017

The Graduate is one of those classic films that puzzles me on why it is a classic. I suppose part of it might be a generational thing, but the plot doesn't really speak to me as someone who was born almost 10 years after it came out.

For one thing Ben Braddock isn't a likable character, and he continually makes horrid decisions. I get frustrated with him instead of empathizing with him. Dustin Hoffman does well at playing the confused and aimless young man, but when he transitions into obsessive stalker mode I can't stand him.

Anne Bancroft is supremely charming as the seductive Mrs. Robinson and she seems to be the only person in the movie with a brain. At every turn she is surrounded by clueless morons, and yet she knows everything that is happening (and often what will happen in the future.

) I almost pity her more than anyone else in the film even though she's supposed to be sort of a villain. There's so much in The Graduate that I struggle identifying with, and not much of the humor is effective for me.

I think I can see the elements that work for others, but the fact that it is a cultural touchpoint seems strange to me. It's a very straightforward plot that doesn't surprise all that much, and I struggle to find a single character I care about through the whole thing.