The Young Graduates (1971) User Reviews

The Young Graduates

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 29 November 2023]

Crown International Forever.

Directed by Robert Anderson* (Cindy and Donna), who wrote this with Terry Anderson and Dave Dixon, this movie starts off with high school senior Mindy Evans (Patricia Wymer, The Babysitter) dumping her boyfriend Bill (Gary Rist, who went on to compose the music for Lifepod) and hooking up with very married photographer and teacher Jack (Steven Stewart). He hasn't had sex in, well, maybe years and as soon as his wife heads out of town, he gets with the much younger girl and of course, knocks her up. So she does the sensible thing and goes on a road trip with her best friend Sandy (Marly Holiday).

An early movie for Bruno Kirby and Dennis Christopher, this has the Crown house style of being a movie where nothing seems to happen for a long stretch of time. Usually that ennui is punctuated with blasts of violence or nudity, but this is a pretty friendly movie for them.

Instead, it has dune buggies, a drugged out biker gang, a hippie enclave and the requisite teenage trappings of 1971. It also has Terri Johnson, who was pretty busy in the early 70s. She's a shower girl here, but shows up licking her lips during a Black Mass in Her Odd Tastes, a witch in Blood Sabbath, some adult loops and as an Amazon in Flesh Gordon. There's also Kathy Hilton (If You Don't Stop It... You'll Go Blind!!!, Invasion of the Bee Girls, The Toy Box and also a witch in Blood Sabbath).

I enjoyed this, even when it was just long stretches of motorcycle chases or a gang beating up a hippie kid. It's the small moments that make me happy and even the slowest and dumbest Crown International movie makes me happier than anything that's going to be released this year.

*Not the Oscar winner, despite what Wikipedia tells you.

One for forgiving fans of 70's counter-culture flicks

[Red-Barracuda · 5/10 · 8 March 2018]

For me, some films get by almost exclusively on their early 70's era vibes. The Young Graduates is such a movie. It has to be said, though, that this isn't a particularly good example of a counter-culture film - it's definitely overlong and its lack of focus doesn't always do it favours. But it remains passably entertaining on account of its sub-genre and era. It's not particularly strong in the story department but for what it's worth it revolves around a teenage girl who starts an affair with one of her teachers; later on, her and her friend set off on a road trip where they encounter various stock and trade characters of the day.

Made by Crown International Pictures at a time when they were producing their most consistently enjoyable output, this is in essence a teen melodrama that turns into a counter-cultural road movie in its second half. As such, amongst other things, it features evil bikers, hippies and a girl-fronted rock band. These are all good ingredients, even if the overall whole is slightly lacking. Events are complimented by a soundtrack of breezy early 70's tunes which certainly added a bit of additional period value to proceedings. I think this one can best be recommended to anyone fascinated by counter-cultural themed movies from the era in which hippies seemed to be around every corner. It is definitely a very minor and uneven example of this kind of thing though to be fair.

Mindy the Minx

[davepitts · 3/10 · 7 January 2010]

90 minutes of Mindy...Mindy is a tease to boyfriend Bill...Mindy prances at the high school dance...Mindy hitchhikes to Big Sur, shoplifts a loaf of "shepherd's bread," Mindy nearly gets gang-raped... Ah, the pleasures of Crown International drive-in features. You must remember that these films were never designed to be watched start to finish on DVD players. They were made as 90 minutes of ambiance so the teens of the 70s would have a soundtrack as they got it on in their Pintos and Citations. The lack of pacing and structure didn't matter to the original audience -- they probably only tuned in when the T & A on screen matched what they were up to, out in the parking lot. The film is really irritating when watched as a story. It's a lot more fun to talk about it than watch it. My favorite inanities: 1) Bill and his friend accompany the teacher to find Mindy. With no luggage or change of underwear, they spend 2 nights sharing a motel room with the teacher, just like in real life. 2)After being abducted and nearly raped by depraved bikers, and after their innocent friend "Pan" is savagely beaten, Mindy and her girlfriend find an unattended motorcycle on the road. Mindy immediately brightens up and chirps, "I'm going' to Big Sur!!" But again, it's a lot more fun to talk/read about than sit through.

Groovy, man!

