To Kill a Mockingbird (Collector's Edition) Reviews

• Loving Treatment of A True American Classic

  
  By A1NPNGWBVD9AK3 on 2003-03-11
  Everyone who has ever taken high school English classes will no doubt be familiar with Harper Lee's time honored story. As is mentioned in the accompanying DVD, Fearfull Symmetry, it is second only to the Bible in the hearts and minds of U.S. readers. This is probably also the most often-shown film in said classrooms. No need to reshash the story-line, then.

  This DVD set offers an excellent transfer of the famed black and white cinematography of the prolific Russel Harlan. It's a real treat to hear from so many of the people who were involved in the production, from the producer, Alan J. Pakula, to the now grown actors who played Scout and Jim. The audience gains great insights into what made this film so special, not only to the legions of its admiring fans, but to everyone involved in creating it. We learn the scenes that Horton Foote, the screenwriter added from the book to advance character development (the scene showing Atticus putting Scout to bed and her questioning Jim about their mother as Atticus overhears them from the porch, was not in the book, for instance). We get to hear from Elmer Bernstein talk about the genesis of his unforgettable soundtrack. Due credit is also given to Stephen Frankfurt, for his highly creative and original title design, which sets the tone so beatifully for the rest of the film.

  There is no question that this is director Robert Mulligan's greatest film, nor that in his portrayal of Atticus Finch, Gregory Peck found the role most perfectly suited to his character and rock-solid persona. This is a film about integrity, essentially, and there is not a false moment in the film. This compilation should be included in any film collector's library. I hope it continues to be shown in English classes until time immemorial. It's message and its relevance to the human condition will never go out of style, one hopes. Major Praise to Universal Studios and to all those involved in assembling this perfect DVD special edition.

  BEK
  
  

• A magnificent adaptation of a timeless classic

  
  By A8F2AZWB20X1H on 2000-01-22
  Alan Pakula, Robert Mulligan and Horton Foote have made an absolutely terrific movie of one of the greatest books in contemporary fiction. The three years covered in the book are compressed into one year in the movie, and almost everything of importance is kept in the film version. Shooting the movie in black and white was inspired. It symbolizes the stark reality of black vs. white that is at the core of the novel. The acting is extraordinary across the board. Of Gregory Peck, so much has been said that further praise is redundant; suffice to say that after Peck's performance, no one else will ever be able to play Atticus Finch. The children are wonderful, so real that they hardly seem to be acting at all. Mary Badham is absolutely perfect as Scout. Phillip Alford is excellent as Jem, and John Megna is fine as Dill. The lesser actors live up to the lead roles. I especially liked Collin Wilcox as Mayella Ewell; James Anderson brings out all the ugliness and cowardice in Bob Ewell, and Alice Ghostley is a funny and wacky Stephanie Crawford. The three characters who didn't live up to their counterparts in the book were Miss Maudie, Calpurnia, and Tom Robinson. Ms. Maudie is a very intriguing character in the novel, a ditzy, wise, funny woman of bedrock integrity; in the movie, she comes across as just another next door neighbor. Calpurnia's part was far too small in the movie; in the book she plays a major role in the family, almost like a surrogate parent. Estelle Evans is a fine actress and deserved a bigger role to give her talent more scope. And Tom Robinson is almost too saintly to be believed in the film version, over-acted by Brock Peters. But Robert Duvall in a non-speaking movie debut is just right as Boo Radley, and Scout's recognition of her formerly scary neighbor, with her tentative smile followed by 'Hey Boo', is one of the most affecting moments in the picture. I still remember when Peck won the Oscar for best actor; in his acceptance speech, his first words were 'Thank you, Harper Lee.' The movie 'To Kill A Mockingbird' is a labor of love of bringing a timeless classic to the screen, and Harper Lee must have been very gratified at the results.
  
  

• Exceptional extra feature documentary...

  
  By A2J0U1XP6JPL9L on 2001-03-27
  Like so many teachers, I've used the VHS version of "To Kill A Mockingbird" to teach the Elements of Literature to high school students.

  Today, the internet has a wealth of resources to assist teachers and students using this classic adaptation of Harper Lee's novel. The documentary, "Fearful Symmetry" produced in 1998 to be included on this DVD Collector's Edition, is great resource for teachers, students and all those who love and have been touched by "Mockingbird."

  The 130 minute documentary, written and directed Charles Kiselyak, both discusses how the film was made and it's general literary elements. The film is one of the most effectively edited documentaries I have seen, linking key scenes from "Mockingbird" with talking heads, still photos and black and white film taken in various localities across the south.

  The documentary narration, written by Charles Kiselyak and read with great emotion by Mary Williams, is literary and quite sophisticated.

  The talking heads include: screenwriter Horton Foote, director Robert Mulligan, producer Allan J. Pakula and composer Elmer Bernstein. Members of the cast appearing in the film: Gregory Peck (Atticus Finch), Phillip Alford (Jem), Mary Badham (Scout), Collin Wilcox (Maybella Ewell), Brock Peters (Tom Robinson) and Robert Duvall (Boo Radley).

  Director Charles Kiselyak with the help of Harper Lee was able to get three residents to discuss their lives in Monroeville, Alabama. A.B. Blass and Norman Barnett recall life in the small town during the depression, and Ida Gaillard, a retired high school teacher, brings an interesting perspective to what life was (may have been) like in the town Harper Lee used as the model for Maycomb.

  The literary and social significance of the "Mockingbird" are discussed by black attorney, Cleophis Thomas, Jr., and Claudia Durst Johnson, author of "Threatening Boundries."

