The Graduate was released in 1967 a movie vastly different from the Classical
Hollywood era. Directed by Mike Nichols (Oscar for best directing) and based on a novel
Charles Webb, The Graduate centers around a college graduate trying to figure out his future
while having a steamy affair with his father’s colleague’s wife, the seductress Mrs. Robinson.
Ben every awkward an unsure of himself continues along this affair while becoming infatuated
with Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, Elaine. To Ben, Elaine was his escape from the sterile, bourgeois
society he grew up it.
The Graduate, along with Bonnie and Clyde, brought in the Hollywood Renaissance. Part
of the screenplay, written by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry, depict certain Classical
Hollywood traits; however, the film fights these traits and presents a new era in filmmaking. The
Graduate is apart of the Hollywood Renaissance because is rejects the production code,
establishment values, and conventional storytelling. More importantly, The Graduate presented
new social values by exploring sex and ideology.
In this paper, we will discuss exactly why The Graduate is apart of the Hollywood
Renaissance. This paper will discuss Hollywood Renaissance narrative trends as well as textual
ruptures between the screenplay and the film, and finally the collaborative authorship between
the Director, Mike Nichols, and the Editor, Sam O’Steen. This paper will conclude with how this
movie is influential to the Hollywood Renaissance.
Hollywood Renaissance Narrative Trends
The Graduate helped start the wave of Hollywood Renaissance; thus, it had helped
establish what the viewer has come to known as Hollywood Renaissance narrative trends. Some
narrative trends The Graduate demonstrates are the anti-hero protagonist, the central characters
are often male losers, lack of (primary of) external conflict, sterile society surround the character,
mixing of the comic and serious, self conscious use of cinematic effects, ambiguous (dedramatize, elliptical open-ended) endings, explicit treatment of sexual conflict and sociology
problems, non diegetic sounds, and a breakdown in communication. It should be noted that the
movie is focused on a male loser, Ben Braddock, and the ending is ambiguous. This paper will
focus on three narrative trends; explicit treatment of sexual conflict, sterile society surrounds the
character, and mixing of the comic and serious. This paper will also discuss a water scene, which
uses self-conscious use of cinematic effects, and how that demonstrates Ben’s feeling of
claustrophobia brought on by to the Bourgeois class, and the need for American Individualism.
Explicit Treatment of Sexual Conflict
It is important to note that the movie is based off of a sexual relationship between Ben
and Mrs. Robinson. Ben having just graduated from college is unsure of what he wants to do
with the rest of his life, much to the displeasure of his parents. Mrs. Robinson strolls in
demanding and with the sexual prowess that leaves Ben a fumbling idiot. The movie centers on
the sexual conflict of Ben and Mrs. Robinson. The scene that explains explicit sexual conflict is
the first time Mrs. Robinson attempted to seduce Ben.
The seduction scene takes place after Ben drives Mrs. Robinson home from his
graduation party. They are in the Robinson’s grand home with no one around. Mrs. Robinson is
ever the confident, sexual character, and demanding as she slowly explains to Ben that she wants
to start an affair with him. The scene follows a hesitant, awkward Ben as he tries to fathom
exactly what Mrs. Robinson wants from him as a sexual, jazz song plays in the background. The
scene ups the sexual ante as Mrs. Robinson explains her husband will not be home for a couple
hours. Ben attempts to leave. However, Mrs. Robinson will not allow it. Mrs. Robinson, wishing
to move this upstairs, asks Ben if he would like to see a portrait of her daughter, Elaine. As they
head to the bedroom, Mrs. Robinson slowly begins to strip off her jewelry. Once inside the
bedroom, Mrs. Robinsons ask Ben if he will unzip her dress. Mrs. Robinson slowly takes down
her dress, reviling a cheetah print bra, in an attempt to keep Ben in the room. In a feeble attempt
to keep Mrs. Robinson away, Ben once again brings up Mr. Robinson. Mrs. Robinson ignores
that excuse and she continues to strip down to her slip. Mrs. Robinson then continues to confuse
Ben explaining she is twice his age and stating she is not trying to seduce him. To confuse Ben
more, Mrs. Robinsons proceeds to ask Ben if he would like her to seduce him. The whole time
Mrs. Robinson is slowly walking towards Ben stripping until she is only left in her
undergarments. Ben gets more nervous and runs down stairs then Mrs. Robinson demands that
he bring back her purse upstairs. Ben, ever the male loser, stumbles up the stairs to bring it to her
only to toss it on the landing of the stairs. Mrs. Robinson becomes aggravated with Ben
demanding he bring it to her. Ben brings the purse into Elaine’s room per her request; Mrs.
