Coo coo ca-choo, what did he do? *THE GRADUATE* (1967) | first time watching

[@markdodson6453]

Mrs. Robinson is such a sad character. Her dialogue about art school, etc. always deeply moves me. A woman who has watched the possibilities for a fulfilling life just fall away step by step and is now trying to both capture some remnant of who she was while also anesthetizing herself, jealous of own daughter's youth and future. It's really pretty devastating.

[@kelly9876]

love this review Ebert did in 1997: I see Benjamin not as an admirable rebel, but as a self-centered creep whose put-downs of adults are tiresome... Mrs. Robinson is the only person in the movie who is not playing old tapes. She is bored by a drone of a husband, she drinks too much, she seduces Benjamin not out of lust but out of kindness or desperation. Makeup and lighting are used to make Anne Bancroft look older... But there is a scene where she is drenched in a rainstorm; we can see her face clearly and without artifice, and she is a great beauty. She is also sardonic, satirical and articulate--the only person in the movie you would want to have a conversation with.

[@markdodson6453]

@@kelly9876 Ebert absolutely gets it. Even Elaine is kind of a bore. Mrs. Robinson is the one character, who, if you were walking around in that world, you would want to actually get to know. Like, if you really spent time with her, who knows what incredible person would have the chance to re-emerge? I mean, I'm projecting. But Bancroft (and writer Buck Henry) gives you all those layers.

[@nightfall902]

What? It's not a happy movie? I'm not gonna watch it them...I thought it was a catchy tune, hence, a happy film set in the care free hippie days.

[@brucemclennan9715]

I agree with your overview, however, let’s not forget the story: she became pregnant with aspiring law student (hmm), and she was pretty well a narcissist (manipulator, liked the lifestyle, etc). Many actresses turned down the role.

[@brucemclennan9715]

When I first watched this as a young teen, I considered it titillating and edgy (which it was for the time); however, when I rewatched it decades later I found it to be comedic- the hotel scenes with Buck Henry, and with Mrs Robinson at his house and hotel.

[@TTM9691]

This is nothing less than a milestone in the channel. The only way to fully appreciate this movie is to know what came before it.....and that's what this channel has been all about! You are so steeped in golden age film that you are the only reactor who can fully understand how radically different this is, how much of a break it is with the previous 60 years of American movies! If you had watched this at any time earlier, it wouldn't have had the same impact!/ Totally agree about the ending; reality has set in.....and it's a bummer! Welcome to 70s cinema! lol. From here on in, it'll be mostly endings like this for the next ten plus years! Always leaving you with a buzz / Love what you said about the animal print on Anne Bancroft; after you said that, when the mother screams in joy, I realized she was wearing zebra print! And then Elaine screams in a primal, animalistic way. Thanks for that, I never connected the three!/Funny you mention Tarantino in the intro; "Jackie Brown" has two Graduate homages in it, including the opening credits, it's the same exact thing as The Graduate. LOVED THIS REACTION! LOVE THIS CHANNEL!

[@flarrfan]

In this connection, given her many references in previous reactions to the Hays Code and its effects on movies, I hope she eventually watches the film that killed the code once and for all, with one of the greatest film performances ever by Rod Steiger. The film is called The Pawnbroker and IMO tells a Holocaust story just as important as that of Schindler's List.

[@TTM9691]

@an Absolutely, and I'd say Pawnbroker is way better than Schindler's List, I'm not a fan of taht one, I prefer lots of other films on the subject, from The Pawnbroker to The Pianist, from Sophie's Choice to.....The Stranger! I'd rather watch Orson Welles' The Stranger than watch Schindler's List! lol. Plus Pawnbroker is Sidney Lumet! 12 Angry Men and his 70s work seems to eclipse Pawnbroker! But totally Pawnbroker. And Blow Up. I think that was final, final nail for the Hays code. Or maybe that was the first beneficiary. Would love to see a reaction to that one too. Pawnbroker also was the beginning of that quick intercutting that became a real hallmark of late 60s-70s cinema (obviously inspired by Godard), used in everything from Easy Rider to All That Jazz. (The Shining, actually! Maybe Stardust Memories. Can't remember it being used after that. Maybe Star 80?). Anyways, totally pro-Pawnbroker. Steiger is fantastic.

[@throckmorton3705]

6:56 First shot of Mrs. Robinson. She’s watching Ben but not with blind admiration. She’s aloof and detached, calm like a spider … Great scene, great use of cinematography to illustrate Ben’s anxiety.

[@flaggerify]

Bizarre that this, Bonnie and Clyde and In the Heat of Night, all from 1967, have almost no reactions.

[@rodneybarton-hall3867]

Ah! 'In The Heat Of The Night' - one of my absolute all-time-greats!

[@classiclife7204]

No "action", or old action, can't keep the teens interested. And teens drive reactions, except for channels like this and Cinema Cities

[@flaggerify]

@@classiclife7204 Maybe, but there are many reactions of 12 Angry Men and Rear Window. I think their patrons have no imagination or have a very limited repertoire of old movies that they are familiar with.

[@hannejeppesen1809]

Agree about In the Heat of the Night, great actor by Sydney Poitier and Roger Steiger. Just one of the best movies ever.

[@deckofcards87]

Bonnie And Clyde is full of action, drama and suspense that's aged very well. I just don't think enough gen y and gen z audiences get exposed to it. My theory is because at some point critic's and older audiences stopped polling it high on internet lists. So, it's ranked #42 on the American Film Institute's Top 100. Obviously it's still held in high regard, but notice that most of the movie's in AFI's top 10 or 15 are the ones with high ratings in the 7.5 to 8.5 range on IMDb-- and that's where younger people go for movies.

[@josephmayo3253]

So glad to see a new reaction from you. Great movie. Anne Bancroft is also excellent in The Miracle Worker. You should check that out if you haven't seen it yet.