  In the DVD's printed supplement, Charles Kiselyak indicates that while Harper Lee was not willing to appear in the documentary, she was very helpful in the production. She was thrilled with the director's plan to open the documentary with the first verse one of her favorite poems, William Blake's, "Tyger:"

  Tyger, Tyger burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immoral hand or eye, Could frame they fearful symmetry,

  Kiselyak's film discusses Lee's novel as both a way of life and a passage from innocence into experience and then back toward innocence -- "Fearful Symmetry."

  "Mockingbird" and it's DVD documentary will touch your soul.
  
  

• One Of The Greatest Films Ever To Reach The Screen! ... And Universal's "Legacy Series" 2-Disc DVD Edition Earns High Marks Too!

  
  By A1FDW1SPYKB354 on 2005-09-09
  "To Kill A Mockingbird" premiered in U.S. theaters on Christmas Day 1962. Those who were lucky enough to see this movie on the big screen that December 25th came out of the theater with another Yuletide gift of sorts -- they had just watched one of the finest motion pictures ever produced (IMHO).
  
  There probably aren't enough glowing adjectives in the dictionary to describe the loveliness of this film. A truly fabulous piece of American cinema -- all the way through -- with a tender and bittersweet ending that always leaves one of those "trying to hold it back" lumps in the ol' throat.
  
  The cast is ideal, with each actor seemingly molded for each of their individual roles. There's "Scout" (Mary Badham), "Jem" (Phillip Alford), "Dill" (John Megna), "Boo Radley" (Robert Duvall), and "Tom Robinson" (Brock Peters).
  
  And "Atticus Finch" (Gregory Peck), one of the truly most memorable characters ever brought to the screen. And it's hard to think of how Mr. Peck's Academy Award-winning portrayal of that southern lawyer and father could have possibly been any better than we see it here. Peck always seems to have that "controlled" quality in his movie performances that are always a pleasure to watch. And never more so than as the low-key "Atticus" in this film. I doubt that it's possible to watch this movie and NOT admire the strength of character and unwillingness to stoop to such levels of vulgarity after Atticus is spat upon by "Bob Ewell". It's one of several scenes in the film that illustrates the type of man Atticus is, and the type of example he's setting for his young children. Some might be apt to call Atticus a coward in that scene. But they'd be wrong.
  
  This film offers up many highly-memorable moments indeed --- Atticus sitting in front of the jail reading by the light of his living-room stand lamp. .... The mystery of Jem's ripped pants. .... Boo Radley's spooky house. .... Atticus impressing his children when he shoots the rabid dog. .... That old hollowed-out tree that keeps filling itself up with all kinds of cool stuff. .... "Stand up, your father's passing". .... Plus, that beautiful and stirring Elmer Bernstein music score. Utter magic.
  
  There's also a good deal of humor residing in this screenplay. I always get a good healthy laugh when viewing the scene which has Dill drenching his dinner in syrup, to the shock and dismay of Scout ("Look, Atticus! He's gone and drown-ded his dinner in syrup and now he's pourin' it all over!"). A true LOL moment that's always good for at least two replays. :-)
  
  And possibly the most memorable quote comes at the end of the film, when Atticus says to Scout: "Miss Jean Louise -- Mister Arthur Radley". With these few words, Scout's fears of "Boo" vanish forever. The dignity with which Atticus "introduces" Arthur ("Boo") to Scout is what makes this quote memorable for me.
  
  
  Universal Studios Home Video, on September 6, 2005, issued a beautiful-looking new Two-Disc DVD version of "To Kill A Mockingbird", which comes with a bountiful helping of bonus supplements, as well as the very first "enhanced" (Anamorphic) Widescreen transfer of the film on DVD.
  
  Packaged under its "Legacy Series" banner, this 2-Disc Set sparkles in virtually all respects, especially the video quality of this iconic black-and-white film. It looks very nearly perfect to my eyes. Very few distracting artifacts can be observed during the running of this 130-minute main feature (which is presented in its intended 1.85:1 Widescreen framing here). And the nighttime scenes are rendered in fine fashion, with next to no video annoyances visible at all. The film passes the "Freeze Frame" test as well -- i.e.: you can "pause"/"still" an image on screen in virtual perfect clarity, without the image blurring at all, which I usually take as a pretty good sign that what I'm seeing is a darn-good transfer of the material to DVD.
  
  There's a choice of five separate audio options for the feature film on Disc 1 -- with one of the five being a Commentary Track with Director Robert Mulligan and Producer Alan Pakula, which was recorded for the first DVD edition of "TKAM" in 1998. Tragically, Pakula was killed in a freak auto accident in November of 1998, not too long after he recorded the commentary track for the DVD. He was 70 years old.
  
  Other audio options for this two-disc edition include the original English Mono (in 2.0 Dolby Digital), a French 2.0 DD Mono track, and two newly-created multi-channel 5.1 Surround audio tracks (a Dolby Digital 5.1 plus a DTS 5.1). The DTS track isn't listed in the specs on the packaging, however. But it IS on here.
  
  Audio tracks cannot be changed "on the fly" (as the saying goes) while watching the movie (unfortunately). You must go to the "Languages" Sub-Menu to switch the audio. To switch to the Commentary Track, you must access the "Bonus Features" Menu on Disc 1. There's no "Commentary" option available from the "Languages" Menu (for some reason).
  
  Subtitle options: English, French, and Spanish. .... These subtitle choices are also ALL available when viewing any of the Bonus Features throughout this two-disc DVD set (including even the movie's trailer).
  
