The Graduate Resources

The Internet Movie Database is a massive collection of data on movies: technical specifics, info on the cast and crew, notes on little goofs and errors—all that stuff. Here, The Graduate gets the full IMDB treatment.

Rotten Tomatoes collects tons of movie reviews. The Graduate's show that it's withstood the test of time so far.

This site collects some articles and pictures—just straightforward fan stuff.

This is the book that started it all. Of course, Charles Webb didn't actually make too much cash off the success of the movie itself, unfortunately. 

Webb wrote a sequel to The Graduate—which unexpectedly revolves around the fact that Ben and Elaine married and are homeschooling their kids. This book didn't make quite as much of a splash as its predecessor, apparently. Can't understand why.

This movie takes off from The Graduate in that it's about a woman who discovers that her mother and grandmother might've been the basis for Mrs. Robinson and Elaine, respectively.

This article goes into depth in discussing "The Making of The Graduate." It's packed full of facts and funny anecdotes—definitely worth reading.

Kauffman offers his own assessment of the cultural significance of The Graduate; although he thinks the movie has some flaws, he's overall very positive.

Mike Nichols describes how his camera techniques were used to create a dreamlike atmosphere in the film.

The author makes the case for Mrs. Robinson being the real rebel in the film. He thinks that Benjamin himself is more like his parents than he wants to admit.

Like Mrs. Robinson, The Graduate is still fabulous at 40.

The Times pays tribute to Nichols and his incredible career. Is there anything this guy couldn't do?

A Film Spectrum reviewer discusses Nichols' inventive camera work and says that The Graduate changed American cinema forever.

A film critic watched the lines outside the theater in 1967, when young people were going insane over the film.

The magazine devoted 26 pages to an analysis of The Graduate. You'll need a subscription for this one. Basic thesis? Benjamin was really a child of the 50s, not the 60s.

Turner Classic Movies offers some insight into the inner workings of The Graduate on their website.

The Nostalgia Critic explains why The Graduate had the best ending of all time.

Second thoughts on The Graduate from middle age.

This trailer apparently isn't the original trailer—but a re-release of the movie (since it mentions at the beginning that Nichols won the award for Best Director at the Oscars). It pretty much summarizes the whole movie.

Charlie Rose—master of the relentless, "Just describe, for me: What is it?"—interviews Nichols about his career.

Hoffman—who broke out as a star by playing Benjamin—talks about his awkward path to landing the role.

Here's Nichols, racking up his due, after scoring big at the 1968 Oscars.

In their re-review of The Graduate, Siskel and Ebert are still essentially positive, but claim to have liked it less than when it first came out. Ebert says that as young man he thought Mrs. Robinson was just "some old lady" whereas now he finds her to be a "babe" and Benjamin he finds to be an "insufferable creep." '

Tom Hanks pays homage to the master at an AFI ceremony, citing his work including and beyond The Graduate.

Mel Brooks confides in Jerry Seinfeld about The Graduate.

This is the one Simon and Garfunkel song written specifically for the movie, which actually made it in. Originally the lyrics referenced "Mrs. Roosevelt" but Simon changed them to make them fit.

More than any other song, this one might be the one most closely associated with The Graduate. It totally captures Benjamin's inner feelings of isolation and melancholy.

Also featured in the movie, "Scarborough Fair" is really an adaptation of an older English folk song—not, strictly speaking, a Simon and Garfunkel original.

Mrs. Robinson's panty hose clad leg extends as Benjamin looks on warily in this genius image.

In this image, Mrs. Robinson is close to the lens, while Ben stands at the end of a long surrealistic hall, trapped in his isolation.

This is the famous, enigmatic ending, where Ben and Elaine's facial expressions melt from joy into neutral thoughtfulness—maybe even worry.

This is the man himself, staring into his fish tank, moping in his room as usual.

The famous seductress is on the prowl, wearing a leopard skin jacket.

Katharine Ross reportedly claimed that, in real life, a girl like her wouldn't have gone for awkward, initially scruffy Dustin Hoffman. But hey, this is the movies.

Whether having Mrs. Robinson cheat on him, or losing control of his town's beach to a Great White in Jaws, Murray Hamilton delivers the character actor goods.

The young Nichols, fresh off the success of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is ready to take on The Graduate.

Henry ended up writing one of the most successful, classic adapted screenplays in the history of movies, and went onto a ton of acting and screenwriting roles.

Webb didn't make much money off the movie or the book, but he's the guy who started it all, conceiving the characters, the plot, and most of the dialogue.