[@rodneybarton-hall3867]

And for something completely different, '84 Charing Cross Road'.

[@lisathuban8969]

I think there's a few reactors out there who are trend setters, and Mia, you are one! Keep breaking out of what everyone else is watching and reacting to! As for the blood test to get married... that was so both parties knew their partner was free from Sexually Transmitted Disease. Yeah, that used to be an absolute requirement to get married.

[@ElliotNesterman]

Here's an interesting bit of trivia. At the time Hoffman tested for _The Graduate_ he had already been cast as Franz Liebkin in Mel Brooks's _The Producers._ As the films were to be shot at the same time he couldn't do both, so he asked Brooks if he'd let him out of his contract if he was cast in _The Graduate._ Now, Mel Brooks was married to Anne Bancroft so he was familiar with the script for _The Graduate._ Because Brooks knew the script he didn't think Hoffman would get the part, so he told him that it would be OK for him to test. This worked out well for Hoffman, Brooks, and the audience, as Hoffman is great in _The Graduate_ and Ken Mars was brilliant in _The Producers._

[@MsBackstager]

As I read, the part of Ben was supposed to be a Robert Redford type. But when Hoffman came into audition, he was so nervous and bumbling, that he got the part making the character nervous and bumbling.

[@clarencewalker3925]

A Gen. Z who loves classic movies. Young lady, I doff my hat. You have an old soul. Don't lose it.

[@adaddinsane]

Arbitrary generation labels mean nothing, and are intentionally divisive. Everyone is different.

[@rustincohle2135]

Gen Z? I think she's a millennial.

[@Happyduderawr]

You may wanna stop listening to people who talk about generational stereotypes.

[@corringhamdepot4434]

When I was at school in the UK in the 1970s, Simon and Garfunkel were huge. They were the reason many kids learnt to play the guitar, and the rest of us would sing a long. Whenever we were on the bus on school trips.

[@angelagoodwin5758]

I've watched this movie several times before. I would have never thought that Doris Day was being considered for the role of Mrs. Robinson. What a departure from her typical roles that would have been! Anne Bancroft killed it. And, who else knew she was married to Mel Brooks?

[@walterpanovs]

Arguably the first film to usher in the modern era of filmmaking, featuring mature subject matter with an ironic twist and energetic filmmaking with a pop music score. Hoffman was a totally fresh and unusual leading man. Not the standard type. Mike Nichols deservedly won the best director Oscar

[@Pamtroy]

Did you recognize the guy saying "I'll call the cops?" Richard Dreyfus. And Mrs Robinson's husband is Murray Hamilton, who played the mayor in Jaws.

[@keithralston1133]

And the landlord was the landlord in the TV series Three's Company

[@jilliank6379]

And the bellhop at 20:56 is Mike Farrell aka BJ Hunnicutt. The girl with the note for Benjamin/Elaine’s roommate is the fabulous Elaine May

[@mark-nm4tc]

Hoffmans father in this is played by William Daniels, who was the voice of KITT in Knight Rider.

[@floorticket]

For Bay Area residents a rather major mistake is evident in the shot of Ben crossing the Bay Bridge towards San Francisco when he's supposed to be driving to Berkeley. The upper deck of the Bay Bridge became all five lanes westbound by 1963; the lower deck heads to Oakland/Berkeley. Not a good shot if he was driving on the lower deck. Also, the short 'Gaviota' tunnel he drives through is northbound only, he's heading south to Santa Barbara.

[@merzbaujr]

i remember reading somewhere that mike nichols said his thoughts of the ending are that nothing meaningful comes from the relationship between ben and elaine and they dont last much longer. a good companion piece. from the same era is, Midnight Cowboy, also with dustin hoffman.

[@fredkrissman6527]

Thanx for this stroll down memory lane Mia! I saw this in the theater upon release, when I as 13 yrs old. It was a tad creepy at the time, but I dug the soundtrack!!! My fav line from this film: "Plastics! There's a great future in plastics..." At the time, us "cool" kids referred to folks not in the counterculture as "plastic" and nowadays we know that the plastic industry, which was in its infancy back then, has wrought huge environmental damage.

[@barbarastrayhorn4667]

The plastics line was in Its A Wonderful Life. Sam Wainwright tried to get George to invest. WW2

[@fredkrissman6527]

Nope,@@barbarastrayhorn4667! They actually have the clip from the Graduate here on YT!

[@fredkrissman6527]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/m37XfZd7ar-kY5o

[@barrywerdell2614]

Mad Magazine wrote a parody of this where Benjamin is crying "mother" at the end. Karhaleen Ross replys "Already crying for your mother" Dustin Hoffman/s charector replys "No I"m crying for your mother"

[@bradsullivan2495]

Dustin Hoffman followed this up with Midnight Cowboy, which agent (or representatives) didn't want him to do, considering the subject matter. Dustin made the right choice.

[@kittykatt7652]

Midnight Cowboy is a must see.

[@Okaydo1]

Mia: You could, if you want, become the first reaction channel to react to Midnight Cowboy, which won the Oscar for Best Picture.

[@kittykatt7652]

@@Okaydo1 Hundreds will watch if you do.

[@fruzsimih7214]

John Schlesinger, director of Midnight Cowboy, didn't want to cast Hoffman as Rizzo because he thought, after seeing The Graduate, that he could only play bumbling 20-year-olds... So Hoffman disguised himself as a beggar and approached Schlesinger on the street. The rest is history.

[@BlueShadow777]

In the US, blood tests for marriage licenses were historically conducted to screen for certain genetic conditions or sexually transmitted infections. However, over the years, many states in the U.S. have eliminated this requirement as medical practices and societal attitudes changed. The specifics varied by state, but by the late 20th century, most states had abandoned mandatory premarital blood testing and are now no longer mandatory.