[lazarillo · 29 October 2008]

The early 1970's was on one of the few periods of American cinema where films were often truly anarchic and free-spirited without the morals and the messages or the emphasis on tight, efficient plots. This film is very much a product of its time, but while it may not seem to have much of a purpose or a point by today's standards, it certainly is refreshingly different from a lot of American movies.

Patricia Wymer, who had earlier appeared in "The Babysitter" as the titular (and ass-ular)character who has a sexual affair with the middle-age father of her charge, at first seems to be playing a very similar role here as a high school senior who, right before graduation (and on her eighteenth birthday), has an affair with her handsome but dorky married gym teacher, and thinks she might be pregnant. While in a modern-day film this would result in all kinds sturm und drang, this isn't really what happens here. Instead while she's literally waiting for the rabbit to live or die (pregnancy detection has obviously come a long way), she and a friend decide to escape her problems and the friend's abusive alcoholic father by hitch-hiking to Big Sur to watch their boyfriends (one of whom is Bruno Kirby) drag-race. What follows is kind of a free-spirited "sexy hitchhiker" road movie. The pair meets up with a foppish flute-playing flower child who calls himself "Pan" (Dennis Christopher), they are attacked and nearly raped by a vicious motorcycle gang, and they hang out with a bunch of hippies and get arrested by the police. There is a lot of groovy music, some dope, but not nearly as much nudity as you'd expect (aside from some brief skinny-dipping and a truly gratuitous high school shower scene that involves none of the leads). Wymer wears some pretty short mini-skirts, but I don't recall her ever putting on hot-pants and really justifying the "hot-pants generation" tag-line.

Mostly, this is just a fun period movie. Wymer is an appealing if somewhat limited actress. Bruno Kirby is good in a small role (He was also in the more famous but frankly inferior counterculture film "The Harrad Experiment" that same year). Dennis Christopher was one of the most under-appreciated young actors of the 70's and early 80's. This movie is hard to find, but I'd definitely recommend it.

Not exactly memorable.

[BrettErikJohnson · 1/10 · 6 April 2004]

Have you ever sat watching a movie when 20 or 30 minutes have gone by and suddenly you realize that you have actually seen the movie before? That happened to me with "The Young Graduates". The cover of the video box, if you can find the video, is extremely deceiving. I'd swear that the two women on the cover aren't even in the film.

Anyway, I was either born a decade too late to appreciate the finer points of this film or...it is simply pointless junk. I'm heavily leaning toward the latter but I guess some out there have developed a connection to this movie.

Hmm...plot. A plot. Let's see...there must be a plot around here somewhere. Nope, I can't find it. It's pretty much about some high school seniors acting dopey and doing drugs and speaking in a language that became outdated decades ago. One of the female students has a crush on her teacher. The teacher has a frigid wife (whom he indeed refers to as an iceberg) so he is receptive to the girl's advances.

There's a lot of driving around and inane dialogue and plenty of spastic dancing. Our cat, BooBoo, was transfixed by the dancing high school kids. She watched with amazing intensity as the dancers gyrated and shook out on the dance floor. It's nice to see that at least one species has found something interesting in this relic. 1/10

Try something else

[catfish-er · 5/10 · 13 May 2009]

I watched THE YOUNG GRADUATES as part of BCI Eclipse' Drive-in Cult Classics (featuring Crown International Pictures releases) on DVD.

This movie features Patricia Wymer, who I liked in THE BABYSITTER. Like that film, this feature packs a lot into a short time. However, unlike that movie, this one really has no story. Yes, you have hippies, rock music, bikers, sexual impropriety, attempted rape; and, a road-trip. But to what end?

The acting is flat – except for Bruno Kirby who is one of my all-time favorite actors! This was his first; and, I really think he deserved better during his career.

The musical score is inane and silly. Especially when the girls are in the gas station bathroom; and, another couple is desperate to use the loo. And, after the girls wash the truck; and, "burn rubbeer" leaving. Both scenes made me groan.

In any case, Robert Anderson, who directed and produced this movie, did just as bad a job on this one as he did on CINDY AND DONNA. I saw that film as well; but have not yet reviewed it…

If you like 70s cinema, race car or motorcycle driving scenes, psychedelic era, youth or teen culture, then try THE BABYSITTER or "WEEKEND WITH THE BABYSITTER.

