History Film / TheGraduate

''The Graduate'' is a 1967 romantic {{dramedy}} film directed by Creator/MikeNichols, [[TheFilmOfTheBook adapted from]] Charles Webb's 1963 novel of the same name, and starring Creator/DustinHoffman, Creator/AnneBancroft and Katharine Ross. It's famous for being the first "serious" movie specifically targeted at the baby boomer generation, for prominently featuring Music/SimonAndGarfunkel music (most memorably an early version of the toe-tapper "Mrs. Robinson"), and for [[StarMakingRole skyrocketing Dustin Hoffman to fame]]. It also contains ''many'' extremely memorable and oft-parodied lines (particularly, "Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me") and scenes (such as the climax, which [[TheGraduateHomageShot has its own trope]]).

%% * Getting Crap Past The Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* OverprotectiveDad: Mr. Robinson, when he finds out about Ben's escapades with Mrs. Robinson, turns ballistically hostile towards Ben:
-->'''Mr. Robinson''': All right, now listen to this. I don't know whether I can prosecute, but I think I can. I think I can get you behind bars if you ever ''look'' at my daughter again. Now, I've seen Elaine, and I've made damn sure you can't get to her. Stay away from me, Ben! I don't want to mince words with you. As far as Elaine is concerned, you're to get her out of your filthy mind right now! Is that perfectly clear to you? And that's all, Ben. You'll pardon me if ''I'' don't shake hands with you. I think you are filth. I think you are scum! ''You are a degenerate!''

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

** A TimePassesMontage uses a series of match cuts to demonstrate Mrs. Robinson's and Ben's affair. There's a cut from Ben in a hotel room bed looking at the door to Ben getting up and shutting the door--which is now the door to his room at home. Right after that a shot of Ben leaping out of the pool at his house is matched with Ben leaping on top of Mrs. Robinson.

** The film was the TropeNamer for MrsRobinson. However it isn't portrayed just for fanservice, but also for drama. Mrs. Robinson was forced into a Shotgun Wedding after having a child out of wedlock, and she wants to have affair with Ben out of dissatisfaction with a marriage she didn't want. It also portrays the consequences of a young man having an affair with a married woman: when Ben falls for Elaine, Mrs. Robinson lies and tells Elaine and Mr. Robinson that he took advantage of her. The latter threatens to sue him if he ever comes near his family again, and Elaine wants nothing to do with him until he gets a chance to convince her of the truth.

* {{Tsundere}}: Mrs. Robinson, towards the beginning of the film.

* VaderBreath: Ben, when he is wearing the scuba outfit and the camera sees things from his perspective.

* VirginityMakesYouStupid: To some extent Ben, especially in the beginning.

* JumpScare: Ben comes back to his darkened Berkely apartment, switches on the light... and finds Mr. Robinson sitting there waiting for him, which jolts him from his happy mood and causes him to scream mid-whistle.

* JumpScare: Ben finding Mr. Robinson waiting for him inside his Berkeley apartment jolts him from his happy mood and causes him to scream mid-whistle.

* FlatWhat: Practically Ben's CatchPhrase

* EstablishingCharacterMusic: Benjamin is introduced making his way to home to the strains of Music/SimonAndGarfunkel's "The Sounds of Silence".

Disaffected college graduate Benjamin Braddock (Hoffman), having no idea of what to do with his life and receiving no guidance from his shallow parents or their shallow friends, passes his days drifting aimlessly. He begins a clandestine affair with the wife (Bancroft) of his father's business partner, who is always "MrsRobinson" to him. However, Ben's parents have plans to match him up with Mrs. Robinson's daughter, Elaine (Ross). Both Ben and Mrs. Robinson are against this idea, for different reasons, and Ben has every intention of making Elaine hate him as much as possible... until the two unexpectedly hit it off.

''The Graduate'' is a 1967 romantic {{dramedy}} film directed by Creator/MikeNichols, [[TheFilmOfTheBook adapted from]] Charles Webb's 1963 novel of the same name, and starring Creator/DustinHoffman, Creator/AnneBancroft and Katharine Ross. It's famous for being the first "serious" movie specifically targeted at the baby boomer generation, for prominently featuring Music/SimonAndGarfunkel music (most memorably an early version of the toe-tapper "Mrs. Robinson"), and for [[StarMakingRole skyrocketing Hoffman to fame]]. It also contains ''many'' extremely memorable and oft-parodied lines (particularly, "Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me") and scenes (such as the climax, which [[TheGraduateHomageShot has its own trope]]).

* BrokenBird: Mrs. Robinson is a lonely, depressed, alcoholic housewife. [[DontYouDarePityMe Just try not to pity her with her tragic expression]] when she confesses her own college major was art. She had to give up on her dreams when she got pregnant and married young, and she'd easily be the most sympathetic character in the story if not for the fact she apparently feels that since she had to suffer a ShotgunWedding because of her daughter, then she should [[TheChainOfHarm force her daughter to have one too]].

[[caption-width-right:340:''"[[MrsRobinson Mrs. Robinson,]] you're trying to seduce me, aren't you?"'']]

This classic 1967 {{dramedy}} film, directed by Creator/MikeNichols and [[TheFilmOfTheBook adapted from]] Charles Webb's novel of the same name, is famous for being the first "serious" movie specifically targeted at the Baby Boomer generation, for prominently featuring Music/SimonAndGarfunkel music (most memorably an early version of the toe-tapper "Mrs. Robinson"), and for skyrocketing Creator/DustinHoffman to fame. It also contains ''many'' extremely memorable and oft-parodied lines (particularly, "Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me") and scenes (such as the climax where [[TheGraduateHomageShot Ben rescues Elaine from her wedding]]).

