The Graduate
This is Benjamin. He’s a little worried about his future.
Country
Production
Budget
$3 000 000
Box office
$104 978 912
Director
Actors
Scenario
Producer
Lawrence Turman, Joseph E. Levine
Camera operator
Composer
Artist
Richard Sylbert
Audition
Editing
Sam O'Steen, George Justin
Whole Team (30)
Whole Team (30)
Short description
Benjamin, a recent college graduate very worried about his future, finds himself in a love triangle with an older woman and her daughter.
What's left behind the scenes
- Ronald Reagan was considered for the role of Mr. Braddock.
- On the film poster, Dustin Hoffman is in the background, while Mrs. Robinson's leg is in the foreground. However, Linda Gray's legs were specifically photographed for the poster, not Anne Bancroft's, who played Mrs. Robinson. Later, Linda would play the lead role in a musical based on this film.
- According to the 2007 'American Film Institute' ranking, the film ranked 17th on the list of '100 Greatest Films of All Time'.
- The film employs two interesting shooting techniques. In the scene where Benjamin is running, we see him at a slight distance, running directly towards the camera. However, thanks to the ingenuity of the cinematographer, it creates the impression that he remains stationary and does not move. In another scene, Benjamin walks from the right side of the screen to the left, while everyone else moves from left to right. In Western culture, things moving from left to right seem natural, while movement from right to left is perceived as moving in the wrong direction. These visual choices resonate with the film's themes: throughout his life, Benjamin doesn't know what to do next or if he’s moving in the wrong direction.
- Robert Redford and Lee Stanley auditioned for the role of Benjamin Braddock.
- The role of Elaine Robinson was offered to Patty Duke.
- Robert Redford auditioned for the role of Benjamin Braddock.
- Jack Nicholson was considered for the role of Benjamin Braddock.
- The names of the older characters are never mentioned in the film; the audience only knows the names of the young protagonists – Benjamin, Elaine, and Carl – which further emphasizes the generational gap.
- In 'Premiere' magazine's 2007 ranking of '100 Greatest Movie Quotes,' the line 'Mrs. Robinson, are you trying to seduce me?' ranked 5th.
- During the casting for "The Graduate," Dustin Hoffman had already been cast in one of the roles in "The Producers" (1968). He asked Mel Brooks for permission to audition for the lead role in "The Graduate." Brooks knew well what the film would be about, as his wife, Anne Bancroft, had already been cast as Mrs. Robinson. Therefore, he gave his consent, absolutely confident that Hoffman would never get the role of Benjamin.
- Initially, Mike Nichols wanted Jeanne Moreau to play Mrs. Robinson. He also offered the role to Ava Gardner.
- Robert Redford and Lee Stanley auditioned for the role of Benjamin Bradstock.
- Charles Grodin was cast as Benjamin, but never appeared in the film due to disagreements with the producers over his fee.
- Paul Simon wrote two songs for the film that were rejected by Mike Nichols: "A Hazy Shade of Winter" and "Punky's Dilemma". The song "Mrs. Robinson" was not specifically written for the movie; it was one of the working titles for a composition Simon was working on at the time. Originally, the song was to be titled "Mrs. Roosevelt".
- When Elaine screams in Ben's room, several tenants gather near the door. One of them says: “Should we call the police? I’ll call the police…” That’s Richard Dreyfuss.
- Initially, the role of Mrs. Robinson was offered to Susan Hayward. After she declined, the role was offered to Doris Day and Patricia Neal, but they also refused to participate in the film. Only after that did Mike Nichols suggest Anne Bancroft play Mrs. Robinson.
- Benjamin's car is a '1967 Alfa Romeo Spider 1600'.
- According to Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman was supposed to play Mr. Robinson, but was fired a few weeks after filming began.
- Grayson Hall was considered for the role of Mrs. Robinson.
- According to the American Film Institute, the phrase “Plastics” ranked 42nd on the list of “100 Greatest Movie Quotes.”
- Judy Garland was considered for the role of Mrs. Robinson.
- Originally, Patricia Neal was meant to play Mrs. Robinson.
- When Benjamin and Mrs. Robinson first meet at the hotel, Anne Bancroft was unaware that Dustin Hoffman was going to grab her chest. During the first take, Mike Nichols, the film's director, began to laugh loudly. Hoffman also burst out laughing, but to avoid disrupting the filming, he turned away from the camera and walked over to a wall, which he began to bang his head against. This very take made it into the final cut of the film.
- In the scene where Benjamin knocks on the glass in the church, his hands are raised and spread apart. Many critics interpreted this scene as an allusion to the image of Christ. In reality, the head of the church, seeing Dustin Hoffman knocking on the glass with his fists, threatened to break the agreement with the producers regarding the filming. As a result of the compromise reached, Dustin hit the glass with his palms.
- The film is based on Charles Webb's novel "The Graduate" (1963).
- Charles Grodin was cast as Benjamin, but ultimately did not appear in the film due to disagreements with the producers regarding his fee.
- Bert Ward declined the offer to play Benjamin.
- When Benjamin and Mrs. Robinson first meet in the hotel, Anne Bancroft did not know that Dustin Hoffman was going to grab her breast. During the first take, the film's director, Mike Nichols, began to laugh out loud; Hoffman also started laughing, but in order to avoid interrupting the shoot, he turned away from the camera and walked to the wall, which he began to hit his head against. It was this take that made it into the final cut of the movie.
- Charles Grodin was cast as Benjamin, but never appeared in the film due to disagreements with the producers regarding his fee.
- Patricia Neal was originally intended to play Mrs. Robinson.
- In 1998, it was included in the National Film Registry of the United States.
- Anne Bancroft (Mrs. Robinson) is only six years older than Dustin Hoffman (Benjamin) and eight years older than Katharine Ross (Elaine).
- Some scenes set in Berkeley were actually filmed at the University of California and the University of Southern California.
- Bert Ward turned down the offer to play Benjamin.
- Paul Simon wrote two songs for the film that were rejected by Mike Nichols: “A Hazy Shade of Winter” and “Punky’s Dilemma.” The song “Mrs. Robinson” was not specifically written for the film. It was one of the working titles of a composition Simon was working on at the time. Originally, the song was to be called “Mrs. Roosevelt.”
- Lee Stanley auditioned for the role of Benjamin.
- During the audition for the role, Dustin Hoffman constantly mumbled his lines and felt extremely insecure. He thought he had failed the audition, but Mike Nichols saw in Dustin's indecisiveness exactly what he was looking for for the image of Benjamin.
- According to the American Film Institute, the phrase 'plastic surgery' ranked 42nd on the list of '100 Greatest Movie Quotes'.
- Sally Field auditioned for the role of Elaine.
- When Elaine screams in Ben's room, several residents gather near the door. One of them says, "Call the police? I'll call the police..." That is Richard Dreyfuss.
- In the scene where Benjamin knocks on the church glass, his arms are raised and spread apart. Many critics interpreted this scene as a reference to the image of Christ. In reality, the head of the church, seeing Dustin Hoffman knocking on the glass with his fists, threatened to terminate the filming agreement with the producers. As a result of the compromise reached, Dustin knocked on the glass with his palms.
- Mike Nichols initially wanted Jeanne Moreau to play Mrs. Robinson. He also offered the role to Ava Gardner.
- On the movie poster, Dustin Hoffman is in the background, while Mrs. Robinson's leg is in the foreground. However, Linda Gray's legs were photographed specifically for the poster, rather than those of Anne Bancroft, who played Mrs. Robinson. Linda would later play the lead role in the musical based on this film.
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