Robinson filters into the room closing the door behind her. It cuts to Mrs. Robinson explaining
she is willing to have an affair with Ben, completely naked. Another narrative trends is used,
self-conscious use of cinematic effects, as the scene cuts between different shots of Mrs.
Robinson naked body parts to Ben’s face over Mrs. Robinsons shoulder. The sound of car rolls
in and Ben runs out of the room leaving a naked Mrs. Robinson in his wake.
The whole relationship between Mrs. Robinson and Ben is about sexual conflict, a taboo
subject established by the Production Code during the Classical Hollywood era. However, with
the incoming rush of film brats, filmmakers who went to film school, and the starting wave of
Hollywood Renaissance this subject was brought up more. It is important to note that the
narrative of The Graduate is focused on a sexual conflict. The story line, character interactions,
and motives are established solely on the explicit sexual conflict between Mrs. Robinson and
Ben. In fact, the sexual relationship with Mrs. Robinson helps introduce Ben to her daughter,
Elaine. In all, the sexual conflict between Mrs. Robinson and Ben is what carries the storyline.
Sterile Society Surrounds The Character
Another important Hollywood Renaissance narrative trend is how a sterile society
surrounds the character. This is often demonstrated in many Hollywood Renaissance movies
because it plays to ideals placed by the counterculture generation and their distaste for the
bourgeois class and their ideals. The sterile society is the catalyst for this movie. Often we see
Ben trying to break free from this society. He is unsure of his future and is lethargic towards the
society that his parents have raised him. For example, at Ben’s graduation party, where he is
floating around the living room, Ben has a conversation with one of his father’s elite friends who
tells him to go into plastics. It is the idea of this sterile society that bores him.
However, the scene that best explains the sterile society surrounding the character is the
final scene. Ben and Elaine escape from the sterile society at Elaine’s wedding. She comes from
an identical background as Ben, a rich, entitled family. Elaine is about to wed into the same
family. However, Ben is her escape from the sterile society that her family provides, as she is
his. The break from the sterile society ends with Ben and Elaine running away together from
their families locking them into the church with a golden cross. The escape is completed with
Elaine is in an expensive wedding dress and Ben in a slacks and polo. They leave behind his
expensive car and society. They run onto a public bus with “normal” people openly staring at
them. As they look off and recognize that they “escaped” the sterile society.
At the time of this movie and the counterculture revolution there was a desire to escape
the sterile society established by the “man”. This trend is something many of the moviegoers at
the time could relate with. This trend helped carry along the narrative. We have apathy for Ben,
as he feels suffocated by the sterile society. In addition, his parents beseech Ben what are his
plans for the rest of his life. His parents constantly state that he cannot just lie around the whole
summer. This desire for escape helps push the sexual relationship with Mrs. Robinson and
eventually the romantic relationship with Elaine, who desires an escape as well.
Mixing Of The Comic and Serious
The next narrative trend that The Graduate executes with easy is the mixing of the comic
and serious. Though the film has these moments scattered about they truly come to life with the
help of Dustin Hoffman (Ben Braddock). Often be paired with the suave, experienced Mrs.
Robinson, Ben is the fumbling, clueless idiot. The scene that best demonstrates this narrative
trend is when Ben goes to check in a hotel for him and Mrs. Robinson. Mrs. Robinson meets Ben
at a hotel bar after he finally accepted the offer to have sex with her. Mrs. Robinson strikes up a
conversation about getting a hotel room and Ben agrees to go get the room. Flustered, he trips
over the table as stumbles into the hotel lobby where he casually walks up to the concierge,
played by Buck Henry. He is asked to choose between a single or double room Ben stumbles
over his words, “a single room just for myself please.” Ben then goes to fill out the register and
rips it out deciding to sign under an alias. The concierge then asks Ben about his luggage and
where it is. Ben, stumbling over his words, explains to the concierge that his luggage is only a
toothbrush and refuses to have the porter show him his room. Ben then goes to call Mrs.