Disaffected college graduate Benjamin Braddock (Hoffman), having no idea of what to do with his life and receiving no guidance from his shallow parents or their shallow friends, passes his days drifting aimlessly. He begins a clandestine affair with the wife (Creator/AnneBancroft) of his father's business partner, who is always "MrsRobinson" to him. However, Ben's parents have plans to match him up with Mrs. Robinson's daughter, Elaine (Katharine Ross). Both Ben and Mrs. Robinson are against this idea, for different reasons, and Ben has every intention of making Elaine hate him as much as possible... until the two unexpectedly hit it off.

!!"Just one word: Tropes.":

* BrokenBird: Mrs. Robinson is a lonely, depressed, alcoholic housewife. [[DontYouDarePityMe Just try not to pity her with her tragic expression]] when she confesses her own college major was art. She had to give up on her dreams when she got pregnant and married young, and she'd easily be the most sympathetic character in the story if not for the fact she apparently feels that since she had to suffer a ShotgunWedding because of her daughter, then she should force her daughter to have one too.

* BrokenBird: Mrs. Robinson is a lonely, depressed, alcoholic housewife. [[DontYouDarePityMe Just try not to pity her with her tragic expression]] when she confesses her own college major was art. She had to give up on her dreams when she got pregnant and married young, and she'd probably be the most sympathetic character in the story if not for the fact she apparently feels that since she had to suffer a ShotgunWedding because of her daughter, then she should force her daughter to have one too.

* BrokenBird: Mrs. Robinson is a lonely, depressed, alcoholic housewife. [[DontYouDarePityMe Just try not to pity her with her tragic expression]] when she confesses her own college major was art. She had to give up on her dreams when she got pregnant and married young, and she'd be the most sympathetic character in the story if not for the fact she apparently feels that since she had to suffer a ShotgunWedding because of her daughter, then she should force her daughter to have one too.

* BrokenBird: Mrs. Robinson is a lonely, depressed, alcoholic housewife. [[DontYouDarePityMe Just try not to pity her with her tragic expression]] when she confesses her major was art. She had to give up on her dreams when she got pregnant and married young, and she'd be the most sympathetic character in the story if not for the fact she apparently feels that since she had to suffer a ShotgunWedding because of her daughter, then she should force her daughter to have one too.

* AmbiguousDisorder: Benjamin has little social ability and little motivation to take part in society, largely due to the overbearing presences of the adults in his life. He was an outstanding student and athlete, and his parents and their friends all adore him. But he has no friends of his own and no idea what he wants to do with his life, preferring floating in his parents' swimming pool to going out into the real world.

The novel has a sequel, ''Home School'', published 40 years after the release of the movie due to copyright issues.

-->-- "Mrs. Robinson", Music/SimonAndGarfunkel

* ShesGotLegs: Mrs. Robinson, rather famously. In the scene from which the famous poster image shown at the top of this page was taken, Ben was actually starting to leave - then Mrs. Robinson decided to put her stockings back on... (Incidentally, those actually aren't Anne Bancroft's legs on the poster. Linda Gray, aka [[Series/{{Dallas}} Sue Ellen Ewing]], was the leg double.)
** Not to mention the initial seduction scene; see BetweenMyLegs, above.

* PlayingGertrude: Anne Bancroft was only thirty-six at the time, just ''nine'' years older than her on-screen daughter -- though she was given make-up to appear older. William Daniels was also just ten years older than his on-screen son.

* NowWhat: At the end of the movie, after Benjamin rescues Elaine from her wedding and they flee on a bus, the camera holds on them for an uncomfortably long time, emphasizing the "now what?" nature of the ending. A play and a (separate) movie attempt to tell what happened right after the end and a generation later, respectively.

-->'''Mrs. Robinson:''' Benjamin, is this your first time?
-->'''Ben:''' Is this - what?
-->'''Mrs. Robinson:''' It is, isn't it? It is your first time.
-->'''Ben:''' That's a laugh, Mrs. Robinson. That's really a laugh. Ha ha.
-->'''Mrs. Robinson:''' You can admit that, can't you?
-->'''Ben:''' Are you kidding?
-->'''Mrs. Robinson:''' It's nothing to be ashamed of -, ''etc.''

-->-- "Mrs. Robinson"

* BikiniBar: Ben's effort to deliberately sabotage the date that he's forced to go on with Elaine has him take her to a strip club. This was 1967 at the point where the nudity taboo in Hollywood was rapidly weakening but hadn't ''quite'' evaporated yet, so the stripper on stage wears bikini briefs and pasties.

* HopeSpot: Ben buys an engagement ring in the hopes that Elaine might marry him, only to enter the apartment and encounter an angry Mr. Robinson, who threatens to prosecute Benjamin if he ever gets close to Elaine.

* AntiHero: Benjamin is fundamentally a ClassicalAntiHero. He sleeps with a married woman, Mrs. Robinson, and then also goes out on a date with her daughter, Elaine, who he then stalks. He's fundamentally a good guy, but he isn't exactly the most selfless guy around, and on his date with Elaine he behaves like a pathetic, self-absorbed dick. Let's say his insecurities often lead him to behave badly.