The Graduate- Screening Report

11)     Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

The sixties are an interesting era, everything in society, as they knew it, was flipped 180 degrees. Values were revaluated, protests were constructed and the younger generations were making their voice heard. The sixties were a time of change and the culture surrounding the movement was the first to be affected. 

In the film industry that change could be more apparent.  Prior to the sixties movies rarely had sex play an important role in the movie or have it as a recurring theme.  Movies like It Happened One Night and Vertigo rarely had sex plot line they might have had innuendos as jokes but did not actually let sex play an important role in the movie.  But after the sixties filmmakers were no longer scared to have characters have sex appeal, actually from then until now they prefer characters with strong sex appeal.  The Graduate directed by Mike Nichols was a movie about a young recent college graduate, Benjamin who ends up having a sexual affair with an older married woman, Mrs. Robinson.  Mrs. Robinson just happens to be married to Benjamin’s father’s friend.  Benjamin then falls for the Robinsons daughter, Elaine.  A twisted plot, yes.

The Graduate released in 1967 represented or summarized what the sixties were all about and reflected young adults of that time.  Upon its release The Graduate received critical praise for its humor and drama.  It also managed to earn over $100 million in the box office in the 40 plus years since its original release.

2.  Find a related article (on the film, director, studio, actor/actress, artistic content, etc.) and summarize the content.  You may use the library or the internet.

 Since its release critics have been divided on whether Benjamin in The Graduate accurately portrays the youth of the sixties or if it stands alone in an era that was all about change.  According to Mehara Bonner of Popmatters Benjamin played by Dustin Hoffman can be relevant today as much as it was in 1967. IN a primary example of timeless themse in the movie Bonner states:

“ The story of the film easily appeals today’s audience because A) we have all at one point questioned the direction that our lives are leading.”

                                                                                    (Bonner, 2007)

And it’s true, every college student after they graduate ponders the decision of what to do next with their lives.  After four years of having a safety net, college, now one has to face life and actually be an adult.  In the one montage you can see that all Ben does is lounge by and in the pool and go to the hotel to meet and greet and have sex with Mrs. Robinson and that I about it.  In this generation most kids just lounge around and go partying, delaying moving on with their life.

            Many critics like Bonner also noted the difference between Benjamin and other male lead characters in other movies from the same period.  The sixties were all about protest and anti-war propaganda, but no war was ever mention in the movie and there was also the hippy movement of the sixties, another of which was not mentioned in the movie.  “Ben is neither a soldier in the war, nor is he outspokenly against the war, and he certainly doesn’t fit the peace-loving hippie type.” (Bonner 2007)  Benjamin was a universal young man.  This movie could have easily taken place in any decade from the sixties until now.  But even though it is a movie that can be placed at any decade for any generation it has a movie that can best represent the social reform of the sixties.  Especially during the final scene where even though the wedding is over he still steals the bride and runs away with Elaine. That scene shows their dismay of social norms.

“The complete rejection of social norms that occurs at the end of the film sent a message to the youth of the 1960s that is still relevant today: it is time for a new generation to come into their own.”

                                                                                          (Boner, 2007)

3) Apply the article to the film screened in class.   How did the article support or change the way you thought about the film, director, content, etc.?

            The movie and the article both kind of supported my opinion of the film.  From the beginning I thought the film was just funny, it had very good humorous and awkward moment that worked well.  But watching the movie I could totally agree with the thought that Ben does represent youth from the sixties but also can represent youth from generations then and now.

            The Graduate has so much of today as much as it has of the sixties.  It is a rebellion story, Ben went against all the adults in his life and did what he felt was right for him.  The film was all about rebellion, rebellion from the youth and society but also rebellion within the film industry.  The Graduate is a movie that is kind of solely based on a sexual relationship.  Sex was a major theme and premise for Ben’s plotline. But also was the idea of being lost after graduating college.

            Many young adults don’t know what to do with their lives after graduating either college or high school.  Should they continue with their education, or jump into the workforce or do something else like get married start a family, its a lot of thinking that goes into a decision that affects your entire life.

4) Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result of the screening, class discussions, text material and the article. 

            The Graduate is a movie that does what it intends to do, entertain you.  It is a funny movie.  It is one of those real movies that have awkward moments that are so funny, that it works.  But it also shows the uncertainty and the downfall of not being decisive in your life and letting others tell you what to do.

            The sole reason why Ben began his affair with Mrs. Robinson was because she told him to.  He was forced to tell Elaine because Mrs. Robinson said she would.  It wasn’t until after he met and started chasing Elaine that he began making his own decisions.

            The movie made its mark in our culture because it does depict the though process of a young adult.  But the music also had a cultural impact; Mrs. Robinson the lead single from the soundtrack by Simon and Garfunkel peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.  The music fit so well with the actions going on in the movie, it sets the mood for what is going on.  It is also a different way of doing a movie, sometimes one scene will start while another scene is still on the screen but it gives it a sense of melodrama or realness to it.

            The Graduate is a funny dramatic movie; it goes through every emotion by almost all the characters.  You get to see how quick characters and people can quickly change by a sudden change in feeling or a sudden event makes one grow up.  Benjamin goes from being told what to do and being uptight to being literally a free for all and learning that he has to make his own decisions and not rely on others.  It is a lesson that we all have to learn at one point or another.

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM 

1) ( x ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class. 

2) ( x ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper. 

3) ( x ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text. 

4) (  x) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper. 

5) ( x ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read. 

6) (x  ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography. 

7) ( x ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality. 

8) ( x ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper. 



Name: ______________Juan Ortiz___________________  Date: ______4/12/14____________

Reference:

Bonner, Mehera. "The Graduate." PopMatters. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. <http://www.popmatters.com/review/the-graduate/>.