Robinson who is still in the bar. He is flustered on the phone with Mrs. Robinson, while she is
composed. Ben goes to explain how the concierge is suspicious of him. Mrs. Robinson suggests
that Ben goes up first and she will follow and then she asks Ben if there is something he wanted
to tell her. Ever the fumbling fool Ben says, “I want you to know how much I appreciate this
really.” Mrs. Robinson only meant the room number. Ben ends the phone call with an “I will see
you later Mrs. Robinson.”
The scene is a classic example of the mixing of the comic and serious. Ben and Mrs.
Robinson are about to commit adultery and the mood is lightened by the comic relief of Ben
compared to Mrs. Robinson. In addition this is a pivotal turning point in the storyline. It helps
keep the story light however, we are aware of the seriousness of the situation. There is a balance
of humor between Ben, fumbling, nervous, and unsure, compared to the sexual prowess and
sophistication of Mrs. Robinson. The mixing of comic and serious carries the story in a light
hearted away that plays against the seriousness of the situation. This moment goes against the
Classical Hollywood production code of not discussing anything sexual or adultery related; sin is
not to be discussed. This scene truly helps the shift into the Hollywood Renaissance.
Hollywood Renaissance Narrative Trends Conclusion
It was these narrative trends of an anti-hero protagonist, the central characters are often
male losers, lack of (primary of) external conflict, sterile society surround the character, mixing
of the comic and serious, self conscious use of cinematic effects, ambiguous (de-dramatize,
elliptical open-ended), endings, explicit treatment of sexual conflict and sociology problems, non
diegetic sounds, and a breakdown in communication, among many others that played into the
narrative of the movie which explained a generation who was the target of the Hollywood
Renaissance.
Claustrophobia From The Bourgeois Class
Though not Hollywood Renaissance narrative trends it is important to note the water
scenes. Though not adding to narrative economy, the scuba scene illustrates Ben’s feeling of
claustrophobia brought on by the bourgeois society. Ben’s parents have gifted him with a scuba
suit and they wish to show it off to their fellow friends, members of the bourgeois class, Ben
does not wish to but he cannot resist his parents. Eventually, after much back and forth, we
finally see Ben. He is at the back end of the room, in a long shot, in a full on scuba suit. He
slowly makes his way closer to his parents. This is where the perspective is shown through his
goggles. We only see what Ben sees, a tight conformed, self-conscious use of cinematic effects,
view. We are only privy to the sound of Ben’s breath and view as we see the bourgeois class
surrounding him before Ben proceeds to jump into the water. As Ben attempts to resurface his
father’s hand pushes him back into the water, the bourgeois class is literally suffocating him. At
the end, we then see Ben standing alone surround by the water. He is being suffocated by the
bourgeois world his parents are apart of and what him to be as well.
Counterculture and American Individualism
The Graduate is the prime example of the counterculture ideals. Ben’s desire for escape
and his rejection of the bourgeois class is a concept that was being practice at the time by many
young adults. The Graduate was the first alienation film of its time and would soon be followed
by films such as Easy Rider and Cold Hand Luke. The youth culture that the Hollywood
Renaissance was directed towards could feel with Ben; they understood and were often going
through the same issues. This feeling of claustrophobia brought on by the Bourgeois class played
into this need for American Individualism, the search to find one-self, a search for a more
personal, self-fulfilling experiences. This is why The Graduate represents not only a culture but
also a generation it was the “representation of the self or the subject in rebellion against
conservative authority and social conformity” (Ryan and Douglas)
Intertextual Ruptures
The next section of this paper looks at and addresses the intertextual ruptures found
between the final screenplay of The Graduate and the final film version of The Graduate.
Between the script and film there are over 89 intertextual ruptures. Over 89 ruptures were
counted by counting any and all differences between the script and film throughout every scene.
