Graduate, The, ranks among the most popular American motion-picture comedies of the 1960’s. The movie was released in 1967 and made a star of actor Dustin Hoffman. The film also cemented the reputation of Mike Nichols as an important film director. Nichols won an Academy Award as best director for The Graduate.
The Graduate is basically a sex comedy. As the film opens, a wealthy and rootless young Californian named Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) has just graduated from college. Benjamin wanders into a sexual affair with Mrs. Robinson, an older married woman. He then falls in love with Elaine, Mrs. Robinson’s engaged daughter. The film gained enormous popularity as a satirical reflection of the morality and lifestyle of California during the 1960’s.
In addition to Hoffman, The Graduate starred Anne Bancroft as Mrs. Robinson and Katharine Ross as Elaine. Supporting performers included William Daniels, Murray Hamilton, and Elizabeth Wilson.
Buck Henry and Calder Willingham were nominated for an Academy Award for their screenplay, adapted from Charles Webb’s novel The Graduate (1966). The motion picture benefited from a popular sound track composed by Paul Simon and sung by Simon and his partner, Art Garfunkel.
See also Hoffman, Dustin ; Nichols, Mike .
