I've talked with lots of boys who like it because they think it's a great coming-of-age story about a guy trying to deal with a fucked-up, hypocritical society - and girls! (Which it is.) They think it's funny, and true. They really like the hero. I read a review once wherein the author focused a lot of attention on this one moment, early on, where Ben finally realizes what Mrs. Robinson's doing and calls her on it: "You're trying to seduce me... Aren't you?" The reviewer found that so excruciatingly hilarious, and tied it in with his own experiences. I think that "wait, is she into me?" moment is pretty universal for awkward boys, and probably helps boy viewers really connect with the Ben character. However, it is completely impossible for me to connect with the Ben character, because he is the stupidest, most boring, narcissistic character ever. He's essentially a less interesting version of Dan from "Gossip Girl." He's the worst.
Except that he's played by Dustin Hoffman, who is thinking that he is Charlie Chapman on autism. Before Ben loses his virginity - and it takes him forty minutes to do so - he's bumbling and up-his-own-ass and cute and shallow. For the first forty minutes, Ben isn't exactly likable, but he's kind of adorable. You can see why Mrs. Robinson would want to do him. But once he has sex, he gains confidence, becomes even more up-his-own-ass, and continues treating others like they're beneath him. His whole thing, with his parents, everybody, is like, "I'm young, I'm a college graduate, I'm smart enough to worry about my future while you're old and stuck and dumb, so I don't have to be nice to you." He's not even nice to Mrs. Robinson! There's a ten minute sequence following their first tryst where time passes while she walks around in different bras, getting ready for him, and he reclines, silently, waiting, thinking vaguely about politics and his future. Which is hilarious. We all know jerks like this, and a jerk with a soaring emotional soundtrack is a great conceit.
Then Ben gets even more lame! He starts interrogating Mrs. Robinson about how shitty her life is. Eventually she tells him she had to get married because she was pregnant. Ben's reaction is, "Well, I never thought of you and Mr. Robinson as the kind of people... Was he a law student at the time?" He keeps asking horrible, insensitive questions until he finds out Mrs. Robinson is a college graduate herself, who had been interested in art until she wound up stuck, married and pregnant and upper-middle class. Ben's reaction to this is to ask more horrible, insensitive questions about the Robinsons' sex life. The scene ends with him talking about asking Mrs. Robinson's daughter out on a date. "Well, why shouldn't I? I'm good enough for you but not good enough to associate with your daughter? You go to hell!" Mrs. Robinson is naked in this scene, by the way. It is always best to yell at people when they're literally naked, emotionally vulnerable, and lying down while you are dressed and standing and bigger than them. That's the best. The two do reconcile; Ben decides, aloud, that their argument was the result of their failure to connect - "Let's not talk anymore," he says.
And then in the very next scene, Ben asks Mrs. Robinson's kid, Elaine, out on a date! Mrs. Robinson is so mad, but instead of telling Elaine he is sick and can't go out with her, Ben decides to just drive really recklessly and then take Elaine to a strip club to humiliate her. She starts to cry, and then he starts to comfort her, and they talk about him, and have a good time. See? If Mrs. Robinson had just cried when Ben was mean to her, Ben would've felt like he had all the control and then he would've been nice. Ben being nice means him talking a lot about himself while you listen, preferably respectfully.
The talking thing is kind of interesting. With everybody but the two Robinson ladies, Ben is basically mute. Shh, he's THINKING. Shh, you're not good enough for Ben to even attempt communication. Shh, stop trying to control Ben by making him talk! In the first bit, Mrs. Robinson does try opening up to Ben, which he finds frightening. Then, because she's smart, Mrs. Robinson doesn't want to talk to Ben at all. Ben has to seize control of the situation by trying to force inappropriate conversation out of Mrs. Robinson - so he can fully understand her, so he can have the upper hand. In that scene, Mrs. R lets him get a little bit of information out of her - she's lonely, he's interested - but never lets his shitty personality get to her too much. She won't cry when he upsets her. She even gives him the perception of control: "Would you like me to leave?" she asks, humbly. But they both know Mrs. Robinson is fully in charge of their relationship. Elaine, however, is someone Ben can control: she's interested in him, and young, and vulnerable. She will cry. Which is why, in the space of like half an hour of meeting her, Ben falls in love with Elaine. Because, he's a prick. A hilarious, autistic prick!
Anyway, that night Ben takes Elaine to the hotel he always goes to with Mrs. Robinson! And then he breaks up with Mrs. Robinson and tells her he's going to start dating Elaine! And then everything goes to hell and Elaine finds out about Ben and Mrs. Robinson and cries again! And then Ben has a big think and listens to "Scarborough Fair," wherein the singer tells his friend to go see the singer's ex and "tell her to make me [things]," which will cause the ex to take him back. Of course! So Ben decides he's going to marry Elaine? "She doesn't know about it," he tells his parents, "It's a decision I've made." What are you thinking, Ben? Is that even what you really want? You barely know each other! No need to argue, parents just don't understand!
And so Ben moves to Berkley to stalk Elaine. And even though she's ecstatically engaged to some blond/bland collegiate ("How did he ask you?" "He said he thought we'd make a good team"), she hangs out with Ben and makes out with Ben and tells him she'll marry him. Of course? Because, they have such a great connection, what with her listening to him speaking all the time. Also, she's a genius. Also... he's really pretty.
So then Mr. Robinson breaks into Ben's apartment and waits for him to get home. When Ben gets in, Mr. Robinson asks if Ben resents him, and Ben says no. "But you don't respect me." And here's the big pay-off moment: Ben says, "No." Ben does not respect his oppressors. Ben hates everything his parents and their generation stand for. ESPECIALLY PLASTICS. Plastics are the worst, what with their corporations and conservative politics and OPPRESSION! So Mr. Robinson leaves, jumping over furniture, fearful of the winds of change that Ben represents. Hypocritical society is so easy to overturn, thank goodness!
So then there's the chase scene, and Ben finds Elaine right after she's said "I Do" to her whatever-beloved, the blond guy, and then, obviously, Elaine screams at her mom and runs off with Ben and realizes she's made a terrible mistake. Hurray!
This is the greatest movie ever made. Its quick edits, comic-book-to-movie edits, music-video montages with their big emotional swells, acting, everything - fucking "Home Alone"-times-fourteen with the quality. Anne Bancroft is beautiful and everything I want to be when I am thirty. Dustin Hoffman is the best actor ever (free pass for things like "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" FOR LIFE). Katherine Ross... has the best eyeliner of the past forty years. Everything is perfect. The only thing is, you should not, for any reason, like the Ben character. He is a satire! He is the worst! Except that he is the best, because he is in this movie.
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