Dustin Hoffman returned to the stage at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on Saturday to introduce a special screening of The Graduate, reflecting on the film that launched his career while drawing parallels between the social divisions of the 1960s and the United States today.
The screening came a day after the 88-year-old actor received the festival’s Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema during the opening ceremony of the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Hoffman was greeted by another standing ovation inside the Grand Hall of Hotel Thermal before speaking about the Oscar-nominated 1967 classic and its enduring legacy.
Directed by Mike Nichols, The Graduate stars Hoffman as Benjamin Braddock, a recent college graduate struggling to find direction after returning home from university, whose affair with the older Mrs. Robinson becomes one of cinema’s most memorable relationships. The film earned Hoffman his first Academy Award nomination and helped define the New Hollywood era, alongside its iconic soundtrack by Simon & Garfunkel.
Hoffman says The Graduate still speaks to today’s audiences
Asked whether The Graduate continues to resonate with younger viewers nearly six decades after its release, Hoffman argued that the film’s themes remain strikingly relevant.
“The book on which the film was based was written in 1964, before the Vietnam crisis, which divided America,” Hoffman said during the discussion. “Just as America is divided today.”
He suggested that the uncertainty experienced by Benjamin Braddock is something that transcends generations.
“I don’t think we know who we are when we are in our early 20s,” Hoffman said. “The idea is that we spend years trying to find out who am I, and I think I’m still trying to find out.”
The actor also reflected on the generational tensions explored in the film, arguing that Benjamin’s parents belonged to a generation shaped by hardship during the Great Depression.
“The parents were coming out of the Great Depression when no one could get a job,” Hoffman said. “Instead of giving themselves, they gave objects. The generation that was living then was not given love — they were given objects.”
An accidental breakthrough and a lifelong love of filmmaking
Hoffman also shared the unlikely story of how he landed the role that transformed his career.
According to the actor, director Mike Nichols had spent nearly two years searching for someone to play Benjamin Braddock and was close to abandoning the project altogether.
“It was an accident,” Hoffman recalled. “Mike Nichols was the director of the moment. He had spent almost two years looking for this person that was to be the graduate.”
“Literally, the last day he was going to see people, it was my turn and Katharine Ross’ turn,” he said. “Had we been there two years before, we would not have gotten the role.”
The screening followed Friday night’s opening ceremony, where Hoffman accepted the festival’s Crystal Globe, reflecting on nearly seven decades in film.
“I am honored and humbled by this award,” Hoffman told the audience. Looking back at a montage of his career, he said it made him “very emotional and very nostalgic,” while expressing gratitude for the opportunity to work with generations of filmmakers.
Hoffman also praised the role of international film festivals in nurturing emerging talent.
“Festivals like this one help to support and inspire all the young actors and filmmakers who pursue this work with passion and love,” he said. “That’s what makes it truly meaningful.”
Hoffman remains one of Hollywood’s most celebrated actors, winning Academy Awards for Kramer vs. Kramer and Rain Man, while earning additional Oscar nominations for performances including Midnight Cowboy, Lenny, Tootsie, and Wag the Dog.
His appearance at Karlovy Vary is among the highlights of the festival’s 60th anniversary edition, which continues through July 11 with more than 130 feature films alongside appearances by international guests including Juliette Binoche, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeffrey Wright, Harvey Keitel, Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick.
Lead photo courtesy Facebook / Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