Wannabe road movie

[Leofwine_draca · 3/10 · 25 November 2015]

A typical exploitation effort from Crown International Pictures, in that it's not particularly exploitational and it has very little to distinguish it from a dozen other similar products. As is the norm for the plotting of these films, the leads are a couple of rebellious college students engaged in various affair with older men, including teachers. When one of them suspects she might be pregnant, the two girls decide to go on a wild road trip of sorts and encounter various people along the way.

This is a low budget production throughout that promises to offer plenty of titillation, although there's hardly any flesh on show aside from one openly gratuitous high school shower scene. No, instead the characters (and viewer) contend with violent motorbike gangs, hippies, and various run-ins with the law. It's all very straightforward stuff, hardly enlivened by below-par acting, although a couple of mildly famous faces like Dennis Christopher and Bruno Kirby have minor roles. As with many Crown productions, it's also entirely missable.

Hearts and minds must be left open

[nogodnomasters · 5/10 · 26 January 2018]

This is the grand age of fashion with mini skirts and bell bottoms. Rock and roll bands must have a keyboard and the girls tried to look like Marsha Brady. Mindy (Patricia Wymer) turned 18 and doesn't want to put out to her boyfriend Bill (Gary Rist), but his willing to have an affair with her teacher (Steven Stewart) in an age when people weren't as uptight over these things...notice her joke at the end of the film. She runs off with her girlfriend (Marly Holiday) and not every biker and redneck they meet on the road has good intentions.

This is a very boring film for plot. It doesn't go anywhere. 1971 drive-in fodder.

Guide: brief sex and nudity (Debbie Osborne, Terri Johnson, Kathy Hilton)

An authentically groovy celluloid slice of early 70's youth

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 21 January 2009]

Spunky and precious high school senior Mindy Evans (a delightfully exuberant performance by adorable blonde sprite Patricia Wymer) spurns her decent, but frustrated boyfriend Bill (solid Gary Rist) and has a fling with hunky married nice guy teacher Jack Thompson (an affable portrayal by Tom Stewart). Mindy finds out that she might be pregnant, so she decides to alleviate the tension while waiting for her pregnancy test results by embarking on an impromptu road trip to Big Sur, California with her loyal best gal pal Sandy (pretty Marly Holiday). Director Robert Anderson and screenwriter Dave Dixon astutely peg the whole cool'n'easy swinging 70's youth culture in a disarmingly casual and straightforward manner: we've got pot smoking, a little wild go-go dancing, the occasional catchy rock tune blaring away on the soundtrack, a modest smattering of nudity (which includes the inevitable girls locker room shower scene), a hostile biker gang, mellow flower children, and, of course, some sex. Said potentially lurid subject matter is handled with with surprising taste and restraint by the filmmakers; instead a certain sweet and carefree vibe pervades throughout which in turn greatly enhances the movie's overall appealing period charm. The admirably sincere acting from a sound and attractive cast rates as another substantial asset: Wymer and Stewart are both fine in the leads, with bang-up support from Rist, Holiday, Bruno Kirby as the surly Les, Jennifer Ritt as Jack's bitter'n'boozy frigid iceberg wife Gretchen Thompson, and Dennis Christopher as laid-back hippie dude Pan. The crisp cinematography by J. Barry Herron and John Toll gives the picture a nice bright look. Ray Martin's bouncy and merry get-down with-it score likewise hits the funky spot. An enjoyably far-out blast from the 70's drive-in past.

GREAT MOVIE

[ethylester · 10/10 · 31 January 2002]

This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I highly recommend it to anyone that likes teen movies, 70's driving scenes, psychedelic effects, rock bands with female singers, or just late 60's early 70's youth culture in general. There are some really great freedom feelings you get from this movie - like you can go out and do whatever you want - screw school, screw schedules, screw it all! Just do what you want! You can make it across the state with one nickel in your pocket and still be happy you did it!

The acting is just ok, but that doesn't take away from anything. You soon get into the characters anyway.