[@sparky6086]

I think, that the main rational, was that if the female was O- neg, that she'd likely miscarry, if she got pregnant by anyone with a positive rh factor. I don't know, if it made it illegal to get married, but the states thought, that the couple should know before getting married. It no longer applies, because there are now medications the female can take during pregnancy, which prevent miscarrying for this reason.

[@geraldmcboingboing7401]

@6086 When I was little my parents were friends with another couple, who I found out later, had gotten married even though their blood test showed that they shouldn't have. She wound up having several miscarriages, but did eventually manage to have three children after each one had a total blood transfusion. I could have misunderstood, because I wasn't much older when I was told, but that is how I remember it from what my mother told me.

[@jeffmartin1026]

This film along with Easy Rider, Bonnie and Clyde, and Midnight Cowboy really blew the doors off of "old Hollywood". It was a film that was directed at the realities of the world from a younger point of view. 1967 was the beginning of the Baby Boomers graduating from college and facing the big "what's next" in life in the midst of the social upheaval of the times. Ben sees how "plastic" the lives of his parents (and their friends) really are. He questions if that is who he wants to become. Do they stay together? No, the lesson has been learned. The adult consequences of their adolescent decision is quite clear to them.

[@jfilesgraphics]

The angry landlord in the apartment building where Elaine screamed was played by Norman Fell (Mr Roper from Three's Company)

[@garylee3685]

And the student who said he would get the cops was Richard Dreyfuss.

[@MoviesWithMia]

I knew he seemed familiar

[@CarlosMoreno-jt3vm]

Co-Screen Writer for this film Buck Henry once said, "The story of a young man who falls in love with the daughter of a woman with whom he's having an affair is so powerful - you could give it to nine different writers and they might come up with nine possibly interesting versions!"

[@rogerd777]

Buck Henry had a bit part in the film as the desk clerk in the hotel.

[@BigGator5]

"Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me!" "(laughs) Huh?" "Aren't you?" Fun Fact: Theatrical movie debut of Mike Farrell. Automobile Enthusiast Fact: The red Italian sports car Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) drives is a 1966 Alfa Romeo Spider 1600, also known as the Duetto. That's Hot Fact: Anne Bancroft initially thought she had the nerve to do a nude scene but then refused to do it, which forced the filmmakers to bring in a body double. Location Location Fact: Many of the exterior campus scenes were shot at the University of Southern California, which served as a stand-in for UC Berkeley. However, some scenes were actually filmed on the Northern California campus and in the town of Berkeley. Music Enthusiast Fact: Paul Simon wrote two songs for the film that director Mike Nichols rejected. The song Mrs. Robinson (1968) was not written for the movie. It was a song Simon was then writing (originally called "Mrs. Roosevelt", and about Eleanor Roosevelt) and Nichols decided to include it. Simon and Art Garfunkel only sing the chorus, but none of the verses of the later hit song. Additionally, the chorus portion sung contains some lyrics not featured in the more popular "final" version of the song. Casting Notes Fact: When Dustin Hoffman showed up at producer Joseph E. Levine's office for a casting interview, Levine mistook him for a window cleaner. So Hoffman, in character, cleaned a window. Although Mrs. Robinson is supposed to be much older than Benjamin, Anne Bancroft and Dustin Hoffman were just under six years apart in age. He looked naturally boyish, and she, a longtime smoker and drinker, looked older than her age. Bancroft was only eight years older than her "daughter" Katharine Ross. William Daniels only ten years older than his "son" Hoffman. What Script Fact: During rehearsals of Dustin Hoffman's and Anne Bancroft's first encounter in the hotel room, Bancroft did not know that Hoffman was going to grab her breast. Hoffman decided to do it because it reminded him of schoolboys trying to nonchalantly grab girls' breasts in the hall by pretending to put their jackets on. When Hoffman did it, director Mike Nichols began laughing loudly. Hoffman began to laugh as well, so rather than stop the scene, he turned away and walked to the wall. Hoffman banged his head on the wall, trying to stop laughing, and Nichols thought it was so funny, it stayed in the finished film.

[@creative2716]

Do you always have to PROVE how much you know by shoving it down others throats? Not a good trait...

[@DEWwords]

You have to watch The Miracle Worker. A must. Anne Bancroft is over the moon good. The whole thing is.

[@DEWwords]

You used to get a blood test to check for STDs before marriage.

[@markdodson6453]

Bancroft and Duke in The Miracle Worker are just beyond comprehension. Truly, a must.

[@ifeelpretty5790]

@@markdodson6453 Both won Oscars for their performances! They also originated their roles in the Broadway play before the movie.

[@jilliank6379]

One of the bellhops at 20:56 is Mike Farrell, best known as BJ Hunnicutt from Mash, and Elaine’s roommate (the girl with the note for Benjamin) is the fabulous Elaine May, who was Mike Nichols’ longterm collaborator

[@coxmosia1]

This movie was such a precusor of what was to come in America in general. The moral, ethics and understanding of questioning authority and doing "your own thing." I always thought that Mrs. Robinson was jealous and angry with her daughter. Jealous, because she got to have freedom and real love with a man of her choosing. Angry at her for same the reasons, plus, taking her boy toy away. I haven't watched it in a long time and would definitely see some things I didn't catch the first few times watching. Thanks for watching this classic and sharing your thoughts with us. Keep going.

