What Is The Meaning Behind The Graduate?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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The film's main themes revolve

around Ben's uncertainty about his direction in life

, contrasted by the expectations imposed on him by the adults surrounding him. Mike Nichols was particular with his choice of symbolism. He uses a variety of visuals to reinforce the ideas that the narrative is already laying out.

What is the moral of The Graduate?


You have the right to change your path

.

Things will fall through in life, and it will be OK because there are many paths to success. Ben is pressured to live up to his achievements and, for precisely this reason, he has a difficult time diverging toward a path that satisfies him.

What is the meaning of the end of The Graduate?

After the family is torn apart by the affair,

Braddock crashes Elaine's wedding in an climactic act of youthful rebellion

. A fight breaks out and the two run off from the church and hop on a city bus. Their jubilant adrenaline slowly fades, leaving them contemplating their uncertain future.

Why is The Graduate so important?

Even more important is its

sympathetic probing of the angst felt

by so many college-educated American youths. The Graduate is what Hollywood in later years would call a “high concept ,” that is, one that takes a basic story and gives it a memorable twist.

What are the themes of The Graduate?

  • Identity.
  • Love.
  • Sex.
  • Marriage.
  • Isolation and Alienation.

Is the ending of The Graduate happy or sad?

The ending of The Graduate is kind of

cryptic

. Benjamin shows up, crashes Elaine's wedding, fights off the angry guests with a cross, and runs away with the bride. They're totally elated, laughing and excited, as they jump on city bus. But gradually, their facial expressions change, becoming more neutral.

Where is the church in The Graduate?

The film's now famous finale was filmed at the strikingly

modernist United Methodist Church in La Verne, Calif.

, about 30 miles (50 km) east of Los Angeles.

Why did summer cry after watching The Graduate?

Why does summer cry at the end of the graduate? “The Graduate” is a deep movie about lack of fullfilment and loneliness. … A crucial point to understand the scene that Summer cried is that one

when she was on the bed with Tom, telling him about the dreams she used to have about the felling of completely loneliness

.

What does water symbolize in The Graduate?

The most famous, and prominent, use of symbolism throughout The Graduate would most definitely be the presence of water to show

Ben's sensation of drowning as he struggles in figuring out what to do with his life

.

Is The Graduate dated?


They get dated and lose their original

focus and power. “The Graduate” (I can see clearly now) is a lesser movie. It comes out of a specific time in the late 1960s when parents stood for stodgy middle-class values, and “the kids” were joyous rebels at the cutting edge of the sexual and political revolutions.

What should I watch after The Graduate?

  • Ghost World (2001)
  • Bonnie and Clyde (1967) …
  • Rain Man (1988) …
  • Rumour Has It (2005) …
  • Annie Hall (1977) …
  • Kramer vs Kramer (1979) 12 years later, Dustin Hoffman did not play a teenager conflicted with his future anymore. …

What happened in The Graduate?

The film tells the story of 21-year-old Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman), a recent college graduate with no well-defined aim in life, who

is seduced by an older married woman

, Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), and then becomes obsessed with her daughter Elaine (Katharine Ross).

Who was The Graduate based on?

Instead, The Graduate ‘s true origins remain enigmatic, in particular the inspiration for the

alcoholic temptress Mrs Robinson

, played by Anne Bancroft in the 1967 film, and actresses including Kathleen Turner, Jerry Hall and Linda Gray, who disrobed four years ago on the West End stage.

Who said plastics?

Benjamin : Yes, I am.

Mr. McGuire

: Plastics.

What was the car Dustin Hoffman drove in The Graduate?


The Alfa Romeo

you see here is one of the most famous Alfa models ever made. It's the model that Dustin Hoffman drove in the movie “The Graduate.” In fact, my car is the same model and the same color.

Emily Lee
Author
Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.