Out of these 89 counted ruptures, many of them were significant to enhance the film's final
impact however; this paper focuses on four of these ruptures. We will be looking at the
enhancement of the film through the ruptures present in the opening scene, a bedroom scene
between Ben and Mrs. Robinson in which Elaine becomes a taboo subject, Ben's first date with
Elaine, and the final scene.
The Opening Scene
The opening scene, regardless of the screenplay version or the film version, introduces,
the male protagonist, Benjamin Braddock to the audience and illustrates how he interacts with
his world automatically showing us that he finds himself in a sterile society.
In the screenplay the beginning of the film is set in an amphitheater at day time for a
college graduation ceremony with Ben as the main speaker. He goes on to describe the purpose
of these years and loses his words. He attempts to continue speaking but cannot find purpose for
these years, the work, and the money spent by their parents. The scene cuts from the passive
graduation audience looking at Ben to Ben standing alone on the stage. In a close up camera
angle on Ben's face, the audience can see Ben's panic. The camera cuts to the now empty
amphitheater as the sound of a plane rushes over the empty building. It then cuts to Benjamin on
a plane headed home.
The film begins with an extreme close up on Ben's face. The extreme close up zooms
out to reveal the setting: a plane with impassive passengers with Ben staring blankly ahead. The
opening scene shows Ben's journey home after college, cutting to Ben in the airport on a moving
conveyor belt against a white wall. Ben faces straight ahead. He's placed at the right edge of the
frame moving forward, to the left of the frame. Ben picks up his luggage in an extreme close up
of his hand grabbing the bag. The camera then zooms out as Ben walks through the crowd with
his back to the camera until he goes out the door of the airport. The scene fades to him sitting in
front of a large fish tank.
In the screenplay, the film's opening scene exists but, after the graduation scene. The film
cuts off the seemingly unnecessary scene of Ben's graduation. The movie is titled The Graduate
with that; we don't need to see his graduation ceremony. The movie mentions very little of Ben's
college career as Ben is worried about the future constantly and the movie illustrates his struggle
to figure out what to do in the future. The opening scene in the film jumps the audience into the
greater story plot of Ben as a graduate figuring out his future. Both opening scenes set the stage
for Ben's story to take place but the film cuts to the action faster showing Ben's outlook and
environment of a sterile society faster than the screen play does. The sterile society is shown
immediately in the film through the white background on the plane and in the airport as he
moves along the conveyor belt to grab his luggage. This rupture enhances the film by launching
the audience into the action.
II. Taboo Subject
After several weeks of the same actions, Ben and Mrs. Robinson meeting at the hotel and
having sex, Ben decides he wants something different and suggests talking before he and Mrs.
Robinson have sex. The scene reveals the depth of Mrs. Robinson's character as the audience
learns about her sexless, loveless marriage and begins to feel empathy towards her character.
Through the dialogue present in both the screenplay and in the film, Ben pries into Mr. and Mrs.
Robinson's personal life finding out that the two married solely because Mrs. Robinson was
pregnant with Elaine. Ben finds out that once upon a time Mrs. Robinson studied art but
everything changed as she entered this loveless marriage and became an alcoholic.
In the screenplay that information is revealed to the audience with the lights on in the
hotel room while Ben and Mrs. Robinson are getting undressed. Mrs. Robinson has been trying
to take her clothing off one piece at a time but Ben keeps trying to delay her. Ben becomes
amused by Elaine's conception, in a Ford. Mrs. Robinson automatically makes Elaine a taboo
subject. Ben isn't allowed to talk about her and he certainly can never take her out. Mrs.
Robinson climbs into bed while Ben starts to undress. It's here that Ben then accuses her of
thinking he's not good enough for Elaine and immediately starts getting dressed. Mrs. Robinson
sits up, on the edge of the bed, and watches him. The screenplay gets the point across, it gives us
depth to Mrs. Robinson, it shows us that Ben is getting bored of the situation, and it sets up for
future tension with regards to Elaine. However, the film does this and more.
In the film, the scene starts solely in the dark with light coming through the hotel blinds.
