The Graduate 🎓
Happy Thursday! This is the 100th edition of the Smash Cut newsletter!! Thank you to the almost one-thousand of you for your support. I love movies and sharing them with you has been a joy for the last 99 editions. If you know anyone that might be interested, please share the newsletter with them:
In honor, today’s recommendation is the movie that got me into this obsession, Mike Nichols’ The Graduate (1967), streaming on Hulu.
Here’s what it’s about: Shortly after graduating from college, Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) feels aimless and unsure of what to do with his future. Instead, he avoids it by striking up an affair with an older married woman, Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), that becomes complicated when he becomes involved with her daughter Elaine (Katharine Ross). [Trailer // 129 mins]
Why you should watch it: Every shot, every line of dialogue, every cut, every song cue in The Graduate has meaning and intention—and Nichols is mercifully transparent with his intentions. Every directorial decision he makes is well-considered and in service of the story, which is why he allows you to deconstruct exactly what he’s trying to say. Truly, it is a masterclass in using cinematic language to tell a compelling narrative, in this case, the confusing time after college where you wait for life to begin. As the aimless Ben struggles to find purpose and meaning, Nichols portrays him as both literally and figuratively drowning under the expectations.
However, like all of his films, Nichols strikes a balance between drama and comedy that very few filmmakers have been able to recreate successfully—Noah Baumbach perhaps has come the closest. His comedy is so based in character that it never feels overly ridiculous, even when it is—and it’s timeless because of it. Even though I’ve seen this movie a dozen times, I still laugh at every perfectly timed joke and line delivery. Coupled with its iconic Simon & Garfunkel soundtrack, The Graduate maintains its title as one of my favorite movies ever made.
🍷 Pair it with:
The Half of It (dir. Alice Wu)
Lady Bird (dir. Greta Gerwig)
📺 Buy or Rent: Prime Video | iTunes | YouTube
More movies, less problems
Favorite movie recommendations
Since this is the 100th edition, I thought it’d be the perfect time to recap my twenty-five favorite recommendations (so far). Reply with your favorites! In alphabetical order:
Annihilation (2018)
Arrival (2016)
Black Christmas (1974)
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
Columbus (2017)
The Conversation (1974)
Ex Machina (2015)
The Farewell (2019)
The First Wives Club (1996)
The Florida Project (2017)
Good Time (2017)
The Graduate (1967)
Her (2013)
Hereditary (2018)
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
The King of Comedy (1982)
Lady Bird (2017)
Moonlight (2016)
Moonstruck (1987)
The Nice Guys (2016)
Paris is Burning (1990)
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
Support the Girls (2018)
Trick r’ Treat (2007)
Zodiac (2007)
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making writing this newsletter a true joy. Stay safe, stay sane and take care of each other.
See you Monday —
Karl (@karl_delo)