[@rustincohle2135]

Hi, Mia! This post is a little long but this is my analysis of the film. I wrote this up when I was in my 20s back in 2015 after my second viewing of "The Graduate". Someone online needed help understanding the themes of this film and the novel, I think he was writing a college term paper for a film class or something. So, I basically wrote his paper for him. But it's gotten an enthusiastic response everywhere I posted it (IMDb, Facebook film groups and other film forums etc.). It's a little long but it's a fascinating read. This is a copy-and-paste job from where I originally posted this. PART 1 of 2: "I apologize for the length of my post, but you need to know the history and to understand the context of the times to grasp the themes of the novel and the film. Youthful alienation, the disconnect between the kids and their parents caused by a disillusionment with the traditional and materialistic values of conventional, suburban American life pushed onto them by the traditional, materialistic, status-seeking, "status quo preserving" older generation (hence the "generation gap"). The older generation (referred to as the "greatest generation") had grown up during particularly tough and impoverished times-- the Great Depression of the 1920s/30s which was ended by World War II, in which many of that older generation had served. Note: the success of many businesses that were involved in the war effort at home was a major factor that led to the economic boom that ended the Depression and helped to establish the United States as the economic, corporate-driven superpower in the 1950s and onward. The mass return of all the servicemen from the War (who came home to start families) led to the Baby Boom of the 1940s and 50s-- the Baby Boom coupled with the economic boom naturally led to the housing boom and the creation of modern suburban living. The youth portrayed in the film are the "Baby Boomers", they were the first generation to be raised en masse in modern suburbia and hence the first generation to discover just how vacuous, empty and unfulfilling suburban lifestyle really is. The older generation really felt an idealized sense of purpose in their youth (fighting the Nazis, surviving the Depression), they grew up impoverished and wanted to make sure their children did not-- hence why they adopted and cultivated such materialistic values. But as an unforeseen result, their children who were very educated (in many cases the first generation to attend college) and were raised in excess with little struggle (a period of economic prosperity, suburban life) felt an emptiness with this excess and their parents' materialistic values, and also with the traditional family values pushed onto them. They viewed their parents' corporate, materialistic and traditionally social ideals as shallow and fake like plastic. Plastic is a representation of everything that is fake in society-- examples plastic toy guns are not real, plastic surgery is not natural. Hence, the famous "plastics" line, Mr. Braddock's friend tried to push the plastic industry onto Benjamin-- it's a metaphor of the older generation passing their empty, fake (or plastic) values onto the younger generation. I know I beat this metaphor to death but I made my point. Another metaphor: the youth felt as if they were being corrupted by the older generation with the pushing of these phony (or plastic) values, just as Benjamin was corrupted by Mrs. Robinson, a member of the older generation. And Elaine too was being corrupted by her parents when they pushed her into marriage (a major tenet of the older generation's traditional values). Another metaphor I just discovered while re-watching it tonight: Benjamin wants to have a conversation with Mrs. Robinson which they apparently never do during their affairs (15:39). The lack of communication represents the communication issues of the generation gap. They can't relate to each other. Benjamin tries to discuss art with Mrs. Robinson as they lay in bed. She stated she didn't want to discuss art with a regretful look on her face. Mrs. Robinson had studied art in college and didn't pursue it afterwards, since she was impregnated by her husband (16:44). Her dreams and passions went unfulfilled as she too was forced into the conventional lifestyle of traditional motherhood and housekeeping, just as the overwhelming majority of all women at that time were. This emptiness in her life led to her alcoholism. Also, it's noted that Elaine was conceived in a Ford. The pregnancy occurred in a car, a symbol of the 1950s materialistic excess and values. Her dreams of pursuing art are crushed by the same traditional values (represented by the pregnancy which leads to traditional marriage and conventional life of motherhood and housekeeping) and materialistic values (represented by the car where the impregnation took place) that trouble the younger generation. She sleeps with Benjamin (a member of the younger generation) as a means to reclaim her lost youth. Also, notice that every adult in the movie doesn't have a first name. Every adult is referred to as "Mr." This or "Mrs." That. The formality reinforces the separation (or gap) between the two generations. Also, the War, the motivation to escape the poverty of the Depression and to provide for their kids really laid out a "plan", a structure, a direction for the lives of the older generation. The younger generation having grown up in excess felt directionless like they were drifting aimlessly through life (as Benjamin was drifting aimlessly in the pool [from @14:01]-- another metaphor). Also, a scuba suit and mask isolates the wearer from the surrounding environment (i.e. the water). Benjamin wearing the scuba suit and mask is another metaphor of isolation in his current environment and how alienated he feels amongst the older generation. While wearing the mask, remember that Benjamin couldn't hear the dialogue from his parents. Communication issues as a result of the generation gap. Continued in PART 2 (of 2). PART 2 is in the reply to this comment.

[@rustincohle2135]

