As I was sitting in class watching The Graduate, I couldn’t help but feel that the actor playing Mr. Braddock looked very familiar. A quick Google search after class confirmed my suscpicions- he was Mr. Feeny. Those of you who grew up in the early 2000’s will probably remember Mr. Feeny and his wise words on the show Boy Meets World. Calm, collected and always there to give advice to Cory Matthews over the neighborhood fence, William Daniels gave life to an individual who was more than a teacher, he was a role model. So, imagine my surprise when I discovered that the same actor who portrayed such a beloved TV wise man, also played the role of a father who was so detached from his own son that he bought him a scuba suit for his 21st birthday.

The scuba suit scene is one example of many times Mr. Braddock cannot hear what his son is saying, instead overpowering the conversation and guilt-tripping his son into acting like the perfect trophy boy for his own benefit. This is in stark contrast to Mr. Feeny on Boy Meets World, who typically was the one person that understood what Cory was going through and lended a listening ear to his problems. With that being said, lets compare and contrast Mr. Braddock and Mr. Feeny reactions to their respective youth counter-parts.

Mr. Braddock: The Fish Tank Scene

This scene is one of very first scenes played out in the film, and it immediately sets the tone of Ben’s relationship with his parents. Listening to the bubbling of the fish tank, Ben feels like he is drowning as his father overpowers the conversation- cutting him off mid-sentence, answering his questions for him and not understanding why Ben can’t please the guests by coming downstairs (“They’re all waiting for you….they’ve known you since you were born.”) Even as the viewer, this scene is overwhelming, as you too feel like you are drowning in Mr. Braddock’s questions.

In contrast, Mr. Feeny offered this advice to his students when they too are faced with the pressure of society:

Mr. Braddock and the Scuba Suit

Though I have already mentioned it, the scuba suit scene is truly when the viewer realizes the extent of Mr. Braddock’s disillusion about his son. He blocks out Ben’s muffled pleas for his father to listen to him, instead opting to yet again, guilt-trip him into wearing the suit and “perform” for his guests. Even when Ben tries to come up from his submergence into suburbia, his parents immediately fills his entire field of vision and pushes him back down into the water.

Meanwhile, when Cory asks for Mr. Feeny’s advice, the teacher steps up to the plate and offers not a quick, plastic solution to his problem, but a worthwhile piece of advice that can be applied to any young adult trying to navigate the scary, adult world.

So thank you, William Daniels, for bringing to screen a young adult’s worst nightmare, but also their best role model.