The Graduate

Factual error: There is a scene with Benjamin Braddock going to Berkeley, but his car is driving on the upper deck of Bay Bridge which only goes in the direction of San Francisco.

Continuity mistake: Mrs. Robinson picks up the phone to call the police on Benjamin who has broken into her house but if you look closely she never dials the phone. (01:35:10)

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Suggested correction: Since we never see the police come in, we're not for sure she actually called them as Mrs. Robinson is known to lie and manipulate. All we hear are tires screeching and as we see no police pursuing him, it's unlikely.

Continuity mistake: When Benjamin is running up the stairs of his rooming house with a stack of presents and a big bouquet of flowers, the flowers are pointing down held by his left hand with the presents in front of him. When he rounds the corner of the stairs, the flowers are upright in front of both him and the presents.

Continuity mistake: Mrs. Robinson runs into the house after Benjamin and the chair and plant at the bottom of the steps on the left of the screen have been moved without anyone being near them. (01:09:05)

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Visible crew/equipment: As Benjamin runs up to the church we see a crew member move something out of the camera's view in the lower left hand portion of the screen. (01:41:15)

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Continuity mistake: As Mrs. Robinson walks into Benjamin's room we see his dart board and someone has been playing between shots as the red dart above the board on the wallpaper moves six lines to the left. (00:06:40)

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Continuity mistake: As Benjamin runs into the Robinson house his feet are soaking wet and they leave several footprints in front of the doorway. When Mrs. Robinson runs in a couple of seconds later the floor is dry. (01:08:55)

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Continuity mistake: Benjamin takes Elaine to the bar at the Taft Hotel. As they leave the bar, both double doors are open as Benjamin walks through but in the next shot we have a different camera angle and only the door on the right is open. (01:04:50)

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Plot hole: In one scene, he's driving from Los Angeles to Berkeley in a hurry, and crosses the bridge again (in the wrong direction). But the most direct route from L.A. to Berkeley doesn't require you to cross the Bay Bridge in EITHER direction.

Continuity mistake: Benjamin says, "Mrs. Robinson you're trying to seduce me" as she plays with her left earring. In the next shot she's not touching her ear but smoking her cigarette. (00:12:25)

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Continuity mistake: Benjamin runs into his apartment building and up the steps holding the flowers towards the floor. In the next shot he's holding the flowers upward. (01:30:25)

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Continuity mistake: Mr. Robinson confronts Benjamin in his apartment about the affair with Mrs. Robinson. As Mr. Robinson sits by the window the lamp shade to his right is dark, later when we see the lamp shade again as he gets ready to leave it's lit up. (01:32:15)

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Continuity mistake: Benjamin follows Elaine and meets up with her on a bus as she's going to the zoo to meet her boyfriend. After Elaine and her boyfriend walk off and leave Benjamin alone he looks over at two monkeys sitting in their cage. The first time we see them they're sitting next to a window, but in the next shot of them we're looking at two different monkeys that are not sitting next to a window. (01:20:25)

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Visible crew/equipment: Benjamin gets angry with Mrs. Robinson and overturns the suitcase that's on the bed. If you look closely the film jumps as he hits the camera when he throws it. (01:35:55)

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Continuity mistake: Benjamin uses the cross that he pulls off the window to keep the wedding guests away from Elaine and himself. Right before they exit the church he charges the bystanders one last time then turns around and holds the cross as if he's going to swing it through the door. In the next shot he's just holding it outstretched in his hands. (01:43:25)

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Continuity mistake: After sitting in the car talking to Elaine's mother Benjamin runs into the Robinson house and up the steps to Elaine's room. Mrs. Robinson follows a couple seconds later and a statue of a poodle at the bottom of the steps is now facing in the opposite direction. (01:08:55)

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Continuity mistake: Mrs. Robinson sits at the bar and asks Benjamin, "Did you know I was an alcoholic?" and the silver shaker bottle with the large ring on top of it moves from the back of the bar to being between Mrs. Robinson and the radio she turns on, on the left wall. A few shots later it moves back again. (00:11:35)

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Revealing mistake: The day after their first date Benjamin drives through the pouring rain to pick up Elaine. If you look closely out the side windows of the car you can see that it's produced by a rain machine, it's actually a beautiful day with the sun shining. (01:07:40)

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Continuity mistake: Benjamin drives around looking for Elaine's wedding and stops at a gas station to use the pay phone. The call goes through and Dr. Smith's answering service says, "657-2036" but if you look closely that's not the phone number that we see him dial. (01:39:10)

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Continuity mistake: Benjamin breaks into the Robinson's house and runs upstairs looking for Elaine but finds Mrs. Robinson instead. As she picks up the phone to call the police we see nothing on the bed except a blue pillow. In the next shot there's a lot of other things now covering the blue pillow. (01:35:15)

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Buck Henry: Are you here for an affair, sir?

More quotes from The Graduate

Trivia: After Elaine screams and landlord Norman Fell comes to Benjamin's door, one of the boarding-house kids asks, "Should I get the cops?" Look closely: That kid is Richard Dreyfus.

More trivia for The Graduate

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