PART 2 of 2: *Other symbolism/metaphors:* -Benjamin's car (the Alfa Romeo) near the end of the film has noticeable wear and paint chipping. That represents his generation's indifference to glamour and materialism. -Mr. and Mrs. Robinson sleep in separate bedrooms. Mr. Robinson is a representation of the materialistic and traditional values that squashed Mrs. Robinson's passions and dreams. Sleeping in a separate bedroom is her way distancing herself from her husband and those values. -The cross used to lock the church doors (28:33). The wedding party is trapped inside the church as Ben and Elaine run free. They are "free spirits" while the wedding party is philosophically "trapped" in their mindsets by their traditional values and upbringing (represented by the religious cross). The wedding guests are both physically and philosophically "trapped" by the cross. -Even the animals in the film is symbolic. The fish and the aquarium itself in Benjamin's room represents alienation. As do the monkeys and their cages at the zoo (24:11). The chimps and gorillas are "isolated" from each other. The younger looking chimps are in cages, whereas the older looking gorillas roam around in larger enclosures. -Carl Smith, Elaine's fiancée. Elaine is being pushed into marriage, a traditional wedding. Carl Smith has been indoctrinated by and embraces his parents' traditional values. His last name is even Smith, a very old, traditional English name. -I believe even the specific types of alcohol beverages is symbolic as well. Mr. Robinson always prefer scotch, but Benjamin prefers Bourbon. Scotch originates and is traditionally made in Scotland. When you think Scotland, you think kilts, bagpipes, Church of Scotland. A representation of a very old, traditional WASP-y older generation. Whereas bourbon originates from and is traditionally made in the Southern United States. The Southerners were the rebels (and were referred to as such) in the American Civil War. Preferring bourbon, Benjamin and his generation are "rebelling" against traditional values of the older generation. Also note that Benjamin's request for bourbon never seems to get through to Mr. Robinson as he keeps offering scotch. Again, communication issues due to the generation gap. -Even the sunglasses, I believe is symbolic. Benjamin and his parents converse while wearing sunglasses when they are poolside [from 14:47 to 14:52]. They never see eye-to-eye both literally (due to their sunglasses) and figuratively (due to the generation gap). Also, at the beginning of the movie, where Benjamin is on the movable walkway at the airport. The walkway he is on is moving forward but he himself is standing still. It's another visual metaphor. Life is moving forward but Benjamin is not. He (and the rest of his generation) felt a lack of drive and momentum because he doesn't know where to go or what to do with his life. And lastly, the ending. Even though Elaine and Benjamin escape the wedding when they board the bus, it is not a happy ending. They are initially overjoyed and ecstatic as they first sit down on the bus (28:47) but then their facial expressions gradually become melancholy as they again are overcome with feelings of confusion and disillusionment (29:01). They were happy when they escaped the shackles and conventions of married life at first but they still have no idea what to do with their lives, no direction hence the look of gloom and uncertainty in their facial expressions. They are more in love with the idea of eloping rather than actually eloping. Elaine and Benjamin are sitting still on a bus that is physically moving forward-- yes this is another metaphor. The bus represents life. Life is moving forward but Elaine and Benjamin are not, represented by them sitting still in their seats. I've never realized up until now just how literary this script really is. It's a masterpiece." This film was one of the highest grossing films of all time when it came out. Because EVERYBODY understood the metaphors back in the day, cuz they were living this reality. The message is definitely a little lost 56 years later outside the context of the 1960s counterculture, but the message is still universal.

[@kcirtapelyk6060]

I think Mrs Robinson was determined to not have Elaine repeat the same mistakes she made in her youth and went overboard in the end.

[@12classics39]

But the thing is, she was literally forcing Elaine to repeat her own mistakes by marrying her off to a man she didn’t love. If it weren’t for Ben’s disruption, Elaine would’ve ended up just like her mother, trapped in a loveless marriage, turning to alcohol and adultery for consolation. Ben wanted to save Elaine from that fate, and he did.

[@jamesharper3933]

Great reaction. I was beginning to have Mia withdrawals 🤣. If you like movies from this time period, I highly recommend the criminally overlooked 1968 movie Petulia with George C Scott. I really think you'd love it. Thanks for all your hard work 😊

[@waterspout8]

I would love for someone to react to Petulia. Haunting film.

[@rogerd777]

You were wondering about blood tests. It used to be a standard requirement for a marriage license. When my wife and I got married in 1987 we both had to do that. She worked for the county heath dept at the time, so she just got it done at work. It was so the you would be notified if your potential spouse had an STI/VD before you consummated the marriage, despite the fact that most couple "did it" before the wedding. I think they eliminated that a few years after our wedding.

[@martyemmons3100]

It's so much fun to watch your reactions to "The Graduate", Mia. It's quite a delicious observation of how much you liked watching the movie and your disgust of the boyfriend, girlfriend and the girlfriend's mom love triangle. It's so hilarious. I only wished you had some popcorn to enjoy while watching the uncomfortable situations arising from the realization that her boyfriend is 'doing' her mother. I especially enjoyed watching the Bloopers & Outtakes. It's nice to see that you can laugh at the mistakes. Not showing frustration is so cool, Mia.

[@mckenna8663]

I always interpreted the ending as neither Benjamin nor Elaine is in love with each other, nor even infatuated with each other. Their getting together and running away together was an immature "screw you" at their parents and a life that told them they had to conform and act to a certain, cookie-cutter, acceptable, expected way. But once the adrenaline rush of "yeah, we sure showed THEM!" (the two of them acting out a scene from a movie where star-crossed lovers disrupt the plans... and Erroll Flynn flies in on a rope and steals back the kidnapped maiden) it starts to set in that they are stuck. They have both cut off all the close support systems that have lifted their lives up to this point (there's no way of unringing that bell), and they are also left with only one person in this new world/reality; a person that they really didn't care or know that much about it the first place. A piece of forbidden but unsatisfying fruit. A prop that now must be dealt with.

[@fruzsimih7214]

Yeah, I think the final shot of them sitting in the bus is the best scene in the whole movie!

[@carlbaker7242]

Missing you. Thanks for doing this one. I never set back and took time to watch this but the music and concept always took my interest.

[@d.k.6361]

I saw this film several times when it first came out in movie theaters (yes, I'm old!). My best friend loved this movie, and we had to go to every showing - even the double features of it! Thanks for the memories, Mia.

[@deckofcards87]

Ann Bancroft is like a snake in this. Predatory, calm and manipulative. The serpent in the garden. Bonnie And Clyde is a great film from '67. Not sure if you've seen it yet. Federico Fellini's 8 1/2 is another one from the 60s that's an era defining film.

[@joecantrell8516]

Ms. Tiffany you are showing such eclectic taste in your choices for movie review . Keep it up ...

[@richelliott9320]

I saw this in my college movie class i was 20 at the time so it kind of hit me. Way back in 1981

[@batmanforpresident9655]

"Mrs, Robinson, you're trying to seduce me, aren't you?"." Classic movie line .....grrat movie and soundtrack.

[@flarrfan]

I wonder if she even heard the "aren't you?" She talked right over it...

[@MsBackstager]

I saw Anne B. right before 911 as I was watching her hubby's show in NYC 's THE PRODUCER. As I came out of the bathroom stall, she was standing serenely waiting for me to come out. I got flustered and gushed to her YOU KNOW, YOUR HUSBAND'S A GENIUS. She smiled sweetly and nodded repeatedly. She looked so plainly stunning and down to Earth.