Both Ben and Mrs. Robinson are already in bed when Ben leans over her and turns on the
bedside lamp and asks if they could saw a few words before. The conversation that follows is
punctuated by the light cues given to us through the bedside lamp. Mrs. Robinson objects and
turns the lamp back off. The audience is thrown into darkness unable to even see their silhouettes
until Ben leaps out of bed and begins opening the blinds as much as possible as a way to try
regaining control of the situation. The bedside lamp is turned on again and back off quickly as
Mrs. Robinson lights a cigarette. From here, the conversation takes place in the dark forcing the
audience to focus on the dialogue and learn of Mrs. Robinson's past. As she reveals Elaine was
conceived out of wedlock the lights come back on only for her to quickly suggest they should get
to bed. Ben continues his questioning with the lights on demonstrating his power while the lights
are on. Mrs. Robinson decides the talking has gone on for too long and demonstrates her power
of turning the lights off. Immediately after the lights go out, Ben, still in disbelief says, "Old
Elaine Robinson was started in a Ford." the tension is felt immediately as Mrs. Robinson snaps;
she doesn't want Elaine to be mentioned. Ben jokes about asking Elaine out on a date and the
light comes on with Mrs. Robinsons furry as she grabs his head and tells him he isn't allowed to
take Elaine out. From here, Ben gets heated ripping the covers off of Mrs. Robinson beginning a
rant about not being good enough for Elaine because of this affair that he's ashamed of while
getting dressed. Ben continues to rant while Mrs. Robinson continues to lie in bed, her face close
to the camera, with tears beginning to roll down her face.
The differences between the screenplay and the film are subtle. When it comes down to
it, the scene in the film just involves less clothing and less lighting. However, these differences
take a crucial scene with important dialogue and raises the anti making the film more impactful.
The struggle between light vs. dark, conversation vs. sex, Ben vs. Mrs. Robinson comes to a
climax as we see this relationship isn't what Ben actually wants and for the first time shows Ben
trying to take charge as he is about to walk away from the seductress that is Mrs. Robinson. This
scene, in both screenplay and film, creates conflict for the rest of the story. The film raises the
level of conflict through various visual elements such as the scene taking place in bed and the
bedside lamp. It also raises the level of conflict by the angle in which the scene was shot. The
scene is shot in medium close ups which increase the tension as Ben and Mrs. Robinson are in
close proximity. In this scene it is established that no matter what happens between Ben and Mrs.
Robinson, the last thing Mrs. Robinson wants is for Ben to take Elaine out.
III. Date with Elaine
After much persistence on Ben's parent's part, Ben takes Elaine Robinson out on a date.
He does this against his better judgment and against, more importantly, Mrs. Robinson's wishes.
This scene, in both the screenplay and film, starts with Ben trying to ruin the evening and
sabotage the date. Ultimately, the two have a great first date once Ben admits the pretense of the
date was at first to please his parents.
The screenplay starts the date with Ben driving like a maniac. The screenplay cuts to the
two of them inside a fancy restaurant. A waiter asks if it's "dinner for two?" but Ben tells him
only Elaine is eating. Elaine decides she isn't okay with that, telling the returning waiter that
she's changed her mind about wanting dinner. The date cuts to Ben pushing through a crowd of
people into a strip club losing Elaine in the crowd. Ben sits down at a table facing the stage. Ben
instructs Elaine to sit down; she does with her back to the stage. As the show starts up, Elaine
asks Ben if he dislikes her. Ben continues his act of sabotaging the date trying to get Elaine to
turn around and see what the stripper is doing. As the stripper continues to perform, twirling
tassels on her bra, Ben catches her eye and gets her to come over behind Elaine. At this point, the
tassels are now twirling in front of Elaine's face. A drum roll grows and Elaine goes to cover her
eyes. Several cuts quickly take place as Ben see's Elaine's reaction and finally pulls off his
glasses as tears run down her face. These cuts jump back and forth between Ben and Elaine until
Ben reaches forward and puts his hands in the way of the tassels. The stripper objects as Ben
takes Elaine by the arm and leads her out. The screenplay cuts to Ben and Elaine outside on
Sunset Strip. Elaine pushes through the crowd to get away from Ben. Ben finally catches up and
tries to apologize by explaining that the whole date was his parent's idea and he usually doesn't
act this way. Elaine begins to cry again, Ben asks her not too and then decides to go in for a kiss.
