'The Graduate' is THE best movie comedy of all-time, ranking #1 on my IMDb "Top 10 Greatest Comedies List". The film is culturally significant and a flawless work of cinematic art.

The film propelled director Mike Nichols and actor Dustin Hoffman to the top of the Hollywood A-List.

For baby-boomers, this is an iconic film - a snap-shot of rapid cultural change that occurred in mid-1960s suburbia, complete with its post-college let-down, introspection, angst, and confusion.

Baby boomers perceived things much differently than their Greatest Generation parents, and Nichols (along with screen-play writer Buck Henry) integrated the resulting "generation-gap" in a way no film had done before.

Dustin Hoffman was fortunate to get the lead part as legend has it, and Nichols was fortunate to get him - both took advantage of the opportunity, and we are all fortunate they did so.

The best soundtrack sync in movie history...

Upon awakening one morning at the beginning of the film's production planning, Nichols had an epiphany about using the introspective and melancholy music of Simon & Garfunkel in the film after listening to their music on his bedroom record player - The resulting film sound-track "music sync" in 'The Graduate' established what was then, a new standard for use of popular music as an integral part of story telling. NO film since then has done this better. Without that music sync, this would have been a fine film, but it would not have reached its legendary film status.

Buck Henry's original screen-play delivers some very funny scenes - the hotel scenes running from the approximate 20 to 35 minute marks in the film are hilarious and everyone pulled it off to subtle perfection. Nichols ensured those comic moments were delivered with impeccable timing by utilizing Henry as a Day Player in the role of hotel manager.

Anne Bancroft is brilliant and hot, and portrays her tragic and narcissistic character with perfection, in what has become an iconic film character.

Much of the film's success is due to the performance of the ensemble cast. Nichols directs the movie like one of his stage productions where every line by every actor has impact.

This is Mike Nichols' greatest and most important achievement in film, and over time has made many top 10 greatest comedy as well as all-time favorite movie lists. If one were to place slap-stick into its own separate genre (as so often the Chaplin and Marx Brothers films are cited as greatest comedies but are based largely on physical pantomime, not dialogue based comedy-drama),I believe this film is THE all-time greatest comedy in film.

What else can I add that hasn't already been stated by many others?

See 'The Graduate' again when the mood strikes.

First timers, you are in for a treat.

"Here's to you Mrs. Robinson!"

THE GRADUATE is well into the top 250 Best Films on IMDb, yet I think it is highly overrated. That's because I think it scores so highly due to its impact when it was released and innovation, though today the movie seems, to me, flawed but interesting.

Dustin Hoffman stars in one of his earliest films as a young college graduate who is extremely insecure and adrift emotionally. Into this aimlessness comes the very seductive friend of the family, Mrs. Robinson, who does practically everything a woman can do to seduce him. Eventually, Hoffman takes the "forbidden fruit" and begins an affair that is based only on sex. Heck, even after they become intimate, he continues calling her "Mrs. Robinson" and this continues for several months.

Later, when the Robinsons' daughter (played by Katharine Ross) comes home from college to visit her parents, Hoffman is encouraged by all (except, of course, Mrs. Robinson) to date Ross. Despite only going on one date, Hoffman falls hopelessly in love and naturally chaos ensues when the truth is revealed.

The film is very creative in many ways, such as with its sexual imagery and creative film shots. Examples are the creative cutting of scenes as well as images of the womb and several phallic references--all done in a rather subtle manner. I really liked how Hoffman's mother was deliberately made up to look like Mrs. Robinson--what a great Freudian device. Audiences of the day were obviously very shocked yet intrigued by all this sexual innuendo and blatant disregard for traditional values. Because its very amoral message was such a huge slap in the face of traditions during the same time that society was questioning itself in the 60s, it certainly doesn't seem surprising that the film was one of the biggest hits in film history. However, some creative shots, a very unusual script and the moral questions alone don't make for a movie that deserves to be rated so highly--that is unless the rating is simply for movies that have a huge impact on the film world (which this obviously did).

What bothered me was not just that the message was morally questionable (at best) but that some of the movie was actually pretty poor and deserves a re-examination. First, much of the film was filmed like a music video and was perhaps the first film to do this. So, instead of a lot of speaking, often huge portions of the movie were dialog-free and consisted of very loud Simon & Garfunkle songs as montages filled the screen. A little of this went a long way, but the film used this technique repeatedly. Second, and this is by far me biggest complaint, is that the script really has some holes (though considering the film made a bazillion dollars, no one seemed to mind). Hoffman only dates Ross one time and decides to tell about his affair with the mother. While this is hard to believe, when he then stalks Ross incessantly and she finally agrees to marry Hoffman, it just strained believability to the breaking point. After all, she already was engaged to a man she knew very well AND this particular fiancé hadn't had sex with Mrs. Robinson!! Yet we are expected to believe that somehow it all works out in the end?!

Overall, a very good and innovative film that comes with a really lousy and completely unbelievable ending. On top of all that (great choice of words),the film is very offensive to many out there--not just because of the sexuality but the way religion seems to be mocked at the end of the film as well as all the swearing. For me, a real mixed bag. I wanted to like it and there was some real creativity here, but 41 years later it really hasn't aged well.

Much has been said about how good The Graduate is. I have one word really to say, Amen! This film is wonderful in every way, from the cinematography, to the acting to the soundtrack.

ACTING- The acting is really quite excellent in The Graduate. In his first major role, Dustin Hoffmann(a great actor) is sensational as the innocent college graduate, while Anne Bancroft is also excellent as the older woman who seduces him. And Katherine Ross was surprisingly effective as the daughter Hoffmann's character falls for.

DIRECTION- Mike Nichols' direction is very, very good, easily one of his best directing jobs. He ensures flawlessly that there isn't a single wasted scene while watching The Graduate. And in my opinion, he thoroughly deserved the best director Oscar.

SCREENPLAY- I don't know when to start when saying how good The Graduate's script is. The humour is sophisticated and has the bite of a dry martini.

CINEMATOGRAPHY- The Graduate also benefits hugely from having beautiful cinematography, and it is quite innovative too. It also has a sense of visual irony about it, especially in the scene where Hoffmann runs to the church.

SOUNDTRACK- Maybe I am biased because I am very fond of Simon and Gunfunkel. In The Graduate, the soundtrack is so moving and beautiful, perfectly captures the mood of disaffected youth seething beneath the laid-back exteriors of the 1960s.

STORY- The Graduate works brilliantly as a satire, and the story is never less than engaging and thoughtful.

So all in all, The Graduate is a wonderful film on every level, one of my personal favourites of the 1960s that's for sure. 10/10 Bethany Cox