THE YOUNG GRADUATES (1971)

Title: THE YOUNG GRADUATES

Year of Release: 1971

Director: Robert Anderson

Genre: Drama, Romance

Synopsis: A young, perky high school graduate works her wiles on her married teacher among her many extracurricular activities.

Within a film history context: Movies about high school graduates have been present in cinema since the 1920s, but not to a large degree. One of the first to deal with this was James Horne and Buster Keaton's silent COLLEGE (1927). A cocky, bookish high school graduate causes waves with his renouncing of sport, but finds difficulty in conquering this aspect of college life in this comedy. OUR VERY OWN (1950), directed by David Miller, was about a young high schooler who discovers the truth about her parentage, which affects her view of life. The climactic scene is set at her high school graduation ceremony, with her making a speech about family, and its importance. In Mark Robson's PEYTON PLACE (1957), contrasts were drawn between two female high school graduates, their experiences with family and relationships in this searing melodrama about small-town life. HOMER (1970), directed by John Trent, focused upon a high school graduate, and the difficult relationship with his father, rejection of the Vietnam War, and questioning of current events at the time. One of the best examinations of high school graduates was Peter Bogdanovich's THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (1971). Concentrating upon three graduates, a pair of friends, and the young woman who plays with their hearts, it was a moving and memorable evocation of the early 1950s, with attention to detail in every aspect of this production. THE YOUNG GRADUATES was one of the lightest in its exploration of its high school graduate character.

Although hardly to be described as a comedy, THE YOUNG GRADUATES was not overly serious in its execution. There is, though, an irreverence which is at the core of THE YOUNG GRADUATES. The hijinks which Mindy experiences are similar to the adventures of the male graduate in COLLEGE, but the sheer number of wacky events which she lives through, or provokes, are of a more obvious comic nature. They reflect a young woman who wants to try a little of everything in life, but she does often become unstuck in this pursuit. Where the graduate in COLLEGE stood firm for his principles and beliefs, Mindy does not really stand for anything other than having a good time. This depiction, therefore, lacks the depth of other graduates, such as in OUR VERY OWN, PEYTON PLACE, HOMER, and THE LAST PICTURE SHOW. All of these movies present the family lives of their graduates, which provides valuable information about them, and why they act and do what they do. This is something lacking in THE YOUNG GRADUATES. One never gets a feel for Mindy's family life, as this is not mentioned within the narrative. Other facets of the movie merit discussion. 

Mindy in THE YOUNG GRADUATES is not as psychologically deep as the protagonists of the four afore-mentioned pictures. She lacks a compelling raison d'etre for her behaviour, aside from being a good time girl, but this is in keeping with the loose, insubstantial tone of the movie. In comparing Mindy to characters from the other films, the character closest to Mindy is Jacy from THE LAST PICTURE SHOW. Both women love to wrap men around their little finger, but Jacy is, by far, the most dangerous. Turning two friends into rivals for her affections, and the violent fallout from this, is one of that picture's most serious moments. Mindy's pursuit of her teacher does not cause any obvious damage to his marriage; it is just another experience for her, one in a long line of these. This movie, in effect, turns the somber, thoughtful depictions of graduates, such as in OUR VERY OWN and PEYTON PLACE, on their ear. One of the most free-spirited of the films about a high school graduate, THE YOUNG GRADUATES is not meant to be a strain on the intellect in this respect.

Overview: Robert Anderson was an American director with only three films to his credit, these mainly being of an exploitation orientation. His first movie, CINDY AND DONNA (1970), contrasted two sisters, their amorous relationships, and promiscuous activities. Mr Anderson's final picture, THE HOAX (1972), was a comedy of two young men who stumble across a nuclear weapon in the ocean, and subsequently try to extort money from the city, and its inhabitants. THE YOUNG GRADUATES was Robert Anderson's second movie, and his best-known effort.

Robert Anderson has fashioned an entertaining, light-hearted film with THE YOUNG GRADUATES. The story of a young woman who has just turned eighteen, and graduated from high school, it follows her many adventures, and misadventures, in a fun manner. The movie is not a serious exploration of high school, or of life after studies for its protagonist or her friends, but has an emphasis on rollicking action which keeps things interesting for the viewer. The rapid-fire pace ensures that the story never stagnates or bores, with different elements offered to the viewer to enjoy. Romance, adultery, car-racing, road movie antics, and crime, are just some of the numerous events which take place. This is not a bad thing to witness, but in the case of THE YOUNG GRADUATES, having a succession of fresh ideas does make certain events, which should have had greater story power, just become part of the passing parade of novelties. 

With reference to Mindy, and the pursuit of her high school teacher Mr Thompson, this story thread does take up quite a lot of time in the narrative, but the delivery is somewhat woeful. While there is some presentation of Mr Thompson's marital issues with his wife, this is just done for the flavour of the moment, without any lasting effects. A major letdown is that his wife never discovers his indiscretions with Mindy. Something dramatic could have been derived out of this knowledge, but it never takes place. Half-baked story ideas give the impression of not only hastiness on the part of the filmmakers, but also, that these just exist for the sake of it, instead of being a natural flow of events which they should have been. This tendency, in other words, points to a specific intention of THE YOUNG GRADUATES as a movie. It is a breezy film that steadfastly refuses to allow a sense of depth to infuse its proceedings, for the sincere objective of providing carefree amusement to its viewers. 

Acting: Due to the whimsical nature of the movie and its content, there are no performances which stand out in THE YOUNG GRADUATES, as the acting is of a sound, if not especially notable level.

Soundtrack: Ray Martin's music in THE YOUNG GRADUATES enhances the easy-going atmosphere it exudes so well. There are a number of non-diegetic songs played through the course of the movie, with the diegetic dance sequences in the school hall making sense for the story, its characters, and the time period. 

Mise-en-scene: THE YOUNG GRADUATES offers a pleasing screen experience for viewers. The colour photography is lovely to witness, just right, and captures both indoor, and outdoor scenes beautifully, thanks to co-cinematographers J. Barry Herron, and John Toll. Indoor settings are easy on the eye, and have aged quite well, with interiors of a high standard. Location shooting is another pleasing aspect of THE YOUNG GRADUATES, with attractive scenery and places nicely emphasized, giving the impression of a relaxed, and irresistible city, and its environs, to visit.

Suitability for young viewers: No. Infrequent coarse language, brief female nudity, adult themes, medium-level violence.

Overall Grade: C

Link: IMDB Page