  A bonus item that was originally scheduled to be a part of this set, but was ultimately not included, is a replica of Gregory Peck's "working script" (with handwritten notes by Peck). That bonus was evidently replaced by the 11 "Theatrical Poster Reproductions" that are included here. These poster art copies are very nice, being re-printed on high-quality paperboard stock, which have a glossy look to them. Included are a few USA poster copies, plus several from foreign nations, like Argentina, Japan, Italy, Poland, among others. The artwork's country of origin is printed on the back of each of these reproduction prints. A well-done extra bonus, IMO. (Although I would have loved to have had Mr. Peck's working TKAM script too. But, oh well.)
  
  Also in the envelope with the 11 poster re-prints is a signed message from "To Kill A Mockingbird" author Harper Lee.
  
  
  Let's have a look at the DVD Bonus Features.............
  
  Disc 1:
  
  > Gregory Peck's acceptance speech after he won the Oscar trophy as "Best Actor 1962" (the only Oscar statue he was ever to take home, amazingly enough). This vintage 1963 B&W video clip runs for 1:28.
  
  > Excerpt from the "Academy Tribute To Gregory Peck", with Gregory's daughter Cecilia. This is a 10-minute bonus item.
  
  > "American Film Institute Life Achievement Award" presented to Gregory Peck. Run Time: 10 minutes.
  
  > "Scout Remembers", which is a 1999 NBC-TV interview with "Scout" herself (Mary Badham). This bonus runs 12 minutes. .... Mary Badham, for those who may not know it, is the sister of John Badham, who directed such motion pictures as "WarGames" (in 1983) and the enormously-popular and successful John Travolta film "Saturday Night Fever" (in 1977).
  
  > The Original Theatrical Trailer for "To Kill A Mockingbird" (Length: 2:53). The trailer is in Full Frame (1.33:1) format. Excellent sound quality too. Video quality is lacking a bit, but it's not too bad.
  
  > Production Notes. (Text screens only.)
  
  The only thing missing here are the "Cast And Filmmaker" bio text pieces that were included on the '98 disc. Too bad, too, because those biography notes were quite good (and extensive), and covered several of the various TKAM players and execs.
  
  
  Disc 2:
  
  There are two first-rate documentaries on the second disc of this set. These two extra DVD programs amount to 3 hours and 7 minutes of added "Mockingbird" entertainment, pretty much the equivalent of two entire additional movies.
  
  The Disc-Two programs are:
  
  > "Fearful Symmetry: The Making Of 'To Kill A Mockingbird'" (90 minutes; B&W; Non-Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Video; 2.0 DD Stereo Audio; 24 Chapter Stops). .... This is the same feature-length, behind-the-scenes documentary that was also included on the earlier DVD release of "To Kill A Mockingbird". Wonderful stuff here. Lots of interesting details about how this classic film got to the screen. Includes many on-camera comments by Gregory Peck. Produced in 1998.
  
  -- And: --
  
  > "A Conversation With Gregory Peck" (97 minutes; Color & B&W; Full Frame 1.33:1 Video; 2.0 DD Stereo Audio; 18 Chapter Stops). .... This sensational movie-length documentary was produced by Gregory Peck's daughter (Cecilia) in 1999. It is a very nicely-constructed presentation, with a good music score too, which delves in great depth into the personal side of the great Gregory Peck, who proves here that he was still more than capable of holding an audience's undivided attention at age 83.
  
  This documentary could very easily have been called "Gregory Peck's Life: In His Own Words". It's quite literally a biography on the personal life and movie career of Mr. Peck. It's certainly one of the best "bio" pieces I've ever seen on the life of any actor.
  
  This "docu-bio" contains video clips of many of Peck's films, plus old home movies, several talk-show clips featuring Gregory, and lots of other interesting stuff that help to give even more insight into the life of this amazing American actor (who was born in California on April 5, 1916).
  
  Gregory Peck takes center stage during portions of the program (literally), as he talks and jokes with large audiences around the United States, and conducts various Q&A sessions.
  
  There's lots of candid footage of Peck (and family) here too, including some impressive shots taken at Niagara Falls. And in Paris, too. And Ireland. And in Washington, D.C., as Gregory gets an award from then-President Bill Clinton.
  
  Near the end of this thoroughly-engaging bio/"Conversation", we see proud granddaddy Gregory holding his just-born grandson (who was named "Harper", after TKAM author Harper Lee). The scenes of Little Harper will make you want to reach into your TV and scoop up this adorable munchkin. He's one of the cutest little tykes I've ever laid eyes on. It's no wonder Gregory looks so proud here. These tender scenes with Gregory and his new grandson add the perfect sweet and sentimental finishing touches to the whole documentary.
  
  This "Conversation" bonus is a genuinely unique program. It was produced with an obvious large dose of love and affection by Mr. Peck's daughter (and all others who were involved in putting it together). After viewing it, you can't help but feel like you know (and admire) a man named Eldred Gregory Peck quite a bit better than you did just ninety-seven minutes earlier. And that might be the best compliment I can pay this very special and heart-warming documentary.
  
  Mr. Peck passed away in June of 2003, four years after he filmed this program. He was 87. He will be missed forever by multiple generations of movie fans who loved his work in the cinema for many decades. His talent is one that we'll likely not run across again, until we reach heaven. But thank goodness for fabulous documentaries like this one, plus all of his cherished films as well, which enable fans to retouch the magic and greatness that will forever be associated with Mr. Gregory Peck.
  
