Rumour has it in the film of the same name, directed by Rob Reiner from the screenplay by Ted Griffin, that Charles Webb based his novel ‘The Graduate’ on the experiences of a well to do Pasadena family, the Huttinger’s. The Huttinger women found themselves at the prey of a charismatic man who had affairs with both mother and daughter.
Jennifer Aniston plays the lead, Sarah, one of two granddaughters’ in the Huttinger family, who is not comfortable with the ‘Graduate’ tag that her family have to bear. She goes into a panic when her fiancé Jeff Daly mentions that it is possible that she may be the actual daughter of the legendary womaniser. She has found out that her mother had one last fling with him, before she got married, and that she may have been impregnated by him. Thus begins Sarah’s main journey, to track down the womaniser and find out if he is in fact her father.
I found rich pickings in this very watchable film. They included Reiner’s deft touch with romantic comedy, an intriguing storyline, some sharp dialogue, the intimate touch of cinematographer Peter Deming’s work, a good soundtrack that included pieces by Paul Simon, Dave Grusin and Mark Knopfler, and most of all some fine performances by the cast. Jennifer Aniston was great in the lead. Aniston kept audiences engaged with her character’s difficult journey. There was such a warmth and unpretentiousness about her performance. She also captured character’s commitment angst well, as Sarah was unsure whether to make that final commitment to her fiancé.
As Aniston’s nemesis, Kevin Costner was strong as the dot com millionaire Beau Burroughs. Costner was very convincing in his portrayal of a charming lecherous man, cutting a swathe through three generations of women. His character was perfectly captured when, on impulse, he takes Sarah on his private jet to a ballroom party he has been invited to.
The richest of all the pickings was Shirley Maclaine’s performance as the grandmum Katherine Richelieu. She got down pat the assertive, no- nonsense, feisty nature of her archetypal young grandmother character. Her timing was spot on, and she delivered on some of the film’s best lines. When Sarah comes to her front door and explains her anguished state, Maclaine delivers the lines , ‘Come in. I’ll put on a pot of bourbon’, with verve.