Seduced by Mrs. Robinson (ePub)

An in-depth look at the making of the classic movie and its effect on filmmaking and society.

WhenThe Graduatepremiered in December 1967, its filmmakers had only modest expectations for what seemed to be a small, sexy art-house comedy adapted from an obscure first novel by an eccentric twenty-four-year-old. There was little indication that this offbeat story-a young man just out of college has an affair with one of his parents' friends and then runs off with her daughter-would turn out to be a monster hit, with an extended run in theaters and seven Academy Award nominations.

The film catapulted an unknown actor, Dustin Hoffman, to stardom with a role that is now permanently engraved in our collective memory. While turning the wordplasticsinto shorthand for soulless work and a corporate, consumer culture,The Graduatesparked a national debate about what was starting to be called "the generation gap."

In celebration of the film's fiftieth birthday, author Beverly Gray offers a smart close reading of the film as well as vivid, never-before-revealed details from behind the scenes of the production-including all the behind-the-scenes drama and decision-making. For movie buffs and pop culture fanatics,Seduced by Mrs. RobinsonilluminatesThe Graduate's huge influence on the future of filmmaking. And it explores how this unconventional movie rocked the late-sixties world, both reflecting and changing the era's views of sex, work, and marriage.

An Amazon Best Book of the Month

"[Gray] writes smartly and insightfully.... The book ... offers a fascinating look at how this movie tells a timeless story." -The Washington Post