March 30th, 2005
Some parts of The Graduate were vaguely familiar, through many of the scenes being featured in some parody or the other. That’s the long lasting legacy of the parody; you probably wont understand all of the humour first time around, obviously parody relies on you having seen the original in the first place, and when you eventually see the original it’s all the more funnier. Although saying that, I just guffaw like an idiot all the way through Wayne’s World and Wayne’s World II without understanding much – so they were making fun of The Graduate in that Presbyterian Church scene at the end. Knowing that ties up yet another loose end in my life that I didn’t realise was there.
Are you trying to seduce me Mrs Robinson?
Music was very impressive in this film, I have three words: Simon and Garfunkel. Great stuff. Having only ever listened to the instrumental version of “The Sound of Silence” by Hank Marvin on his album “Marvin at the Movies”, it was a nice surprise to hear the original.
Noteable cast mentions are Dustin Hoffman, who played the bumbling “Benjamin Braddock” perfectly, and Ben Murphy who said about two lines in the film, but I recognised him from Alias Smith and Jones so I typed it just to say so.
I suppose we can all connect with that kind of malaise feeling of just wondering what to do, what you’re supposed to do. I’ve got some exams coming up that are supposed to “determine my future” and I’ll just get on with them, although I don’t like people saying it is the exams that determine my future - I do that. I’m going to stay in non-compulsory education for a significant time yet, so I’ll eventually be posting about when I’m The Graduate. The inaction kind of ‘laissez faire’ when you’re not content bothers me a great deal when it strikes, although I do find it strengthens my conviction when I can be bothered to do things, which is every once in a while.
February 3rd, 2007 at 9:40 pm
[…] I first got into The Shins in 2005 after watching Garden State. The twenties version of sixties The Graduate, to which it nods its head subtly with the inclusion of The Only Living Boy in New York. Like many people, my favourite song was New Slang, so I promptly bought the “Oh, Inverted World” CD and was treated to something more unusual than what I had expected, but still wonderful. […]