The Graduate

After completing his bachelor’s degree, Benjamin Braddock returns to his family home in Pasadena, California. During a graduation celebration organized by his parents, he feels uncomfortable as they and their guests extol his accomplishments. Seeking refuge, he escapes to his bedroom, where he encounters Mrs. Robinson, the wife of his father’s business partner. She insists he drives her home, and once there, she begins to seduce him. Although Benjamin initially resists her advances, he soon changes his mind and invites her to the Taft Hotel, using the alias “Gladstone” when he checks in.

Throughout the summer, Benjamin indulges in a lazy routine, lounging in his parents’ swimming pool by day while sneaking off to meet Mrs. Robinson at the hotel by night. During one of their encounters, she confides in him about her marriage, explaining that she and her husband wed after she unexpectedly became pregnant with their daughter, Elaine. When Benjamin jokingly mentions dating Elaine, Mrs. Robinson reacts with fury and forbids it. Little do they know, Benjamin’s parents and Mr. Robinson, entirely oblivious to the affair, encourage him to pursue Elaine and incessantly pressure him to ask her out.

Reluctantly giving in to his parents’ insistence, Benjamin takes Elaine on a date, which infuriates Mrs. Robinson. In an attempt to ruin the evening, he neglects Elaine, drives recklessly, and takes her to a strip club. After a tearful exit from the club, Benjamin feels guilty and chases after her, where he apologizes and shares a kiss. They bond over dinner at a drive-in restaurant, discussing their shared apprehensions about the future. Later, when they go to the Taft Hotel for a late-night drink, Elaine begins to suspect Benjamin’s infidelity as the staff greet him as “Mr. Gladstone.” He reluctantly admits to her that he is involved with a married woman, though he does not reveal her identity. He promises Elaine that the affair is over and expresses a desire to see her again.

However, Mrs. Robinson threatens to disclose their affair to Elaine to prevent Benjamin from continuing to see her. In a desperate attempt to stop this, Benjamin reveals that the married woman is actually her mother. Shocked and hurt, Elaine angrily expels him from her home. Shortly after, she returns to Berkeley for school. Benjamin, determined to win her back, follows her, but she initially spurns him and briefly dates medical student Carl Smith. Eventually, Elaine learns that her mother had lied about the nature of Benjamin’s interest in her, leading them to reconcile. Although Benjamin pushes for a quick marriage, Elaine struggles with her uncertainty.

As tensions rise, an irate Mr. Robinson confronts Benjamin at his boarding house in Berkeley, informing him that he and Mrs. Robinson are seeking a divorce and threatening to have Benjamin arrested if he persists in seeing Elaine. With the pressure mounting, Mr. Robinson forces Elaine to leave college and marry Carl. Driven to despair, Benjamin returns to Pasadena, breaking into the Robinson home in search of Elaine. This encounter escalates, leading Mrs. Robinson to call the police, asserting that her home is being invaded. She warns Benjamin that he cannot come between Elaine and Carl’s impending marriage.

Desperate, Benjamin flees and drives over 300 miles back to Berkeley, where he learns that the wedding is scheduled for that day in Santa Barbara. Racing against time, he speeds towards the church but runs out of gas just a short distance away. Undeterred, he sprints to the church, arriving just as the ceremony concludes. His dramatic entrance in the glass church gallery captures Elaine’s attention, prompting her to defy her mother and run away from the altar. In a chaotic struggle, he manages to fend off Mr. Robinson and block the church doors with a large cross, trapping the wedding guests inside. Ultimately, Benjamin and Elaine escape together on a bus, sitting amidst shocked passengers. As the bus travels onward, their jubilant expressions gradually fade into contemplative neutrality, hinting at the uncertain future that lies ahead of them.

Last Updated: November 16, 2024 at 17:29