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  The packaging for this "Legacy Series" edition has a very solid and collectible feel to it. It's a three-panel folding "Digipak" type of a case, which sports an attractive "leathery" texture on the outside of the case. Unfortunately, there's no outer slipcase box (sleeve) included here, which will probably displease some collectors who wish to display this set "face out". That'll pose a small problem, because the case always wants to "spring" back open (due to the lack of a restraining outer slipcase). An outer box would certainly have been useful, but even without one, this package stands out as a "classy" DVD item on the shelf.
  
  Additional Packaging Note -- This "Mockingbird" set is not packaged the same as "The Sting" (another Universal 2-Disc Legacy set). "The Sting", which is also worthy of a purchase IMO, comes in a two-panel "book-like" pack, which "snaps" firmly closed on the outside -- just like the "Lawrence Of Arabia" 2-Disc Limited-Edition DVD release, which came out in April 2001.
  
  For continuity sake, I would have preferred the "Sting" type of closeable Digipak for the TKAM release. The two sets would look better side-by-side if they'd been packed the same. But, no big deal really.
  
  Both the "TKAM" and "Sting" Legacy versions lack any Chapter List inserts or paper enclosures (which is a bit of a debit). However, if you own the previously-released single-disc DVD "Collector's Edition" of "Mockingbird", I'd recommend hanging on to the excellent multi-page fold-out insert that came with that disc. It can be used with this new DVD set as well. It has a complete Chapter Selection listing for both the movie and the "Fearful Symmetry" documentary, and the chapter breaks are in the exact same spots on this newer Legacy version, with the same chapter titles used as well (39 total Scenes/Chapters for the Main Feature). There are also some interesting Production Notes and photographs printed on that 1998 TKAM insert.
  
  Also -- Make sure to disregard the "Color" notation marked on the loose piece of paper on the back of the DVD case that lists this "Legacy" set's contents. The film is in B&W, not color. That's obviously just a misprint.
  
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  A Final Glowing Blurb.......
  
  "To Kill A Mockingbird" is a masterpiece of personally-felt moods and memories. Who among us doesn't have at least one childhood memory that can be rekindled through the actions of Scout, Jem, or Dill? This is a motion picture you can watch again and again -- and each time take away something different when that incomparable final act fades to black (usually something that requires yet another hard swallow with which to combat that ever-present lump in the throat that this movie masterfully induces each and every time it's watched).
  
  Any DVD collection of great American motion pictures is unquestionably incomplete if "To Kill A Mockingbird" does not occupy a prominent position on the shelf reserved for such magnificent movie treasures.
  
  

• An American classic classically rended in DVD

  
  By A3N8WAQZVOAO8G on 2000-06-05
  The film, truly an American classic and, for my money, one of the 10 best American films ever made, is splendidly rendered here with a mint-condition print. The DVD also offers a superb mix of additional features, most especially the remarkable documentary on the film, "Fearful Symmetry," by Charles Kiselyak, and compelling yet unassuming commentary by the director, Robert Mulligan, and the producer, the late Alan J. Pakula.

  Besides interviews with Mulligan and Pakula, the documentary includes interviews with the actors who play the children, Mary Badham as Scout and Phillip Alford as Jem, as well as with the screen writer, Horton Foote, and the composer, Elmer Bernstein. The documentary also includes interviews with several residents of Monroeville, Ala., the real Macon, to round out a sense of "Macon" then and now.

  Among the revelations in the commentary is that production designer Henry Bumstead (Vertigo) masterfully recreated the children's neighborhood on the Universal backlot using houses that would have been demolished by the construction of a freeway. The main titles, by Stephen Frankfurt, with Bernstein's theme, manage brilliantly to capture not only the essense of the film but an essence of childhood, about which both Harper Lee's timeless only published novel and the film itself are very much about. Only later do we discover the nature of that blend of innocence and experience alluded to in the William Blake poem from which Kiselyak takes the title of his documentary.

  My only regret is that Harper Lee, though she helped Kiselyak in producing the documetnary, declined to be interviewed for it. In its stead, however, we have another evocation, that of Ms. Lee's voice in the rich tone of nostalgia and reminiscence with which Kiselyak infuses his own small but mighty masterpiece.
  
  

• An American classic classically rendered on DVD
  By A3N8WAQZVOAO8G on 2000-06-08
  The film, truly an American classic and, for my money, one of the 10 best American films ever made, is spendidly rendered here with a mint-condition print, one reportedly transferred from a preservation negative especially created for this DVD, which was released two years ago to commemorate the film's 35th anniversary.

  This DVD, one of the first issued with supporting materials, remains superior in its mix of additional features, most especially the remarkable documentary, "Fearful Symmetry," by Charles Kiselyak, and compellingly unassuming commentary by the director, Robert Mulligan, and the producer, the late Alan J. Pakula.

  Besides interviews with them, the documentary, filmed elegantly in black and white, includes interviews with the actors, both non-professionals who played the children, Mary Badham as Scout and Phillip Alford as Jem, as if to remind us that we, too, have grown older. Also a joy are interviews with the screen writer, Horton Foote; the composer, Elmer Bernstein; and Gregory Peck, who played Atticus, a role for which he won an Academic Award--one of eight for which the film was nominated in 1962. Both Peck and Bernstein, Kiselyak tells us, regarded "To Kill a Mockingbird" as their best work. Adding to the documentary's richness still further are interviews with several residents of Monroeville, Ala., the real Maycomb, to round out our sense of the town "then and now."

  Among the revelations in the commentary is that the production designer, Henry Bubstead, masterfully recreated the children's neighborhood on the Universal backlot at the relatively modest cost of $225,000, salvaging perhaps a dozen houses that would have been demolished by the construction of a freeway--an expense made necessary because Monroeville had become too modern to play itself in the film. This is the oppostie of its equally remote cousin, Marquette, Mich., which Otto Preminger used to great effect in filming "Anatomy of a Murder." Bumstead, who also designed Alfred Hitchcock's venerable "Vertigo," won an Academy Award for his achievement in "To Kill a Mockingbird."

