It is currently listed as the 29th best film of all time in a poll by the Internet Movie Database. Such polls are of questionable significance, but certainly the movie and the Harper Lee novel on which it is based have legions of admirers. It is being read by many Chicagoans as part of a city-wide initiative in book discussion. It is a beautifully-written book, but it should be used not as a record of how things are, or were, but of how we once liked to think of them.
The novel, which focuses on the coming of age of three young children, especially the tomboy Scout, gains strength from her point of view: It sees the good and evil of the world through the eyes of a six-year-old child. The movie shifts the emphasis to the character of her father, Atticus Finch, but from this new point of view doesn't see as much as an adult in that time and place should see. Maycomb is evoked by director Robert Mulligan as a "tired old town" of dirt roads, picket fences, climbing vines, front porches held up by pillars of brick, rocking chairs, and Panama hats.
They make friends with a new neighbor named "Dill" Harris John Megna , who wears glasses, speaks with an expanded vocabulary, is small for his age, and is said to be inspired by Harper Lee's childhood friend Truman Capote.
Atticus goes off every morning to his law office downtown, and the children play through lazy hot days. Their imagination is much occupied by the Radley house, right down the street, which seems always dark, shaded and closed.
Jem tells Dill that Mr. Radley keeps his son Boo chained to a bed in the house, and describes Boo breathlessly: "Judging from his tracks, he's about six and a half feet tall. He eats raw squirrels and all the cats he can catch. There's a long, jagged scar that runs all the way across his face. His teeth are yellow and rotten. His eyes are popped. And he drools most of the time. Into this peaceful calm drops a thunderbolt.
Atticus is asked by the town judge to defend a black man named Tom Robinson Brock Peters , who has been accused of raping a poor white girl named Mayella Violet Ewell Collin Wilcox. White opinion is of course much against the black man, who is presumed guilty, and Mayelle's father Bob James Anderson pays an ominous call on Atticus, indirectly threatening his children.
The children are also taunted at school, and get in fights; Atticus explains to them why he is defending a Negro, and warns them against using the word "nigger. The courtroom scenes are the most celebrated in the movie; they make it perfectly clear that Tom Robinson is innocent, that no rape occurred, that Maybelle came on to Robinson, that he tried to flee, that Bob Ewell beat his own daughter, and she lied about it out of shame for feeling attracted to a black man.
Atticus' summation to the jury is one of Gregory Peck's great scenes, but of course the all-white jury finds Tom Robinson guilty anyway. The verdict is greeted by an uncanny quiet: No whoops of triumph from Bob Ewell, no cries of protests by the blacks in the courtroom gallery.
The whites file out quickly, but the blacks remain and stand silently in honor of Atticus as he walks out a little later. Scout and her brother sat up with the blacks throughout the trial, and now a minister tells her: "Miss Jean Louise, stand up, your father's passin'.
The problem here, for me, is that the conviction of Tom Robinson is not the point of the scene, which looks right past him to focus on the nobility of Atticus Finch. NR minutes. Rate movie. Watch or buy. Based on 12 reviews.
Based on 36 reviews. Get it now Searching for streaming and purchasing options Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Get it now on Searching for streaming and purchasing options X of Y Official trailer. Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update To Kill a Mockingbird. Your privacy is important to us. We won't share this comment without your permission. If you chose to provide an email address, it will only be used to contact you about your comment.
See our privacy policy. A lot or a little? The parents' guide to what's in this movie. Stands out for positive messages and positive role models. Positive Messages. Positive Role Models. Cigarette smoking. The antagonist often appears drunk. What parents need to know Parents need to know that To Kill a Mockingbird is the award-winning film adaptation of the classic Harper Lee novel.
Continue reading Show less. Stay up to date on new reviews. Get full reviews, ratings, and advice delivered weekly to your inbox. User Reviews Parents say Kids say. Adult Written by FnafPlayer February 7, To Kill A Mockingbird This movie is base on everything from the book!
Report this review. Adult Written by Gamer November 30, Teen, 16 years old Written by A classic! Since it is very old and deals with some mature subject matter not all kids will love this one.
But hopefully enough of them will appreciate the characters to s Continue reading. To Kill a Mockingbird Review Incredible masterpiece. Aside from mentions of rape and some racist talk, this is appropriate for children of all ages. However, some children may not be intere What's the story? User reviews Review. Top review. Amazing film. After hearing nothing but critical acclaim for this film, and the book it was based on, I finally got to see it. I am quite amazed at how well done this film is, and how timeless the theme is.
I haven't read the book, but I'm considering it, just to see if there are any details that were left out. The story is amazing and exceptionally told. As far as I know, the film is as close to the book as it could possibly be; some call it the most accurate book-to-film conversion ever.
The plot is very good, it takes a timeless problem and presents it to us, through the innocent eyes of a naive child. The pace is very good; apart from The Godfather the first one and one or two other exceptions, this is the only drama where there was truly not one single moment that I found dull, boring or unimportant.
Nothing seemed trivial in the film. The perspective that is forced upon us is that of a young child, naive and innocent. This is a brilliant idea, as the eyes of a child is without a doubt one of the most impressionable things in the world, and the film handles this perfectly. What really makes the film, apart from the brilliant and possibly unique perspective, is the fact that the children are likable, credible and charming.
You couldn't help but like them; believe me, normally I really dislike children. I find them annoying, loud and egotistical. But with this film, I couldn't, for one second, muster up any tiny amount of aggression, or even annoyance. Everyone knows that no child is the latter all the time, and even I will admit that there probably doesn't exist too many children who are the first, either.
In this film, the children are completely real. They are naive, innocent, they disobey what their father tells them, but ultimately, they obviously love and respect their father, and they never do anything, anything at all, with the intent to hurt or harm someone or something.
That is what a child is; innocent. They do what they do because they do not know better. This film provides a perfect view into their world, or, rather, their perspective of it.
The acting is excellent. The child actors exceed all expectations. I was amazed at how professional and convincing they were. The other actors all give great performances as well.
The cinematography is excellent; once again, it gives a perfect perspective on what your surroundings look like when you're a child.
The characters are well-written, credible and well-casted. The dialog was well-written. The script was excellent. A very memorable and beautiful film, should be viewed by almost anyone. I recommend this to anyone who likes dramas, and just about anyone who for one reason or another might enjoy this.
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