[@lesgrice4419]

There's a key moment at the end in the church when Mrs. Robinson slaps her daughter and says 'It's too late' and the daughter says 'Not for me' as if the mother is spitting out years of regret for her life and tries to stop her daughter out of yes, jealousy, but perhaps meaning its too late to stop the marriage too but Elaine hits back with its not too late for my life.....a film of genius about the division of parents and children in the Industrial world where the best offer Benjamin gets is the man who offers him career advice...Plastics....

[@rabrab3]

One of my all time favorite movies. I agree with your complete assessment of the film. Having seen this movie several times, you have made me want to visit it again. You are great at what you do. Keep up the great work!!

[@LuvTadnDixie]

So happy someone finally reacted to his movie!!

[@michaelceraso1977]

wow you are the 1st one ive seen to do this review, My senior HS was taken to the auditorium to see a Print ( I assume it was 16 mm back then) in mid 70's and man we were so shocked at the plot and events. As someone said below Hoffman had to test and they even asked R Redford who had a few hits on his resume ( 1 being Barefoot in the park with J fonda) and he famously said " who would think of me as a shy college kid with my face" lol , and wasnt really considered

[@tubularap]

Great reaction. I always loved this movie, from when I saw it in the cinema, back when it was released. Keep these classics coming.

[@jamesodonnell3636]

Great reaction -- my first encounter with your channel (liked and subscribed)! I very much like that you watch older movies and put so much into your reactions (researching the film's history, etc.). Also, philologist that I am, I will point out that the word you were searching for is PARAMOUR. You liked the scene where Mr. Robinson confronts his wife's illicit lover/PARAMOUR. Since you busted out "dichotomy," I figured you wouldn't mind acquiring a good vocab-builder like PARAMOUR (some people think the word means you have not one but two *mours*, but those people are mistaken).

[@sparky6086]

Anne Bancroft, Mrs Robinson, was Mel Brooks' wife. They had a long & happy marriage, until Anne's death.

[@MoviesWithMia]

Oh wow! That’s wild! I had no idea!

[@alwasser1650]

And the interesting thing is that Hoffman was going to play the Gene Wilder part in The Producers when he got a call to read for The Graduate. Mel talks about that in his recent autobiography.

[@davidryan1295]

Richard Dreyfuss at 25:16.

[@abeautifullittlefool1758]

I am so glad this film has made it to this channel 🙌🙌 literally my favourite movie since grade 8

[@allies5725]

Hey Mia, I’m glad you liked the movie. The actress Glynis Johns recently passed away. If you haven’t seen her in The Court Jester (1955) with Danny Kay & Angela Lansbury that would be a fun one to review.

[@MoviesWithMia]

Hi and thank you so much for watching! Yes I heard of Glynis Johns’ passing, it was a great loss, she was just a fantastic actress! I have seen the Court Jester and it was hilarious! I think it would be a great second watch for the channel, thank you so much for recommending!

[@allies5725]

@@MoviesWithMia you’re welcome. Yeah she did a good job in that one. It would be a fun rewatch but I understand if you’ve already seen it you might want to watch something new. Thanks for responding to me comment.

[@RanBlakePiano]

@@MoviesWithMiacabinet if caligary

[@luckyskittles8976]

Yes ! do check out "The Miracle Worker" 1962 with Anne Bancroft & Patty Duke , the bio film of Helen Keller.

[@mildredpierce4506]

Katherine Ross was in the original Stepford wives

[@jilmarychastainclowers6712]

This movie is one of my favorites.

[@williamblakehall5566]

Thank you for this. That bedroom conversation is insanely efficient, so many big twists in mere minutes. When the landlord first knocks at the door, the guy who blurts out "I'll call the cops" is a very young Richard Dreyfuss. Dustin Hoffman was struggling before this came out and did a Volkswagen TV commercial, so when this became a hit, Volkswagen dredged that commercial back up. My main qualm with this movie is that Elaine feels like simply a rather handy character to serve the story, I wish I had a better sense of her. This came out in a time of so much upheaval -- the civil rights struggle, the escalation in Vietnam, the drug culture, assassinations -- that younger Americans adopted this as a kind of statement of rebellion against the older generation, so the context of the movie is at least as important as the movie itself. If you ever get around to Wayne's World 2, there's a nice little homage to this there.

[@sparky6086]

Supposidly, Hoffman's dad was the exclusive American distributor for Alfa Romeos, & that's why Dustin Hoffman drives an Alfa Romeo Spyder. The success of "The Graduate", made Alfa Romeo Spyder sales take off, so much that Alfa Romeo named a version of the Spyder, "Graduate". Some may have thought, that somehow Hoffman's dad may have had something to do with him getting the part? I don't know? Maybe his dad was also a VW distributor & got him the VW advertisement too? ...In any case, I couldn't imagine anyone else but Dustin Hoffman playing Benjamin Braddock.

[@chefskiss6179]

The phenomenal Anne Bancroft, you'd think she wasn't even acting(!), she makes it look so effortless. She is in some of my favourite flicks... The Elephant Man, 84 Charring Cross (a must see, with Anthony Hopkins), Great Expectations, Point of No Return.

[@ifeelpretty5790]

I love her in The Miracle Worker and The Turning Point!

[@FrancisXLord]

The prolonged shot of them sitting staring on the bus at the end was the result of the director failing to shout cut. The resulting spontaneous awkwardness of the two comes through and, by my interpretation, would imply that reality is setting in - my interpretation was the same as yours. However, I believe it was intended to be interpreted. Like the photo of Jack Torrance at the end of The Shining.

[@trueblueedits4673]

This was such a fun reaction and video (I'm not even finished yet and I'm already thoroughly entertained lol). I would love to see you react to some older precode films like Sign of the Cross (1932) or Cleopatra (1934) both directed by Cecil DeMille.

