The Graduate
1967
*****
Director: Mike Nichols
Cast: Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman, Katharine Ross, William Daniels, Murray Hamilton
Benjamin is a college graduate whose parents and family friends expect him to do great things, but he's not sure what he wants from life. On top of that, he starts an affair with a middle-aged woman, but is drawn to her daughter. This subtle and subversively romantic generation gap comedy is a modern classic for a reason. Its imagery and its soundtrack by Simon & Garfunkel have become a part of our consciousness. Mike Nichols won a well deserved directing Oscar. Scripted by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry from Charles Webb's novel.