  The main titles, by Stephen Frankfurt, with Elmer Bernstein's eloquent, elegiac theme, capture brilliantly not only the essence of the film but also an essence of childhood, about which both Harper Lee's timeless, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and the film itself are very much concerned. The film, a rare, nearly perfect distillation of a book, almost certainly would have won an Academy Award as best picture had it not been up against "Lawrence of Arabia," one of the other great epics of the American film canon.

  Only later in "To Kill a Mockingbird," after the titles have led us to that pristine neighborhood, do we discover the nature of that blend of innocence and experience alluded to in the William Blake poem, "The Tyger," from which Kiselyak takes the title of his documentary. It is, after all, the great, sad sense of both loss and love that Scout and Jem encounter, first at the hands of Robert Ewell and then of Boo Radley.

  My only regret is that Harper Lee, though she helped Kiselyak in producing the documentary, declined to be interviewed for it, denying us the sound of her voice. In its stead, however, we have another evocation, that of Ms. Lee's rich tone of nostalgia and reminiscence, very much akin to that of Sam Clemens in the Tom and Huck books, with which Charles Kiselyak infuses his own small but mighty masterpiece.
  
  

• Timeless film still being honored...and deservedly so
  By A3INMIZIYJ9BQ4 on 2003-06-06
  In a twist of time and fate I was viewing 'To Kill A Mockingbird' on DVD when AFI released their choice of Gregory Peck's portrayal of Lee Harper's character Atticus Finch, the Southern lawyer who defends a black man unjustly accused of rape, as Hollywood's all-time movie hero. No character in film history has more deserved to be designated as the best 'good guy'. Peck garnered a well-deserved Oscar for his role as a man of understated wisdom and quiet courage and the quintessential father-figure all men should aspire to be and all children long for in their lives. The fact that this film, it's participants, and the basic story are still being honored after 40+ years is a testament to the solid message if offered and the effective manner in which it was presented.

  I read this Pulitzer Prize novel when it was published and saw the film upon its theatrical release. The memory of both have long lingered. Enough can't be said about the wisdom of Universal's decision to release this Collector's Edition DVD. The public owes them a monumental 'thank-you'. Interviews with Gregory Peck and commentary by director Robert Mulligan and producer Alan J. Pakula make us privy to their precious memories surrounding how the charming novel was transformed into the perfect film. Seeing Mary Badham (Scout) and Philip Alford (Jem) (non-professional southern children starring in an Oscar-nominated film) as adults offering insights into their unique experiences was an unbelievable treat. To watch Robert Duvall make his screen debut as 'Boo Radley', and what a debut that was; and to hear his comments nearly a half-century later proves as never before the value of the DVD format and special features.

  Watching this film upon its release it was inconceivable that we could one day far in the future hear and see the inside story of its making in the comfort of our homes and from the mouths of the individuals so instrumental in the process of creating a legend.

  This DVD is priceless. The details of the making of this time-honored film have now been documented forever in a piece of movie-history that deserves to be savored by any true movie-buff as well as by a generation not yet born at the time of it's release. The message and the method of communicating it are timeless and dear. Please do yourself the honor of viewing this film.
  
  

• Amazing Classic
  By AL5OEDM8TPTKV on 2002-01-11
  It started with the gift of Harper Lee's magical book, a gift to literature., indeed. Then came the movie, a gift to cinema that withstands the test of time.

  Just look at the opening credits, quite possibly one of the most ingenious and modern looking segments in cinema over the last forty years. It's simplicity absolutely captures the film, while setting the magical mystery on its course, the world of children in a box.

  Then move on to Gregory Peck's most moving, strong, amazing performance; it's quite possibly the perfect match with role, actor, screenplay. His dignity shines through a dignified role.

  And then there are the kids, two unknowns, who do their best acting by just being themselves. Mary Badham is absolutely charming and stunning in her innocent portrayal of a terribly difficult role.

  But what shines most is the story... the story of a black man unjustly accused of a hideous act, the story of a spooky man who lives a life of hiding, ultimately, how we judge others is how we are judged.

  And that is the lasting gift of this movie, and this DVD.

  Note: the bonus documentary on the DVD is amazing, long, and very informative, worth all of your time.
  
  

• a great classic film
  By AQ8DU6XVA3USJ on 2002-05-27
  This would be a wonderful film for parents to watch with children old enough to understand the depth of its message. Good and evil are clearly drawn, and the values of justice and humanity portrayed with rare and memorable strength.
  Reading Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize winning novel had a huge impact on me as a teenager...I never forgot, as Atticus says to Scout, that you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.

  Horton Foote won an Oscar for his screenplay, which is so faithful to the book. Set in depression era Alabama, it's seen through the eyes of 8 year old Scout, beautifully played by Mary Badham, and the sensitivity of director Mulligan's vision is remarkable.

  Prejudice is the theme that runs through the story, from the harrowing court case of Tom (an amazing performance by Brock Peters), falsely accused of rape, to the demonization of Boo (played by Robert Duvall, in his screen debut...he's intensely moving as this innocent and silent man).
  Russell Harlan's superb cinematography should be seen in the widescreen version to be fully appreciated, and Elmer Bernstein's Americana style score adds so much to the film.

  Gregory Peck's Oscar winning performance is magnificent. His Atticus is a hero of immense proportions, with compassion, integrity, and humility...and it's one of the many reasons I think this powerful classic deserves to be in every video library.
  
