Rating: 
Summary: Good but not AFI top 100 material
Review: I just saw this movie for the first time at 35 years old. I found it very entertaining. Dustin Hoffmans performance as the ultra naive graduate was great and Ann Bancroft was seductive indeed. The movie is funny and slick. It is also suspenseful waiting for the consequences to unfold of the relationship that many young men have fantasized about. In my book however, there are many movies that I would rank ahead of it that did not make the AFI 100. Maybe if I would have seen it 20 years ago, it would be higher on my list.
Rating: 
Summary: Like the book on which it's based - It's a Classic
Review: I have owned this film on video for about eleven years. I'm finally purchasing the DVD version. I first saw it as a kid during a 1972 re-release and was stunned by the story, acting and directing. Then I read the book and realized the entire story was already there. Mike Nichols hardly had to change anything. But what a great job he did with casting, camera, music and even the supporting players whom will be familiar to most TV viewers. I don't think I've met anyone who did not love it.
Rating:
Summary: A film that has lasted the tests of time
Review: How many films have you heard of, made in the 60's, that are still watched time in and time out by 16-30 year olds. Not many. This has removed the shackles of time that restrains so many films, and the performances are absolutly stunning, with a plot to die for. If you collect videos, then no collection is complete without this. If you enjoy Hoffman, then he doesn't get any better, and if you just want to enjoy a film, then this will question any perceptions you have of the society you are in now.
Rating: 
Summary: "Graduate" should go to summer school
Review: Would you really want to see a movie that has to be explained to you? I don't know what THE GRADUATE is supposed to mean. Like 2001 A SPACE ODDYSEY and MIDNIGHT COWBOY, THE GRADUATE does a great job of confusing the heck out of you to the point where you think you must have seen something great. THE GRADUATE is worth seeing (for free, on TV) once, I guess, because it takes you somewhere (an affair with your girlfriend's mother) the movies rarely go. Also, the late Norman Fell does a superb job playing the kid's landlord. Director Francis Ford Coppola uses symbolism well in pictures such as THE OUTSIDERS because his imagery relates to the story. But the director of THE GRADUATE must have thought symbols could substitute for a story. They ought to send THE GRADUATE to summer school, or better yet, film school.
Rating:
Summary: quite simply the very best film in history
Review: 5 stars and #7 on the AFI's all-time list can't come close to adequately expressing the beauty and brilliance of the graduate. this is a life-changer.
Rating:
Summary: Ouch.
Review: I just saw this movie at age 31 after not having seen it since age 14. My perspective shift is amazing. When I saw this film 17 years ago, Mrs. Robinson was a villainess of the highest order. Now, I understand her. Just when she has something in her life making her feel young and vibrant again, she loses it to her daughter. Ouch. This is such a smart script, brilliantly directed with sharp performances, especially from Bancroft. It's totally devoid of sentiment, which I admire (you can keep your "Gone with the Winds" and "Titanics"), and merciless to all its characters. The final moment when Hoffman's and Ross's faces go blank as they ponder "Now what?" is chilling. This is my favorite film of all time.
Rating:
Summary: The war between the young and the old
Review: There is not much new to say about this movie, but here are a few thoughts based on recent viewings:1. It's showing its age. 2. It still puts you right on the front lines of the war between the old and desperate/complacient and the young and hopeful/fearful -- and of course, makes you feel for the young, as well as any movie I can think of. 3. Katherine Ross was an underrated beauty. Also, her performance is better, and a bigger part of the movie, than is generally credited. If this movie was being made today, it would probably be made as Elaine's story, not Ben's. 4. The final scene on the bus, as the smiles of escape fade, is still moving and knowing. Would you show this to your favorite young person today? I think I would.
Rating:
Summary: Classic! Top Ten all time - Mike Nichols only great film!
Review: They study this film at USC film school. Some scences are so seamlessly melted together with innovative and imaginative cuts, you'll become a fan of the slow motion button and beautiful storytelling. This film is Babe Ruth, Lou Gerhig, and Picasso all rolled into one. Frankly put, if you don't own this movie, you have never experienced such an honest combination of comedy and drama in the same movie. Also, you probably don't know who Babe Ruth is.
Rating:
Summary: Haven't seen the flik since 1968 and all I remember is.....
Review: the music, the bit about the plastics and *the music*
Rating:
Summary: Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson
Review: When I noticed that a well-known 60's film called The Graduate made #7 on AFI's Top 100 movies list, ranking higher than On The Waterfront, Schindler's List, and Singin' In The Rain, I knew I had to see it. When I saw it, it really did live up to being the #7 all-time movie. As of now, I've seen this film more than any other movie in AFI's 100. The storyline is unlike any other. It's definitely Mike Nichols' best film ever, and Dustin Hoffman is the perfect Ben Braddock. Simon and Garfunkel deliver the music, making The Graduate soundtrack one of the greatest of all movie soundtracks. Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson.
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