Upcoming Aperitivo events July 24 19 | 19.45 Happy hour 20.45 THE GRADUATE

When The Graduate hit screens in 1967, it was like drinking a martini in a world of soda pop—cool, sharp, and totally unexpected. Mike Nichols’ direction, paired with Simon & Garfunkel’s wistful soundtrack, captured the disillusionment of a generation with wry elegance.

Dustin Hoffman’s Benjamin Braddock—adrift, awkward, and seduced into adulthood—felt refreshingly real compared to the square-jawed heroes that populated the majority of studio releases until then. Moreover, The Graduate rewrote the rulebook: it toyed with narrative structure, embraced visual storytelling, and skewered the suburban dream with a knowing smirk.

Cinephiles still swoon over its daring cinematography (the scuba suit shot is an all-timer) and razor-sharp editing. More than just a coming-of-age tale, The Graduate cracked Hollywood’s doors to let in a new wave of auteurs, who would get a chance to prove that films could be smart, stylish, and subversively sexy. To wit: almost six decades later, we’re still asking: Mrs. Robinson, are you trying to seduce us? Yes, she is—and we’re still thrilled to reply in the affirmative.

The Graduate is getting a very well-deserved re-release, and to celebrate this joyous occasion, we’ve selected it as our Cinecenter Aperitivo film for July 24. The film starts at 20.45, but make sure you join us for Happy Hour from 19.45!