Elaine pulls away telling Ben "not here."
The film also starts with Ben driving like a maniac but cuts to Ben and Elaine walking
down Sunset Strip, skipping the dinner scene. Ben leads the way through the crowd with Elaine
falling behind as she follows. Elaine tries several times to get Ben to slow down but he keeps
walking ahead, with sunglasses on, ignoring her. They walk into the strip club as sultry music
plays. Elaine tries to keep her eyes down as they are shown a table directly in front of the stage;
Ben, like in the screenplay, asks Elaine to sit down. The stripper starts dancing behind Elaine,
who has her back to the stage. Ben seems captivated by the stripper. Ben tries to get Elaine to
watch the show when she asks "Ben, do you not like me for some reason? The film follows in
suit with the screenplay as the stripper begins to twirl the tassels on her bra coming closer and
closer to Elaine as Elaine grows more and more upset with the situation. The camera angle cuts
from Ben to Elaine and back again as Ben realizes how hurt Elaine is and ultimately stops the
stripper. They go back out onto Sunset Strip; Ben tries to apologize as Elaine continues pushing
her way through the crowd in a medium long shot. Ben explains the date was his parent's idea
and asks Elaine to stop crying. It's here that Ben goes in for a kiss with Elaine and is successful.
The two major changes between the script and the screenplay lie within the cutting of the
fancy restaurant and Ben getting Elaine to kiss him right after the strip club. The restaurant part
of the date was an unnecessary prelude to what's already a horrific date. With the strip club scene
alone, the audience sees how far Ben was willing to go in order to make their first date horrible.
The screenplay version of the first date prolongs the uncomfortable experience by including the
restaurant. The restaurant interrupts Ben's maniac driving and the strip club as almost a
redeeming part of the night. It's here where Ben has the possibility to be a nice guy unlike while
driving or in the strip club where he is completely rude towards Elaine. By cutting straight from
the driving to the strip club the night gets progressively worse without any hope of it getting
better. This propels both the evening and the film forward. However one good thing does happen
in this scene as the date begins to turn around. In the film Elaine lets Ben kiss him right after all
this without telling him they should wait. This helps to speed up the film and makes the
following scene (the two eating at a drive in with good conversation) more plausible than if one
good thing hadn't happened between them. These changes, together, help push keep the movie
forward and exist for the purpose of narrative economy.
1
5. The Final Scene
The final scene, both the screenplay and the film, ends with Elaine leaving her newly
wedded husband Carl at the altar for Ben. The scenes, although the same setting and general plot,
1
Another key intertextual rupture between the screenplay and film takes place during Ben's drive
to Berkeley in order to convince Elaine to marry him. The screenplay elongates this film creating
a montage with voice over's as Ben acts out potential scenarios that could come from him
marrying Elaine. These voice over's contain Ben coming home after a long day of work to
Elaine, getting married and having Mrs. Robinson as his mother in law, and reminiscing of the
days at the Taft with Mrs. Robinson. The film just shows Ben driving to the Simon and
Garfunkel song "Scarborough Fair." The screenplay illustrates Ben wishes for the outcome of
wanting to marry Elaine but isn't necessary since the audience already knows this is what Ben
would like to have happen.
contain crucial differences that push the film from a classical Hollywood film to a Hollywood
Renaissance film.
The screenplay is set at the wedding starting with Benjamin, face pressed up to the glass
of the church balcony, witnessing Elaine and Carl kiss. This doesn't stop him from pounding on
the glass in order to get Elaine's attention; the attendee's turn to see Ben. Mr. Robinson, Mrs.
Robinson and Carl all have their own reactions to Ben’s presence and even though it’s too late as
Mrs. Robinson puts it, Elaine is captivated by Ben's presence. There are written directions for an
extreme close up to demonstrate Elaine’s inability to hear anyone else, besides Ben, as
everyone's voice has been silenced by his cries for her. From here, Mr. Robinson tries to begin a
fist fight with Ben. Ben only pushes back in defense, eventually warding everyone off so he and
Elaine can run away. Ben and Elaine run away from the church and get on a local bus. Once on
the bus the driver asks "where to?" and Ben says “The End.” Elaine says Benjamin’s name and
they begin to hold hands. The final shot is the wedding party running after the bus.
