Tip#699: How Movies Affect You Differently During Your Life - The Graduate

In my lectures and seminars I always talk about how movies affect me in very different ways at different times of my life. Favourite films like Groundhog Day or Jerry Maguire never change, it is I that have changed whenever I see them again. I recently saw The Graduate for the first time and when I posted this on my Facebook wall I got this comment…

“The Graduate is one of my favorite movies of all time. The first time I saw it, I was 18 and didn't get it. The second time I saw it I was 21 and I bawled my eyes out because I identified with Ben. I recently saw it (for maybe the 10th time?) and suddenly felt for Mrs. Robinson. Its a movie that evolves with you...it's amazing.” 
Nishi Dias, Night Day Digital Media

I was happy to read that others felt the same way about favourite films. Another example is from film critic Roger Ebert who, for the film's 30th anniversary reissue, retracted some of his previous praise for the film, noting that he now felt time has passed and Ebert now had more sympathy for Mrs. Robinson than Benjamin. The Graduate came out in 1967 and even though I just saw it now, who knows how it will inspire or affect me years from now?

The Graduate (1967)

The comedy drama film, The Graduate, is about recent university graduate Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) seduced into an affair with an older, married woman, Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft). He later falls in love with her daughter Elaine (Katharine Ross). This film was hilarious in many unexpected ways and also very surreal and creative with its camera work. And every performance was so engaging. See: movie trailer

On my first viewing of this film I was affected in that it instantly transported me to the late 60’s growing up as a child with memories of the era’s fashions, cars and music such as the timeless soundtrack by Simon & Garfunkel. I was brought back to happy memories of family road trips to Santa Barbara which I found very synchronistic because that’s where Benjamin travels to for the finale!

Speaking of synchronicity, you must see a funny and related cameo by Dustin Hoffman in the romantic comedy The Holiday. The story is that Hoffman was just walking by and knew the director and got this amazing cameo scene. See: cameo clip

What favourite movies have affected you at different times of your life? Please let me know.

Remember How Movies Can Help You: 
A) Entertain & Escape 
B) Re-energize & Release 
C) Insights, Epiphanies & AHA moments 

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