Since I was in high school, my father kept telling me how great The Graduate is. I finally sat down to see it probably four years ago. I watched the first twenty minutes and then had something else to do, never turning it back on. Until now.

Wow, did I make a mistake. I absolutely loved The Graduate; everything about it is classic, from the performances to the soundtrack to the direction.

First of all, Dustin Hoffman absolutely nails the role of the lost, innocent Ben Braddock. Not knowing what to do after graduating college, he falls into the arms of the seductive Mrs. Robinson (played perfectly by the beautiful Anne Bancroft.) While their affairs last for quite some time, it is not until Mrs. Robinson’s daughter Elaine comes into the picture that the story really unravels. Ben is caught between the threats of the mother, the secrets of their relationship, and the feelings he has for Elaine. The way it spirals out of control is where the beauty lies. Always on the edge of hopelessness, Ben ignorantly tries to give his life some meaning and happiness.

But the story is only one part of what makes it such a great picture. Simon and Garfunkel’s soundtrack adds wonders for the film. Their sound is youthful and seems to work best when Ben is somewhere between a rock and a hard place.

But the best part of the film is the direction of Mike Nicols (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) Here, he shows his worthiness of his forty year plus career in the business. The title scene is brilliant: just a curious Hoffman on a moving platform while credits scroll in front of him. But that is just the beginning. Every cut, every transition, every sound clip glides effortlessly into the next. Zooms (including the famous close up of Ben through Mrs. Robinson’s leg) not only help the story advance but do so in a way extremely ahead of its time. The final shot (which I will not ruin) leaves the movie at an accurate and effective end.

The Graduate is amazing; I enjoyed every minute of it in a way I probably would not have appreciated four years ago. I recommend it to everyone due to its timeless tale as well as its great look into the struggles of adjusting to adult hood.

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