The Graduate
That ending still starts arguments.
Benjamin Braddock returns home to California after successfully completing college. He gets a hero's welcome from his parents but Ben isn't quite sure what to do with the rest of his life. He is soon seduced by Mrs. Robinson, the wife of his father's partner, who methodically pursues the inexperienced young man. Soon, they are meeting regularly in hotel rooms. Warned by her to stay away from her daughter Elaine, his father goads him into taking her out on a date. He finds he quite likes Elaine but when she learns he's been having an affair with her own mother, she'll have nothing to do with him. He's smitten however and pursues her.
Where to watch The Graduate (US)
The smiles that fade
Dustin Hoffman was nearly thirty when he played the college graduate. Simon and Garfunkel supplied the songs, and Mike Nichols let the camera keep rolling after the big finish. That's why the actors' smiles slowly fade in the last shot, and it's why audiences argue about what happens next.
Simon and Garfunkel and the bus
A lost young man drifts through life and gets involved with an older woman, then falls for her daughter. Funny, awkward and sad, it perfectly captures what it feels like to have no idea what to do with your life. And that last shot, with the bus, is unforgettable.
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Cast and crew
Director: Mike Nichols
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross
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