The Graduate Page #7

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MRS. ROBINSON

Well?

He clears his throat and then he kisses her.

BEN:

Well.

MRS. ROBINSON

Benjamin.

BEN:

Yes?

MRS. ROBINSON

I'll get undressed now. Is that all

right?

BEN:

Sure. Shall I - I mean shall I just

stand here? I mean - I don't know

what you want me to do.

MRS. ROBINSON

Why don't you watch?

BEN:

Oh - sure. Thank you.

She takes off her jacket.

MRS. ROBINSON

Will you bring me a hanger?

BEN:

What?

MRS. ROBINSON

A hanger.

Ben opens the closet door.

BEN:

Oh - yes. Wood?

MRS. ROBINSON

What?

BEN:

Wood or wire? They have both.

MRS. ROBINSON

Either one will be fine.

BEN:

Okay.

He brings her a hanger. She puts her jacket on it.

MRS. ROBINSON

Will you help me with this,

please?

She turns her back.

BEN:

Certainly.

He undoes the zipper at her neck.

MRS. ROBINSON

Thank you.

BEN:

You're welcome.

She turns and looks at him. He backs away.

MRS. ROBINSON

Would this be easier for you

in the dark?

BEN:

Mrs. Robinson - I can't do

this.

MRS. ROBINSON

You what?

BEN:

This is all terribly wrong.

MRS. ROBINSON

Benjamin - do you find me undesirable?

BEN:

Oh no, Mrs. Robinson. I think -

I think you're the most attractive

of all my parents' friends.

I just don't think we could

possibly --

MRS. ROBINSON

Are you afraid of me?

BEN:

No - but look - maybe we could

do something else together,

Mrs. Robinson - would you like

to go to a movie.

MRS. ROBINSON

Benjamin, is this your first time?

BEN:

Is this - what?

MRS. ROBINSON

It is, isn't it? It is your

first time.

BEN:

That's a laugh, Mrs. Robinson.

That's really a laugh. Ha ha.

MRS. ROBINSON

You can admit that, can't you?

BEN:

Are you kidding?

MRS. ROBINSON

It's nothing to be ashamed of -

BEN:

Wait a minute!

MRS. ROBINSON

On your first time -

BEN:

Who said it was my first time.

MRS. ROBINSON

That you're afraid -

BEN:

Wait a minute.

MRS. ROBINSON

- of bring - inadequate - I mean

just because you happen to be

inadequate in one way -

BEN:

INADEQUATE!

LONG pause.

MRS. ROBINSON

(starting to dress)

BEN:

Don't move.

He slams the bathroom door shut. The light in the room

disappears.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

62EXT. BRADDOCK BACKYARD AND POOL AREA - DAY

The midsummer sun beats down on the Braddock swimming pool

and on Ben who lies on a rubber raft in the middle of the

pool. Ben wears dark glasses, is deeply tanned, and holds

a beer can in one hand.

SOUNDS:
teenagers YELLING and swimming in nearby pools;

a radio PLAYING rock and roll; a television set TUNED to

a ball game.

DISSOLVE TO:

63CLOSER SHOT - BEN

drifting.

DISSOLVE TO:

64CLOSER ANGLE ON BEN

drifting.

DISSOLVE TO:

65CLOSE SHOT - BEN

SOUND of the back door CLOSING. Ben opens his eyes and

moves his head slightly.

66WHAT HE SEES

Mr. Braddock is passionately stoking a barbeque fire. Mrs.

Braddock is going toward him from the house, carrying some

ominously large thing wrapped in tinfoil.

67SHOT - BEN

He rolls off the raft and swims to the end of the pool. He

climbs out, walks to the back door, takes his shirt from a

chair and starts to put it on as he opens the back door and

goes through.

68INT. SPECIAL SET - TAFT HOTEL ROOM

Ben has just shut the door to the bathroom behind him. He

is wearing his shirt, buttoned, and no trousers.

PAN WITH BEN as he walks across the room past Mrs. Robinson

who is standing in front of the bureau taking off her brace-

let and watch. He moves to a chair and sits.