In the film, the setting remains the same: Elaine and Carl’s wedding. Benjamin has his
face pressed to the glass in the church balcony as he witnesses Carl and Elaine's first wedded
kiss. Ben begins to pound on the glass calling out to Elaine. The main characters react to Ben’s
presence there. Elaine is captivated by Ben’s face. This is where the differences between script
and film begin. There's still an extreme close-up on Carl, Mr. Robinson and Mrs. Robinson's face
to illustrate Elaine's inability to hear anyone else. The screenplay orders this from Carl to Mrs.
Robinson but the film orders it with Mrs. Robinson first and Carl last. This ends the pan of these
people with the gravity of the immediate situation hitting last; Elaine has just married Carl but is
taken by Ben. Again, Mr. Robinson tries to start a fist fight; Ben tries to ward off guests but does
this with a cross to add irony to the situation. The irony of using a cross continues as Ben and
Elaine are able to make their getaway as Ben locks the guests into the church with the cross. The
two, Ben and Elaine, run and get on a local bus. The rest of the film is shot with close ups on
their faces and medium close ups on those around them as Ben and Elaine find their initial
elation turn into "we really just did that, now what?"
Throughout the entire film and screenplay there are countless ruptures. The ending
however, is one of many that fights to differentiate this film from the classical Hollywood
Cinema and bring this movie into the Hollywood Renaissance. This film, along with Bonnie and
Clyde (Penn 1967) started the Hollywood Renaissance. These films were the first of their kind in
Hollywood basing their artistic decisions on films of the French New Wave. These films were
the first to go against the production code and the classical storytelling that Hollywood cinema
had been producing for decades. Both Bonnie and Clyde and The Graduate did all of this first
with no Hollywood based examples. With this in mind, I believe that the screenplay of The
Graduate leaned more towards that of a classical Hollywood story originally. However, the
decisions made to create the intertextual ruptures in existence between the screenplay and the
script push this movie to contain narrative trends and themes of the Hollywood Renaissance.
These intertextual ruptures illustrate the struggle to break away from what was familiar and
create this new era of art films.
The screenplay ending represents a Classical Hollywood ending. It's an ambiguous
ending but not as much as the films. Ben and Elaine have escaped the desires of Mr. and Mrs.
Robinson; Ben has found the thing that will make him happy and remove him from the sterile
society. The dialogue given is cliché and by holding hands this final ending signifies that
everything is going to work out just fine for these two.
The film ending, hits the Hollywood Renaissance target completely since it leaves room
for questions and reality. Elaine and Ben are together but the gravity of them being together hits
them and the audience is allowed to see it. Elaine left her husband. She ran away with Ben,
practically a stranger, on her wedding day. She's run off with someone who has had sex with her
Mother. It's a lot to take in. We see the two through close ups wondering what is going to happen
now? Did we really just do that? We see the thoughts on their faces as the camera lingers leaving
the audience to interpret the characters thoughts and wonder what will happen to the characters.
The film ending gives us several of the narrative trends found within Hollywood Renaissance
films such as: ambiguous ending, ellipse ending, and self-conscious use of cinematic effects,
anti-hero protagonist, male loser, and a sterile society.
IV. Collaborative Authorship
Collaborative authorship can be found throughout a film between several key players. It
looks at the question of authorship within a text. Who made what decisions and why? is one of
the main questions looked at when understanding collaborative authorship. Intertextual ruptures
are just one place in the process of script to the final film the audience sees where collaborative
authorship can take place. Intertextual ruptures are usually decisions made by the editor giving
them authorship of the movie along with the Director.
The intertextual ruptures found within The Graduate, especially the ones focused on in
this paper, are significant enough to be described as moments of collaborative authorship. Sam
O'Steen was the editor on the film and had a long collaborative history with the director, Mike
Nichols. The two worked together on 12 films between 1966- 1994, starting with Who's Afraid
of Virginia Woolf? (O'Steen)
Sam O'Steen's wife, Bobbie O'Steen, went on to write a book called Cut to the Chase to
give audiences insight to the decisions Sam made throughout his career as a Hollywood editor.
