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===Critical response===
''The Graduate'' was met with generally positive reviews from critics upon its release. A.D. Murphy of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' and [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' praised the film, with Murphy describing it as a "delightful satirical comedy-drama" <ref name="variety">{{cite news |title=Film Reviews—The Graduate |url=https://variety.com/1967/film/reviews/the-graduate-1117791319/ |author=A.D. Murphy |work=Variety |publisher=Variety.com |date=December 18, 1967 |accessdate=March 15, 2018}}</ref> and Ebert claiming it was the "funniest American comedy of the year".<ref name="ebert">{{cite news |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19671226/REVIEWS/712260301/1023 |title=The Graduate |first=Roger |last=Ebert |work=Chicago Sun-Times |date=December 26, 1967 |accessdate=2011-04-13}}</ref> However, ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' critic [[Richard Schickel]] felt the film "starts out to satirize the alienated spirit of modern youth, does so with uncommon brilliance for its first half, but ends up selling out to the very spirit its creators intended to make fun of... It's a shame-- they were halfway to something wonderful when they skidded on a patch of [[Brylcreem|greasy kid stuff]]." [[Pauline Kael]] wondered, "How could you convince them [younger viewers] that a movie that sells innocence is a very commercial piece of work when they're so clearly in the market to buy innocence?"<ref>Gray, Beverly, Seduced by Mrs. Robinson, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2017, pg. 166-167</ref>
Modern critics continue to praise the film, if not always with the same ardor. For the film's thirtieth anniversary reissue, Ebert retracted some of his previous praise for the film, noting that he felt its time had passed and that he now had more sympathy for Mrs. Robinson than Benjamin (whom he considered "an insufferable creep"), viewing one's sympathy for Mrs. Robinson and disdainful attitude toward Ben as a function of aging and wisdom.<ref name="ebert30">{{cite news |title=The Graduate |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970328/REVIEWS/703280304/1023 |first=Roger |last=Ebert |work=Chicago Sun-Times |date=March 28, 1997 |accessdate=2011-04-13}}</ref> He, along with [[Gene Siskel]], gave the film a positive if unenthusiastic review on the television program ''[[At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper|Siskel & Ebert]]''.<ref name=siskel>{{cite episode |series=Siskel & Ebert at the Movies |url=http://siskelandebert.org/video/2XNKBRRX1HXR/LiarLiar--Crash--Selena--The-Graduate-1997 |airdate=March 22, 1997 |season=11 |number=28 |publisher=Siskel&Ebert.org |title=LiarLiar / Crash / Selena / The Graduate (1997) |minutes=3:40 |transcript=TV.com: Siskel & Ebert at the Movies Season 11 Episode 28 |transcripturl=http://www.tv.com/shows/siskel-and-ebert-at-the-movies/week-of-march-22-1997-1226197/ |accessdate=2014-03-03}}</ref> Furthermore, the film's rating in the AFI list of the greatest American films fell from 7th in 1997 to 17th in the 2007 update. Lang Thompson, however, argued that "it really hasn't dated much".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/121604%7C88172/The-Graduate.html|title=The Graduate|last=Thompson|first=Lang|publisher=Turner Classic Movies, Inc.|accessdate=February 16, 2017}}</ref>
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