  

• A small town lesson for the whole world
  By AK6UVFSU07NXH on 2003-11-18
  It's easy to think "To Kill a Mockingbird" is older than it is. Released in 1962, the same year James Bond was immortalised in "Dr. No," director Robert Mulligan chose to film in black & white, despite Hollywood's rush to adopt the new Kodachrome II color film. Since the story is set in the 1930's, the classic look of the film adds weight to its historic reality.

  Adapted from Harper Lee's only book, which won a Pulitzer prize, the script itself won an academy award. Added to this is a stellar cast who manage to hold their own against the amazing performance given by, Gregory Peck, an actor at the peak of his abilities. For those who also enjoy Robert Duvall's huge body of work, it may be interesting to note this film as his first, in a non-speaking but pivotal role as Boo Radley.

  It would be easy to dismiss an old film that deals with the race issue in Alabama. Some might think this topic has been done to death and, to an extent, they are right. But To Kill a Mockingbird is not solely about racism. It deals with honesty, justice, fear, childhood, quick judgements and parenthood. Even the race card is dealt with fairly, without blowing things out to sensational proportions. It shows that minor, selfish decisions, which rely on the racism in others, can breed larger evils.

  An adult Jean Louise 'Scout' Finch narrates much of the story but it is her father, Atticus, around which the narrative hinges. Played with subtle dignity by Peck, Atticus is a small town Lawyer who agrees to defend Tom Robinson against charges of Rape. He agrees, in the full knowledge that many of his neighbours will hate him for defending a black man and still others will expect him to put up only a token effort. Instead, Atticus does what we know he will... his best.

  There is an interesting contrast between what we see of Atticus and how his two children describe him. Apparently he's too old to do anything, like play ball, and they are a bit embarrassed by his quite ways. The trial and its associated moral battles put their father squarely in the spotlight and not in a good way. He and they are attacked and ridiculed but in the end Scout and Jem see a different picture of their old Pop. A man who is strong enough to stand against hatred, and brave enough to highlight the weaknesses of flawed white girl against the strengths of an honest black man.

  The name of the film is taken from one of Attcus's rules relating to using a rifle. Jem relates his father's instruction "to remember it was a sin to kill a mockingbird...Well, I reckon because mockingbirds don't do anything but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat people's gardens, don't nest in the corncribs, they don't do one thing but just sing their hearts out for us."

  There are several Mockingbirds in this movie; the misunderstood Boo Radley, Tom Robins and even Atticus. For me though, the film is defined when Reverend Sykes asks Scout to stand up in the court gallery, after a failed defence, saying "Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father's passin."
  
  

• Additional features to a classic.
  By A32J48LYJ2BNNY on 2006-05-21
  It is likely that most people reading this review are already familiar with the classic movie, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, so I'm not going to say much about the movie itself other than to say, if you have not watched this movie, you are missing one of the very best movies ever made. It is one of the rare instances where the movie is almost as good as the book, written by Harper Lee.
  
  This is the Legacy Series edition of this movie and contains additional features for ardent fans of this incredible work. Contained here, along with the movie on disc one, are Gregory Peck's Academy Award acceptance speech for best actor, his remarks from the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award, an excerpt from the Academy's tribute to Gregory Peck, an interview with Mary Badham (Scout), feature commentary from the Director and Producer and the theatrical trailer.
  
  Disc two includes a well produced documentary titled "A Conversation with Gregory Peck" where Peck reminisces his stellar career and interacts with audiences and past co-stars. Here Peck's somewhat controversial social activism is touched on, which may be a turn off to some as he was a staunch and vocal advocate of gun control, withdrawal from Viet Nam and other activist issues of that age. This disc also includes the making of the movie, which is an exceptional feature.
  
  Also included in the Legacy Series edition are eleven matted reproductions of original theatrical posters, which would be suitable for framing for collectors of such memorabilia. This is all housed in a sturdy and attractive book-type case. If you don't already own this movie, I highly recommend this edition.
  
  
  
• Commentary that remains relevant
  By AP0DQSDFSLP4P on 2002-11-23
  Author Harper Lee said she never thought of her Pultizer Prize novel to be more than a love story of a single father for his two children. It is that, but so much more. "To Kill A Mockingbird" is also a simple social commentary on racism, wonderfully and innocently seen through a child's eyes, and man's rejection of others he doesn't understand. The commentary, 40 years old now, remains as relevant as then. As southern lawyer Atticus Finch, Peck garnered a Best Actor Oscar for his powerfully moving performance that, as one scene elicits, also commands a deep respect of the screen character. As defense counsel for an African-American (a contemporary poltically correct term; then, they were "coloreds") man falsely accused of raping a white woman (not popular in the south), Peck evokes a sense of outrage at the injustice of his client's position. The genius of the film, though, is its perspective of Peck's screen daughter, Scout. And it is her innocent confusion in not understanding why her father becomes chastised by the white community that hopefully gets across the sublimial message that there is no understanding of any form of discrimination. Ranked the 34th best film ever by the American Film Institute, this one will remain always relevant as long as injustice based on discrimination exists. The closing scene is gut-wrenching, but the film as a whole it is truly a moving experience.
  
