1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- To Kill a Mockingbird

#405- To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Starring: Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Phillip Alford
Directed by: Robert Mulligan


Plot Summary: In the town of Maycomb, Alabama, lawyer Atticus Finch is asked to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, accused of raping and beating Mayella Ewell, a white teenage girl. Atticus, with a strong morality toward doing what is right no matter who the person is, accepts the case. Atticus is also a widowed father, raising his children Scout and Jem on how to properly treat others. Scout and Jem also spend their childhood making a new friend named Dill Harris, tackling the day to day issues at school, and spying on Maycomb's most secluded personality, the mysterious Boo Radley.


I can honestly say that up until this point during the summer, I hadn't been as excited to watch a movie for this blog as I was for To Kill a Mockingbird. I originally saw this movie in high school, as a tie-in to reading the novel by Harper Lee, and really enjoyed it, but that was from the point of view of a freshman in high school. Seven years later (WOW...time files), I found myself wanting to go back and watch the film from an older perspective. Fortunately, it not only held up to how I remembered it, but it got BETTER. This film really rejuvenated a funk that I felt I was in with the films I was watching this summer and has made me very hopeful that I'll have the same amount of energy for the rest of my summer review series (knock on wood).

Gregory Peck stars as Atticus Finch, in one of the most celebrated acting performances in the history of film. From the way Peck carries himself, to his commanding and booming voice, Peck is able to make Atticus Finch one of the most respectable characters you will ever see in your life. I love that Atticus is a man of perspective and what he teaches is not only told to his kids, but to whomever he feels needs to hear it. He really is the definition of a role model character, and he never comes off as preachy because there's a lot that he is still learning through other people (he's able to bring information in, process it, and applies it to his life). Not to mention, he gives one heck of a speech in the powerful courtroom scene (that itself is worth checking the movie out for).

To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming of age tale, which means that the narrative follows a handful of child characters. Atticus has two children, Jean Louise (Scout) and Jeremy Atticus (Jem), played by Mary Badham and Phillip Alford respectively. Scout and Jem are also accompanied by their friend Charles Baker "Dill" Harris, played by John Megna. All three child actors are solid, well-developed characters that never range on the obnoxious side. All three have understandable motivations and personalities that all feel like a part of being a kid and maturing into young adulthood. Nowadays, it's RARE to find kid characters that are this well done, so I very much appreciate the efforts put forward in casting and directing these young actors (and of course give credit to the actual actors for their acting abilities).

Of course, one of the most controversial and heavily discussed issues in To Kill a Mockingbird is the role of race in the form of the character Tom Robinson, played by Brock Peters. Based on the court case, EVERYONE can tell that Tom is OBVIOUSLY not guilty, and when Atticus is the only one to defend him, it's just infuriating. The real rage factor in all this is through the accuser, Bob Ewell, played by James K. Anderson. He really knows how to get under the audience's skin, and thanks to that, we root for Atticus and Tom all the more. Brock Peters is so powerful in his delivery in the court scene, that his testimony is one of the film's strongest highlights. The role of race is realistic given the time period, so it's not an issue that I can really find fault with in its execution.

Arthur "Boo" Radley is a very interesting plot point and figure (and metaphorical reference to the title according to Scout), that really could have been played by anybody. A lot of people remember Boo, however, because he is played by a young Robert Duvall (in his feature film debut). He's an important character already, and having a future screen legend like Duvall play him is the cherry on top of a stellar cast of characters.

I remember that I enjoyed reading Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird when I was in high school. In order to appeal to the young "let's just watch the movie" crowd, we were shown this film to go along with the book. Needless to say, I was blown away with BOTH mediums. It's a great story whether it is told in the form of a novel or a film and because of that, many refer to the film version as one of the greatest book to film adaptations of all-time. There's a lot of competition there, and even some of the more popular adaptations alter key plot and character elements (I'm looking at you Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter), but To Kill a Mockingbird is one of those rare occasions where I don't recall too many key things being changed, if anything some elements are more subtle and implied than anything else. Then again, I haven't read the book in about 7 or 8 years, so maybe it's time I read the novel again (I'd certainly be willing too after seeing this fantastic movie once again).


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This movie really has it all. Great story, well-developed characters, important issues of morality, and it captures all the quality of the novel and brings it to life on film. It's just overall a masterpiece, and I would definitely recommend To Kill a Mockingbird as a film that everyone should watch and own in their DVD collection.

Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review 

To Kill a Mockingbird and movie images are copyrighted by Universal Pictures