To Kill a Mockingbird

"To Kill a Mockingbird" is a splendid adaptation of Harper Lee's novel, made even more splendid by the incredible performance of Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. I hope they never attempt a remake of this film, for Gregory Peck IS Atticus; I see him as Atticus even when I read the book.

Atticus is a respected and intelligent man in the small Alabama town of Maycomb, a quiet and compassionate lawyer who is the father of two children, Jem and Scout. The book encompassed almost three years; time in the movie was condensed out of necessity (nowadays they would make it a miniseries) so the childrens' ages are uncertain. Scout, the younger, is a bright and inquisitive little girl with a hot temper. Jem is a thinker, a studious and mild-mannered young man who aspires to be a lawyer like his father. Their friend, Dill, is a "curiosity." Dreamy and imaginative, it is Dill who first gives Scout and Jem the idea of making Boo Radley, the town recluse, come out. The story is shown through the eyes of these three children, whose honesty and insight make it even more poignant.

When Tom Robinson, a Negro, is accused of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell, the quiet little town is thrown into controversy. Atticus is chosen to defend Tom, and truly believes in his innocence. But in the 1930's South, a black man accused of such a crime was surely doomed. Nevertheless Atticus, hoping that good will for a change win out over evil, seeks justice for the wrongfully accused Tom. What follows is a horrifying revelation of how people will allow their prejudice to override their compassion and integrity. The children see the evidence and the truth clearly, but the adults are blinded by misconception and social acceptance. Tom is convicted and ultimately dies, but Bob Ewell, the white-trash father of the pathetic Mayella, despises Atticus and will stop at nothing, even harming Jem and Scout, to get even with him. And finally, Boo Radley comes out...

This movie alternates between being hilarious and scalding, touching and uplifting. It is very true to the book, even the scene where Atticus reveals his heretofore concealed ability to shoot a gun by doing away with a mad dog is left intact. The only thing eliminated that I wish could have been part of the script is Jem's encounter with the very unpleasant Mrs. Dubose. Her character is shown and discussed only briefly in the movie, which is unfortunate. Jem, Dill, Scout, Atticus, Tom, the Ewells, Boo Radley, and various townspeople are vividly depicted, in particular Mayella Ewell, whom we must feel sorry for despite her outrageous accusation. Brock Peters is amazing as Tom, and the scene in the courtroom where all of the black people in the balcony rise and stand respectfully as "Mr.Finch" walks by still makes my breath catch.

There are other unforgettable scenes in this unforgettable film. The look on Scout's face when she realizes that she is at last seeing Boo Radley, the tense moments when Scout waits for Jem to return from the Radley place after a foiled attempt at making Boo appear, the scene outside the jail where the citizens of Maycomb turn into an angry, threatening mob, and the conversation between Atticus and the children about why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird - all of these create a sense of time and place and memory that make us part of these people's lives. The Oscars that this film received were well-deserved. If you have never seen it, you need to. It may change the way you think.