  
• An Awesome Film
  By A1JR6ASO2H3G4S on 2000-02-15
  To Kill a Mockingbird

  To Kill a Mockingbird, starring Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Phillip Alford, Brock Peters, Robert Duvall, and James Anderson, and directed by Robert Mulligan, is a pretty faithful adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee, a relative of Robert E. Lee. It is the story of a wise and kind man, Atticus Finch (Peck) raising a 10-year-old boy, Jem (Alford) and a 6-year-old girl, Scout (Badham) in a small Alabama town in 1932, during the Great Depression with their friend Dill Harris, played by John Megna. Atticus, a lawyer, defends a black man named Tom Robinson (Peters), accused of raping a white woman, just as he defends his children from racism as personified by Bob Ewell (Anderson) and from fear of the unknown, as personified by their mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley (Duvall) I think To Kill a Mockingbird is a great film. It also helps me learn what it was like back in the Great Depression. The theme is walking in somebody else's shoes, a figure of speech asking for tolerance. Part of the reason I liked it was because it centered on kids. The kids may have just been spectators in the balcony and victims in the woods, but I think their body language helped show their feelings. They looked unhappy and tired in the balcony and scared in the woods. I think the acting was excellent. The children often seemed natural to me. I am glad Gregory Peck earned an Academy Award, as Robert Duvall would in the future. I liked and admired Atticus, especially during his closing argument. Boo Radley looked just like I imagined. James Anderson was good as a bigot, but I think his role could have been made more subtle. Brock Peters impressed me with his emotional acting, but I think his role, too, could have been written to be more complex. It's like in a way he was too perfect.
  
  

• An American film classic
  By A3M3FG82ZE1J8I on 2000-07-13
  I think most people reading the reviews for To Kill a Mockingbird have already seen this classic film and/or read the novel. Suffice it to say, there is little need to indulge in any lengthy film synopsis other than to say that this film represents one of but a handful of times when a film truly captures the essence and warmth of the novel on which it is based. Though I only saw this film once as a child, its memory stuck in my mind for a long time, and when I heard that the film had been released on DVD, I quickly purchased a copy. My memories did not betray me, for this is just as enchanting and moving a film as I remembered it to be. Furthermore, the DVD transfer is excellent. The picture quality is sparkling and the sound is crystal clear. Plus, there is a good commentary track and very in-depth cast and bio notes. However, the best extra is the documentary "Fearful Symmetry." Unlike most documentary nowadays, which tend to focus on self-propaganda and promotion and special effects, this long (practically feature-length!) documentary uses the film as a starting point from which to discuss the background era in which the film is set; it focuses on real people and real locales which find their parallel in the movie. In sort, this is quite a remarkable documentary and is, in my opinion, the best one I've seen on any DVD by a long shot.

  So, you already know how great this film is and how great Gregory Peck is in it. This DVD does the film justice, and I applaud Universal for producing such a high-quality DVD. A 5 star effort all the way!
  
  

• A classic whose reprocussions are still felt
  By A2CIQ3M5YTPAQY on 2000-01-30
  I am a professor emeritus at a university in eastern Australia. I have taught this book in my class for over 15 years. Each time I see the movie, I am reminded of how this book echoed through the minds of readers and publishers when it was published in 1960. Then, something magical happened. A movie. This movie steals the very heart and soul of every human being that watches it. I can still see the moist eyes and cheeks of my students as they exit my classes. This movie is a timeless classic that will never die. Please, make yourself feel good, and purchase this movie- or even rent it for a night. You will never forget it. Gregory Peck crowns himself king of the era.
  
  
• One Of The Best Dramas Ever Filmed!
  By ALR35EFI69S5R on 2000-07-29
  I first saw this wonderful movie after rushing out to buy the novel to read before the movie finally came out later in the summer. I was just a teenager still in high school, but immediately loved the movie, which I have seen countless times since. Gregory Peck is probably the single greatest reason for the movie's smashing success, although the entire cast does a terrific job in bringing this momentous story to the screen. In today's complex world one tends to lose perspective as to how explosive, provocative, and sensational the issues of cross-race rape was in the early 1960s when the movie hit the screens. Yet despite the sizzling if subdued sexual content and the divisive issues surrounding the movie, it quickly became the movie of the year, winning Peck the Oscar for his incredible portrayal of rural southern lawyer Atticus Finch.

  No doubt it is the character of Atticus Finch who deserves most of the credit for the novel's enduring popularity. Seldom has such a quietly heroic figure been so favorably and memorably described in such loving detail in an American novel as is fortyish Atticus Finch, the highly principled and somewhat befuddled widower-lawyer trying his level best to raise his two young children alone in the midst of the deep South during the early years of the Depression. As daughter Scout remembers, there was little that Atticus couldn't charm or talk his way out of. And, as played by Gregory Peck, this thoughtful, moral, and courageous man became a model of modern American manhood for all who read or watched his story unfold. Of course, the other characters are also lovingly and carefully drawn and described, and the way in which the importance and relevance of the mockingbird parable is sown into the web of the story at a number of different levels with a number of different characters is also one of the enduring treasures found within the pages of this book.

  Whether considering Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, Scout, Jem, or Atticus himself, we all come to better understand the ways in which all the individuals' stories and fate are intricately and inextricably interwoven with each other and into the fabric of a particular time and place. Indeed, we watch with growing affection as Atticus increasingly relies and depends on their black governess, and are amazed by the degree to which he is concerned for her welfare as well. On the other hand, we watch as Bob Ewell acts despicably to mistreat people of color. There are volumes of wisdom herein regarding the treatment of human beings and the problems associated with trying to live in any particular place at any specific time. So well and accurately drawn are the characters of this fable of the life and times of Scout Finch in "To Kill A Mockingbird", that one can only hope it continues to be widely seen and appreciated as a modern American classic.
  