[@glennwisniewski9536]

Hey Mia, Don't Bother to Knock is a good one. Really interesting. You get a different side of Marilyn. And Richard Widmark is always terrific.

[@gugurupurasudaikirai7620]

I had to watch this back in high school. While very tame now this came out a year before the Hays code ended so it actually had some shock value at the time even though only five years later you would have truly shocking movies like Pink Flamingos.

[@bobmessier5215]

Anne Bancroft (Mrs. Robinson) has been married to Mel Brooks for more than 50 years. She was also excellent as the Victorian era actress that shows compassion, kindness, respect and humanity to "The Elephant Man", which is based on a true story and starred John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins.

[@crose7412]

6:56 I'm not sure I'd noticed Elaine's mother before just sitting there like an extra.

[@Lethgar_Smith]

and watching Ben intently

[@12classics39]

@@Lethgar_Smithlike a predator setting her sights on her prey

[@jeffbassin630]

Glad that you enjoyed "The Graduate." This is truly one of the most extraordinary films EVER! Mike Nichols directed an ensemble of talented actors. Don't you think?

[@violamateo-on8pc]

Many of us who are now in our 70s feel that this film was influential in our generation's view of the future which was in store for us.

[@amylynn3821]

The acting in this really drives the picture. Both Hoffman and Bancroft were excellent. Interestingly, the final shot was not planned. Apparently, it had been a tough shooting day and Nichols had yelled at the actors and after they got the shot he kept the camera running and their actual reactions ended up making for a better ending because to be honest, where do they actually go from here? Also if you do see this, I would love you to react to Witness For the Prosecution. I think you would love it. Also anything Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy like Adam’s Rib. Finally, I make a plea for Ninotchka. Nobody ever reacts to Garbo.and she is so fantastic.

[@dariamorgendorffer7813]

This is such a timeless movie. I’m not the age of the main character, but this feeling of being lost still haunts me! The way that everyone around you pushes you to get into the milestones of adulthood when you are not ready! And realizing that no one is happy even after getting the job, the house, the marriage, etc! Heartbreaking!

[@beamanact]

This is so great. Such a fan. Mia--you look beautiful!

[@MoviesWithMia]

Thank you so much!

[@mikeduplessis8069]

I watched a recent Korean TV series where they recreated the bride in the back of the bus scene, and another Korean series where a character had a poster of that final scene on their wall. 57 years on this is still a touchstone for cinephiles.

[@MoviesWithMia]

What Kdrama was it? I am a HUGE fan of Korean Soaps, so I wonder if I have seen it, if not I may have to!

[@MsBackstager]

I always loved he music of SIMON AND GARFUNKEL and still do.

[@12classics39]

I love how throughout the film, Ben feels silenced, as the song indicates, then at the end, he finally makes himself heard at Elaine’s wedding. Even though the song returns at the end, we know, as you say, that there is hope for him, and for Elaine. We can never truly escape uncertainty in life; it’s pretty much the one constant. But now they know how to fight for whatever they may grow to want/love in the future.

[@emilsitka9537]

Bit parts for Richard Dreyfuss, Buck Henry, Mike Farrell, Tommy Lee Jones and Marion Lorne (Aunt Clara from Bewitched)

[@luminiferous1960]

You left out the landlord played by Norman Fell who played Mr. Roper, the landlord in Three's Company.

[@emilsitka9537]

@@luminiferous1960 Norman Fell was an established actor by that point. He was in Ocean's Eleven.

[@luminiferous1960]

@@emilsitka9537 Marion Lorne was also an established actor by that point, but she made your list. She made her feature-film debut in her late 60s in Strangers on a Train (1951), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. She played Aunt Clara in the movie musical The Girl Rush (1955) starring Rosalind Russell. Marion Lorne was nominated 5 times for the best supporting actress Emmy award from 1954 to 1968, (for the series Mr. Peepers (twice), Sally (once) and Bewitched (twice)) winning once, posthumously in 1968 for her portrayal of Aunt Clara on Bewitched.

[@emilsitka9537]

@@luminiferous1960 Alice Ghostly appears with Marion Lorne.

[@TerryNationB7]

I wonder if Mia has seen The Swimmer (1968) with Burt Lancaster? A couple of moments in The Graduate reminded me of it and it's a movie that I'd be interested in seeing her thoughts on.

[@kelly9876]

I saw that movie a few years ago on TCM and was completely blow away by it - definitely agree that it would be an amazing reaction

[@TerryNationB7]

@@kelly9876 It's one of those movies that sticks in your mind. I first watched it many years ago and it's never quite left me.

[@sparky6086]

Supposidly, Hoffman's dad was the exclusive American distributor for Alfa Romeos, & that's why Dustin Hoffman drives an Alfa Romeo Spyder. The success of "The Graduate", made Alfa Romeo Spyder sales take off so much, that Alfa Romeo named a version of the Spyder, "Graduate".

[@SueProv]

Wow. Welcome back

[@arturocostantino623]

Anne Bancroft was close to the same age as Hoffman as Katherine Ross

[@markgarrett2968]

3 musketeers 1948 version gene kelly trust me if you like older movies you wont be disappointed its the greatest version of the novel in my opinion would love to see you react to that movie. your old school and im the same you wont regret that movie.

[@willbathgate248]

Hey i enjoy your reactions i was wandering if youd cover more films from the 70s or 80s but i like that you covered the classics because not many do i love kitchen sink dramas like saturday night sunday morning and this sporting life.

[@n2mv]

Mia, you have Great Insight in your Reactions....Great Channel! ... You have a Gift...

[@altaclipper]

I saw this as a kid. My sisters and I laughed at Dustin Hoffman's character, but Anne Bancroft was amazing.