This book gave audiences knowledge about several of Sam's movies including The Graduate.
Sam O'Steen has been in charge of a variety of creative decisions that have granted him
authorship on films throughout his career as an editor. (O'Steen)
However, there is no evidence to prove that the intertextual ruptures found between the
screenplay and the films were due to a collaborative authorship between editor, O'Steen, and
director, Nichols. With the amount of intertextual ruptures present between the texts, it's hard to
believe that there were no true moments of collaborative authorship. This leads us to believe
there could be several reasons for these ruptures; mainly that perhaps Nichols did not film what
was in the script, therefore the footage never existed to be edited or if he did film it, it was
Nichols himself who cut it out.
It is often discussed the brilliant yet invisible editing is that's found within the film during
the montage sequences and with the music and footage but none of these address the actual
ruptures. In an interview done by Time Out of Mike Nichols, he exclaims that the camera work
and montages in existence were written into the script; it was not stuff that could be made up on
set or in post production. This claim eliminates the montages from being Steen's ideas and makes
them merely his handiwork. (Nichols Interview)
Conclusion
The Graduate has stood the test of time in the 46 years since its creation. This film has
continued to be relatable for college graduates as they wonder and worry about their future. It's
stood the test of time with jokes such as a family friend telling Ben he needs to go into "plastics"
which goes to show that people were fake and will continue to be fake. This movie started it all,
with its boundary pushing visuals and storytelling techniques that made those who grew up in the
production code era cringe. The Graduate's ending provided the audience with reality as the
gravity of Elaine and Ben running away was left on the screen in painful close ups for the
audience to process. The plot provided humorous twists combing them with the seriousness that
comes with growing up and handling mature situations.
When the movie first came out, Hoffman and Nichols were sent on a college campus tour
at the request of Joe Levine, the executive producer. Their goal was to spread the movie by word
of mouth before it came out. Every college campus was the same; the students couldn't
understand why anyone had created a movie that didn't show outrage towards the war in
Vietnam. Despite all the naysayers before the film came out, it released as a success with people
lining up to get in to see it. The film engaged younger audiences and despite being made on a
budget of $3 million, it brought in $35 million within the first six months being played in only
350 theaters nationwide. (Kashner)
Films have long existed to engage the ideologies found within in a culture during the time
period in which they are created. The Graduate was no different. This film was created in a time
when culture was changing in America. Art films and films within the Hollywood Renaissance
were created to present social values in a new ways exploring sex, ideologies (which were
changing in a time of feminism, civil rights, and race riots) and violence apathy. The Hollywood
Renaissance ran with these ideas starting with The Graduate which helped pave the way and
prove that these movies were necessary and crucial to exist during this time period.
Work Cited
Fear, David. "Mike Nichols on The Graduate." Time Out. Time Out, 10 Apr. 2012. Web.
05 Dec. 2013.
The Graduate. Dir. Mike Nichols. Prod. Lawrence Turman, Richard Sylbert, George R. Nelson,
Harry Maret, Sherry Wilson, Patricia Zipprodt, and Sydney Guilaroff. By Calder
Willingham, Buck Henry, Robert Surtees, Sam O'Steen, Jack Solomon, Paul Simon, and
Dave Grusin. Perf. Buck Henry, Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman, Katherine Ross,
William Daniels, Murray Hamilton, Brian Avery, Norman Fell, Alice Ghostley, and
Marion Lorne. An Embassy Pictures Release, 1967. DVD.
Kashner, Sam. "Here’s to You, Mr. Nichols: The Making of The Graduate." Vanity Fair. N.p.,
Mar. 2008. Web. 04 Dec. 2013.
Ryan, Michaela, and Kelner, Douglas. Films of Late 1960s and early 1970s From
Counterculture to Counterrevolution. Blackwell Publishing LTD, 2010. Print.
O'Steen, Bobbie. "Making the Cut." Bobbie OSteen RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013.
Thomas, Sam. "The Graduate." Best American Screenplays. Complete Screenplays. New
York: Crown, 1986. N. pag. Print.