When the soundtrack for Mike Nichols’ groundbreaking film, The Graduate, hit record stores on January 21, 1968, it wasn’t just another movie tie-in. It shot straight to the top of the US album charts, becoming a cultural phenomenon that redefined how music could interact with cinema. This wasn’t a splashy musical extravaganza like West Side Story, which holds the record for an astounding 54 weeks at No. 1. Nor was it the latest offering from soundtrack titans like The Beatles or Elvis Presley. The Graduate did something different, something innovative. It harnessed the evocative folk-pop of Simon & Garfunkel to amplify the film’s poignant, often satirical, narrative about youthful disillusionment and societal hypocrisy, all anchored by the now-iconic “Mrs. Robinson song the graduate.”
The Unconventional Soundtrack Approach of The Graduate
The Graduate dared to use pre-existing songs by Simon & Garfunkel as a core element of its storytelling. This was a bold move. Instead of commissioning a traditional film score, director Mike Nichols, already acclaimed for his debut Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, integrated the duo’s music to act as a subtle Greek chorus, commenting on the inner turmoil of Benjamin Braddock, the film’s protagonist. Benjamin, played by a young Dustin Hoffman in a career-defining role, finds himself adrift after college graduation and entangled in an affair with the seductive Mrs. Robinson, portrayed by Anne Bancroft. This unconventional approach set a new precedent for movie soundtracks, moving away from mere background music to become an integral part of the film’s emotional landscape.
Nichols, a genuine admirer of Simon & Garfunkel, initially sought new compositions from them. However, Paul Simon, the songwriting half of the duo, was a meticulous creator. Despite producer Lawrence Turman’s efforts to secure original tracks, Simon only managed to complete “Punky’s Dilemma,” a song ultimately deemed unsuitable for the film by Nichols. Undeterred, Nichols and his editor, Sam O’Steen, creatively used existing Simon & Garfunkel tracks as temporary music while editing the film. These “temp tracks” included “The Sound of Silence,” their 1965 breakthrough hit; “Scarborough Fair/Canticle”; “The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine”; and “April Come She Will.”
These pre-existing songs weren’t just placeholders; they became the soul of the film. The opening scene, with Benjamin’s weary journey on the airport’s moving walkway, is almost inseparable from the melancholic strains of “The Sound of Silence.” Similarly, the montage sequences depicting Benjamin’s ennui at his poolside home and his clandestine rendezvous with Mrs. Robinson are powerfully underscored by “Silence” and “April Come She Will.” This deliberate and sparing use of music, contrasted with long stretches of dialogue and natural sound, amplified the impact of each musical cue. Composer David Grusin contributed incidental music, but primarily for diegetic moments – music within the scene itself, like a band at a strip club or a hotel orchestra. The overall sonic sparseness of The Graduate made the Simon & Garfunkel songs resonate even more deeply.
The Genesis of “Mrs. Robinson” Song
As The Graduate neared completion, Nichols felt something was still missing musically – a thematic anchor. Serendipitously, Paul Simon had a fragment of a song, a catchy tune he had tentatively titled “Mrs. Roosevelt,” inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt. Nichols recognized the potential immediately. With a lyrical pivot to fit the film’s narrative, “Mrs. Roosevelt” morphed into “Mrs. Robinson,” becoming the film’s defining musical motif.
The version of “Mrs. Robinson” initially heard in The Graduate is just a snippet, primarily the chorus with placeholder lyrics, most famously the “deet-da-dee-dee” refrain. This unfinished quality somehow added to its charm and intrigue. Yet, it was this very fragment of “Mrs. Robinson” that ignited the film’s final act. The song’s driving acoustic guitar chords and rising tempo propel Benjamin’s frantic cross-California dash in his Alfa Romeo as he races to stop Elaine Robinson’s wedding. In a masterstroke of cinematic and musical synergy, the song slows and abruptly cuts out as Benjamin’s car runs out of gas just before reaching the church. This perfect marriage of sound and image cemented “Mrs. Robinson” as an iconic piece of movie music history. The film concludes with the reunited Benjamin and Elaine on a bus, their uncertain future hanging in the air, accompanied by a reprise of “The Sound of Silence,” bringing the soundtrack full circle.
“Mrs. Robinson” and Soundtrack’s Enduring Legacy
Fueled significantly by the evocative power of Simon & Garfunkel’s music, which offered a counterpoint to the film’s social commentary, The Graduate became a massive box office success and catapulted Dustin Hoffman to stardom. Audiences, captivated by Simon’s songs, eagerly purchased the soundtrack album. It dominated the No. 1 spot for nine weeks, sold over two million copies, and earned Simon and Grusin a Grammy Award for Best Original Score in 1969.
Public appetite for “Mrs. Robinson” was far from satiated by the soundtrack snippet. While the album was still reigning supreme, Simon & Garfunkel entered the studio in early February 1968 to record a complete, lyrically fleshed-out, and instrumentally richer version of the song. Released as a single in April 1968, “Mrs. Robinson” soared to No. 1 on the pop singles chart for three weeks. That same month, it was included on their album Bookends, which directly succeeded The Graduate soundtrack at No. 1, giving Simon & Garfunkel a remarkable 16 consecutive weeks at the top of the album charts in 1968. Only The Beatles surpassed them that year with 17 weeks in total. This phenomenal success, born from a movie about a directionless young man “just drifting,” solidified the lasting impact of “Mrs. Robinson song the graduate” and The Graduate soundtrack in popular culture.
