The Graduate, dir. Mike Nichols, 1967, 106 min

The Heartbreak Kid, dir. Elaine May, 1972, 106 min

There will be free concessions and a 15-minute intermission between the films.

Mike Nichols and Elaine May made indelible contributions not only to the world of improv comedy through their “Nichols and May” act of the late 1950s and early 1960s, but also as writers and directors in theater and film, showcasing their collective and individual penchants for biting social satire of American life in the second half of the 20th century.  The Graduate depicts the misadventures of Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) as he meanders and bulldozes through his life after college, getting entangled in an adulterous affair with Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), only to fall in love with her daughter Elaine (Katharine Ross).  In many ways a feminist critique of The Graduate, May’s The Heartbreak Kid centers its story around Lenny Cantrow (Charles Grodin), a self-obsessed sporting goods salesman who recklessly abandons his new wife, Lila (Jeannie Berlin), to pursue a relationship with Kelly (Cybill Sheperd), all the while jettisoning his Jewishness in the process.

Cosponsored with the Jewish Studies Program