Overheard a couple arguing about the ending of 'The Graduate' at the coffee shop

The guy said he always thought Ben should have just gotten on the bus alone at the end, looking unsure but finally free. It made me think about how that one change would shift the whole movie's point from a romantic rush to a story about choosing yourself. What's a movie ending you'd rewrite to be more about a character finding independence?

3 comments

3 Comments

river_adams253mo ago

Wait, didn't he already ditch her at the altar to be alone?

riley_ramirez813mo ago

Yeah exactly. He's just repeating the same pattern over and over.

drew_grant521mo ago

The bus ending would make a weaker movie, honestly. Ben running off with Elaine shows that the whole point was he finally found something worth being reckless for, not that he needed to be alone to find himself. @river_adams25 is right that he already chose her over his parents and her parents, so getting on that bus by himself would just be him running away again. The confusion on their faces at the end is what makes it stick - it's not a happy ending, it's a real one where you wonder if they'll even stay together.