He picks up a cigarette from an ashtray on a table next

to the chair. Mrs. Robinson moves in to Ben, kneels in

front of him and starts to unbutton his shirt.

He takes the cigarette out of his mouth.

69INT. SPECIAL SET - BRADDOCK DEN AND DINING ROOM - NIGHT

SHOT - NEW ANGLE

We now see behind Ben the door that leads from the Braddock

den, in which Ben is sitting. In the dining room, Mr.

and Mrs. Braddock are sitting, having their dinner, looking

through the doorways toward Ben. Ben stands, crosses back

to the door to the den and shuts it.

70INT. BRADDOCK DEN - NIGHT - REVERSE

On Ben's back as he returns to the chair and sits. A

television set, facing the chair, is on. Ben picks up a

can of beer and drinks from it. An animated cartoon is

playing on the television set. Ben watches it.

71REVERSE

Ben's face, watching. PUSH IN to CLOSEUP of his face.

72REVERSE

CLOSEUP of television set and cartoon.

73REVERSE

Ben watching.

74REVERSE

CLOSEUP test pattern.

CUT TO:

75INT. TAFT HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

CLOSEUP Ben watching. PULL BACK and we are in the Taft

Hotel Room. Ben is sitting on the bed, leaning against

the headboard, watching the television set which is on a

stand facing the bed.

SOUND of the HUM of the test pattern.

PULL BACK to a WIDE SHOT of the room, lit only by the light

from the television set. Mrs. Robinson walks into the shot,

half dressed. She passes between Ben and the television

set and goes out of frame. Ben continues to stare at the set.

SOUND of a ZIPPER being pulled up.

Mrs. Robinson appears again and passes the other way.

SOUND of BRACELETS being put on.

Mrs. Robinson passes back the other way again.

SOUND of CLOTHING being put on and a PURSE being snapped

closed. Mrs. Robinson, now fully dressed and carrying

her purse, passes through again and, without looking at

Ben, goes to the door of the hotel room, opens it and

exits.

76INT. BENS' ROOM - CLOSEUP - BEN - DAY

SOUND of DOOR closing. Follow Ben as he gets up and moves

to the windows of what is now his BEDROOM in the Braddock

house. He opens the closed blinds over the window. The

sun is bright outside. His bathing suit is on the window

sill. He takes the suit and puts it on. He moves to

the bedroom door, opens it and goes out.

77OMITTED

78EXT. BRADDOCK BACKYARD AND POOL AREA - DAY

We see Mrs. Braddock in the kitchen. Ben comes through

the back door, moves to the pool and dives in. The raft

floats in the center of the pool.

79SHOT - UNDERWATER

Ben swims toward us the length of the pool.

80SHOT - AT THE WATERLINE

Ben surfaces and, in one movememt, pulls himself up on

the raft and -

CUT TO:

81INT. TAFT HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

- lands on top of Mrs. Robinson on the bed. He stays

on top of her for a moment.

MR. BRADDOCK'S VOICE

Ben - what are you doing?

Ben turns toward us and looks.

CUT TO:

82EXT. BRADDOCK BACKYARD AND POOL AREA - DAY

SHOT - POV OF BEN ON RAFT

Mr. Braddock standing by the side of the pool. The

sun is behind him.

BEN'S VOICE

Well - I would say that I'm

just drifting.

CUT TO:

83SHOT - BEN ON RAFT

BEN:

- here - in the pool.

MR. BRADDOCK

Why?

BEN:

Well - it's very comfortable -

just to drift here.

MR. BRADDOCK

Have you thought about graduate

school?

BEN:

No.

MR. BRADDOCK

Would you mind telling me then -

what were those four years of

college for? What was the point

of all that hard work?

BEN:

You got me.

MR. BRADDOCK

(trying unsuccessfully

to control himself)

Now listen, Ben. I think it's

a very good thing that a young

man - after he's done some very

good work - should have a chance

to relax and enjoy himself, and

lie around, and drink beer and

so on. But after a few weeks

I believe that person would

want to take some stock in him-

self and his situation and start

to think about getting off his

ass.

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