This movie has a good amount of driving scenes and 70's nature frolicking scenes along with some happy free-feelin' music. It also has a good amount of teen rebellion. It even has some sex, but it's innocent almost. There's a live band, a psychedelic high school dance, a dunebuggy, a racecar, a motorcycle, cool clothes and cool attitudes. You even have some teacher/student love going on.

If you like love, youth and freedom, then see this movie!!!

A wonderfully entertaining period piece

[jobla · 9/10 · 22 August 2008]

Although THE YOUNG GRADUATES was apparently filmed in 1971, it didn't play theatrically in Seattle until 1973, when it was shown as the co-feature with CLASS OF '44. It is a picaresque story of two cute teenage girls who have just graduated from high school. Patricia Wymer stars as Mindy, a precocious and beautiful blonde who's ripe for adventure. The film follows her many counter-culture activities as she enjoys an affair with a slightly older teacher while still hanging out with bikers, hippies, dopers, etc. The two girls themselves don't do drugs, other than sharing a spiked birthday cake with some hippies.

The film presents some young talent who later became famous, such as Bruno Kirby and Dennis Christopher. A special shout out must be added for the great girl group Pat Russell's The Spare Change, who are seen playing rock and roll in some high school dance scenes. They were one of the first girl groups to play their own instruments, although there are a couple of male sidemen as well. One of the film's cinematographers was John Toll, who later won Oscars for BRAVEHEART and THE THIN RED LINE.

Although a bit corny now, the film remains as a wonderful period piece that reflects the early 1970s youth culture. Although there is a bit of nudity, the film is surprisingly non-exploitative and non-judgmental about its subject matter. THE YOUNG GRADUATES was released on DVD on January 6th, 2009, as part of the BCI box set DRIVE-IN CULT CLASSICS VOL. 4 (available through Amazon.com, and Best Buy's website as well).

More snoozy than sleazy

[Wizard-8 · 14 January 2013]

I decided to watch this movie for two reasons. The first was that the movie contained an early performance from one of my favorite actors, Dennis Christopher. The second reason was that the movie promised to have a lot of sleaze and "R" rated elements. However, the movie in the end is kind of a letdown. It is fun seeing a young but enthusiastic Christopher playing a kind of hippie, but apart from that the movie has little interest. I guess the movie does earn its "R" rating, but it's a real soft "R" - in fact, some viewers will probably think the movie really deserves a "PG-13" rating. But the biggest problem with the movie is that it's really slow-moving. The plot concerning the high school girl who hooks up with one of her teachers creeps along at a snail's pace for the first half of the movie, then is all but forgotten in the second half, a second half that seems to be making things up as it goes along. By the way, the title of the movie is kind of a mistake, because the young characters in the movie don't graduate until the last few minutes of the running time.

One of my favorite movies

[seadave · 10/10 · 5 March 2006]

I first saw this movie on a winter Saturday afternoon around March of 1979 when I was 14 years old during the time when they used to air those 1960s Frankie& Annette beach movies but I liked this movie and didn't think it was flaky and phony as the other 1960s beach movies were I could at least identify with these girls or knew someone like them in this early 1970s movie unlike the 1960s beach movies which were played by adults well into adulthood.

I remember it being about 2 girls who were skipping school, running away from home or something and smoking dope(maybe not)and running away from bikers and there were sex themes which I couldn't understand. One actress reminded me of Joyce Dewitt from Three's Company which was a popular show at the time

I thought this was a really cool movie even though it was about a different generation which even during the late 1970s we were told had so much fun back then.I even remember the girls riding somewhere and some music & singing going "doot doot doot da do, bah bah bump dada datta do" and the girls seemed all high & hazy from pot-smoking but maybe that was just my perception of them at the time. It's a good reminder of a time when that type of life could be experimented with with few repercussions like drug violence.

I thought this was a cool movie but never saw it out on VHS when all the retro movies were being put on that format in the mid 1980s when everyone was buying their VCRs. This was available on some internet movie website long before Netflicks.

This is a perfect movie for a channel THIS TV. I like early 70s movies made for teens and young adults even though it is a decade before my time. I never forgot about this movie I enjoyed it so much now if we could just know what happened to the actresses in this film and who sang the motorcycle ride music.