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The Graduate: Special Edition
Very few superlatives do justice in describing Mike Nichols' brilliant coming-of-age tale, easily the best American film of the 1960s. Dustin Hoffman stars as Benjamin Braddock, a tightly-wound overachiever daunted by the prospect of life after college. Drowning in anxiety, Ben aimlessly succumbs to aggressive seduction by Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), a self-pitying older woman married to his father's business partner. Their upper-middle-class lives go haywire when Ben falls in love her daughter (Katherine Ross). Adapted by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry from Charles Webb's short novel, The Graduate is a hilarious and yet deeply subversive comedy, with Nichols at his most vital. With a then-groundbreaking song score by Simon and Garfunkel and fine supporting performances by William Daniels and Norman Fell. Presented in terrific 2.35:1 widescreen and Dolby 2.0 Surround. This special edition features the same Dustin Hoffman interview and retrospective documentary included on the 25th Anniversary VHS release but does not feature the unnecessary video of The Lemonheads' "Mrs. Robinson" cover. Trailers, keep-case.
—Gregory P. Dorr
(Editor's Note: This DVD was originally released by PolyGram but has since been re-issued by MGM.)