8. The Graduate (1967)
The Graduate was well-received when it was first released in the late '60s, and continues to be well-received to this day, generally speaking. Some critics, however, Roger Ebert, went on to retract some of their praise for the movie as time as gone on, mainly due to the character of Benjamin Braddock, as played by Dustin Hoffman. Is he somebody we can sympathise with? Whatever your feelings about Mike Nichols' meditation on post-college malaise (is it a satire, a comedy, or a dark drama?) there's no denying the movie is a good one - funny, ripe, resonant. Without its ending, though, I think it's fair to say that The Graduate would fall just short of greatness - in just a single look, a glance between two characters, this movie ensures its status of a classic. Having convinced himself that he wants Elaine, the daughter of the famous Mrs. Robinson, after all, Benjamin proceeds to break off her wedding to another man, and the two - blinded by the excitement of the situation - jump onto a bus and escape. But their enthusiasm soon turns to confusion, as they realise the repercussions of what they've done - Nichols lingers on a single shot of the young couple as they stare blankly, silent, the future unknown, their anxieties suddenly apparent, as Simon & Garfunkel's seminal soundtrack eases in.