[@sparky6086]

I think, that the main rational behind the blood test requirement for marriage back then, was that if the female was O-neg, that she'd likely miscarry, if she got pregnant by anyone with a positive rh factor. I don't know, if it made it illegal to get married, but the states thought, that the couple should know before getting married. It no longer applies, because there are now medications the female can take during pregnancy, which prevent miscarrying for this reason.

[@MoviesWithMia]

So fascinating!!

[@amylynn3821]

Actually, this is wrong. It’s a syphilis test. Syphilis can be latent for years so it was a way to pick up and treat syphilis. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premarital_medical_examination

[@dorothywillis1]

One of the reasons I watch your videos is to take a quick look at movies I have never seen but am curious about. By all the rules I should have seen this. I had been married a year when it came out. I didn't go to see it because from what I had heard it was about some very stupid people. This has now been confirmed. Technically it's wonderful, but I simply can't care about the people. Thanks for giving me this taste of the whole!

[@DenCon143]

States used to require couples to get a blood test prior to marriage.

[@Fast_Eddy_Magic]

0:02 I thought you were naked for a second! 😈 Don't scare us like that!! 😂

[@MoviesWithMia]

lol 😂 wouldn’t that get people watching 😂😂

[@gmunden1]

You mentioned actor Robert Redford during your introduction. Robert Redford starred in a romcom, "Barefoot in the Park," starring Jane Fonda. The film was originally a Broadway play.

[@ednafenton7558]

Have you watched Anne Bancroft & Patty Duke in "The Miracle Worker" yet? It's another great movie. Also, I would like to know if you are ever going to watch another Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers movie again?

[@Jeff_Lichtman]

Paul Simon was working on a song called "Mrs. Roosevelt" when Mike Nichols approached him about doing the music for "The Graduate." Simon ended up re-writing the lyrics to make it about Mrs. Robinson. It still wasn't a complete song when they used it in the movie. Simon finished the song later, with a set of lyrics that don't really match the Mrs. Robinson in the film. Ben Braddock's trip to Berkeley across the Bay Bridge is considered funny in the Bay Area, where I live. He was going the wrong way. The upper deck of the Bay Bridge led to San Francisco. If he were going to Berkeley, he'd have been on the lower deck, traveling in the opposite direction. But they wouldn't have been able to get a good shot of the car, so they filmed it on the upper deck. The eastern span of the Bay Bridge has been rebuilt since the movie was made, eliminating the double-decker structure. Blood tests for STDs used to be required in order to get a marriage license. I don't know when this requirement was dropped.

[@k.c.8658]

Mrs Robinson is one of the great female characters in movie history.

[@rhwinner]

Another really great older Hoffman flick is the classic, deeply moving _Midnight Cowboy._

[@richelliott9320]

The ending is like them saying what the hell dud we do and not what do we do?

[@richelliott9320]

Damn typos lol

[@franciscogarza2304]

Hello Mia! I have some recommendations for Marlon Brando movies, here's my list. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) Julius Caesar (1953) The Wild One (1953) On the Waterfront (1954) Guys and Dolls (1955) And Sayonara (1957)

[@catherinelw9365]

Missing The Godfather.

[@Ned_of_the_Hill]

Great review! I love the movie poster background.

[@MoviesWithMia]

Thank you so much!

[@cwdkidman2266]

Dustin Hoffman rewrote the book on leading men in Hollywood! After The Graduate, nothing was the same. And after a bunch of other films around this time!!

[@hannejeppesen1809]

She is calm because she is cold, she also have an evil streak.

[@corringhamdepot4434]

I recently re-watched Anne Bancroft, Anthony Hopkins and Judi Dench in the 1987 movie "84 Charring Cross Road. Which is one of my favourite low key British films.

[@fast_richard]

I've been watching several of your videos lately and have some suggestions. For crime/film noir you need to see "Double Indemnity". Also after watching a couple of your western reactions I recommend John Wayne films "Red River" and "The Searchers". And don't miss Woody Strode's best film "Sgt. Rutledge".

[@TheNeonRabbit]

Anne Bancroft (Mrs. Robinson) was only 6 years older than Dustin Hoffman

[@joeanimalskull4243]

Katharine Ross was sooo beautiful!

[@stevencheatham5041]

You asked about the blood tests, until the 1970’s you needed a blood test to get married. It had something to do with being healthy, no STD’s, having different blood types.

[@seanspalding9296]

You seemed puzzled by the scuba scene. Ben's parents were set on showing him off, and in particular their expensive gift for him. He was obviously embarrassed and didn't want to be seen in it. They then insisted he get in the pool to show it at work, and when he tried to come out of the pool, they pushed him back under. So the scene ends with him just waiting it out at the bottom of the pool. So the scene is kind of funny but sad at the same time. Apparently that event was a factor in him deciding to call and meet up with Mrs Robinson in the next scene.

[@12classics39]

It’s a sad reflection of the post-war era, as Americans who had lived through the war were taking advantage of their new suburban prosperity, to the point where they showered their baby-boom children with expensive gifts nonstop, and used their children’s accomplishments to heighten their own place in society. This left the baby-boom generation feeling unloved, for they knew that material items were not a replacement for the actual love and connection with a parent that they never had, as a result of the widely different perspectives on life between the two generations.

[@ead630]

1967 with movies like this and Bonnie & Clyde was sort of the beginning of the middle/early-modern era of movies. Movies before and after this time (plus or minus a few years) are wildly different

[@Temeraire101]

Recommendation-The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. 🙂

[@flaggerify]

Yes. Just saw this again recently.

[@dionysiacosmos]

Ben and Elaine have known each other all their lives. Just haven't seen each other much through their teens. Many states require blood tests before marriage to check RH blood factors. So couples are forewarned that it could be a death sentence for their kids unless it's managed.

[@MrGadfly772]

The 1960s and 1970s was a real golden age for writing and moviemaking.