  

• A Cinematic Masterwork About Human Fallibility in a World of Wearying Intolerance
  By A13E0ARAXI6KJW on 2006-09-18
  Having just read Charles Shields' biography of Harper Lee, "Mockingbird", and re-read her classic (and only) novel for at least the third time, I was able recently to watch Robert Mulligan's 1962 classic film adaptation with fresh eyes, and the 2005 Legacy Series Edition DVD fortunately contains a pristine print transfer and a bundle of extras that make repeated viewings more than worthwhile. Rarely has a film so accurately captured the emotional consequences of human fallibility steadfastly within the grip of racial intolerance. Set in the Deep South of Lee's childhood in the fictional town of Maycomb in 1932, the story, adapted by writer Horton Foote, focuses on six-year old Scout, the tomboy, motherless daughter of lawyer Atticus Finch.
  
  Along with her four-years older brother Jem, Scout regales the new neighbor boy Dill with horror stories about the bleak-looking Radley house and its chief occupant, "Boo", whom they believe has been locked up in the basement. Finch, in the meantime, has been given the unenviable task of defending Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping Mayella, the cry-wolf daughter of a white trash racist farmer, Bob Ewell. The two stories meld seamlessly with the model behavior of Finch, who tries to teach his children not to come to judgment based on hearsay and perception. Facing great odds, Finch attempts to discredit Mayella on the stand, but Tom's sympathetic testimony proves to be his own undoing. Because of the town's pervasive racism, Finch loses the case, and tragic consequences ensue. However, life lessons for the children emerge as well as "Boo" in an unexpected heroic act.
  
  Gregory Peck gives his career-best performance as Finch, bringing the necessary human-sized dimensions to a most honorable man. It's inspiring work from a great screen legend. Mary Badham is wonderful as the inquisitive Scout never veering off toward precociousness in her acting, and almost as good is Philip Alford as Jem. Brock Peters plays Tom with palpable dignity, while James Anderson dexterously handles the unenviable task of playing the disturbingly vile Ewell. An almost-albino-looking Robert Duvall makes his film debut as "Boo" Radley, making his late appearance in the film impactful. I did not know that the remarkable Kim Stanley is the one who provides the voiceover for the grown-up Scout neé Jean Louise. Elmer Bernstein composed the sparse but resonate musical score, and Russell Harlan's black-and-white cinematography is effectively evocative. This masterwork is as good as family films get.
  
  The two-disc DVD set has a superb package of extras for any fan of the film and the book. Beyond providing an excellent print and audio transfer, the first disc contains a deeply insightful commentary track with full participation from Mulligan and the late producer, Alan J. Pakula, a superb director in his own right. There is also video footage of Peck's acceptance speech when he won the 1962 Best Actor Oscar for his role, his quite touching speech when he received the AFI's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989, a tribute from his daughter Cecilia, a brief 1999 interview with the seldom-seen Badham, and the original theatrical trailer.
  
  The second disc offers a fascinating, ninety-minute 1998 documentary, "Fearful Symmetry", filmed effectively in black-and-white, which goes well beyond the standard making-of featurette. It includes interviews with Peck, Badham, Alford, Pakula, Mulligan, Foote and Bernstein, and paints a remarkably penetrating story of the production. There is a second feature, 1999's "A Conversation with Gregory Peck", directed by famed documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple, which is actually a full-blown feature about the actor as he prepares for an onstage tribute. Providing revealing glimpses of the private man, it originally aired on PBS's "American Masters" series.
  
  
• An American Classic of an American Classic
  By A3LEJ7UEJQDQNA on 2001-03-23
  This wonderful adaptation of Harper Lee's classic novel is a film of great dignity, a Norman Rockwell painting come to life. It effectively conveys the leisurely Southern summers and Tom Sawyerish feel of Lee's youth. Drawing parallels between the fears of children and adults, the movie shows us that we don't necessarily grow up when we reach adulthood. In the end, those of us who do mature find that there is often beauty on the other side of that mysterious door; and "To Kill A Mockingbird" shows us some of the possibilities.

  Relying on the acting talents of several children doesn't hamper the picture's effectiveness one bit. On the contrary, it's one of the film's surprising strengths. Mary Badham as "Scout" and Phillip Alford as "Jem" are utterly convincing as the children that many of us got to know in school. Gregory Peck won a well-deserved Oscar for his depiction of "Atticus Finch"; his role is portrayed with profound character, and gives one the impression of the highest integrity. Peck's closing argument to the jury is riveting, and is a stellar example of on-screen presense. There is inspiration and hope to be found here, a transcendence of time that few films can match.

  The collector's edition DVD is excellent. Besides providing lovers of this work with a clean, sharp video transfer, we are treated to a beautiful "making of" documentary and given a decent director's commentary. Also included are several "standard" amenities: production notes, cast and filmmakers, language options, and a theatrical trailer. The sound quality is rather wanting, but it does the job. In all, this DVD is sure to please fans of this American treasure.
  
  

• NEAT MOVIE, BUT NOT THE OPUS IT'S MADE OUT TO BE
  By A1L8HRCM60W0W7 on 2003-12-15
  The narrative is smooth and the screenplay keeps you on your edge. Peck's good. The setting has a charged undercurrent of racism, which I am sure must've been very poignant during the movie's release. Yes, it's a great movie, especially on the digitally mastered DVD.

  But it is not the magnum opus that people never seem to get enough of raving about. Perhaps it just hasn't aged that well.

  The story is set in Alabama during the Great Depression. It follows the life of Scout Finch, a little girl growing up in those wretched times. Basically, it's about what's going on with the town and what's going on with Scout and her family throughout her growth, leading to different storylines of events that happens to Scout and the rest of the Finch's.

  Probably the only storyline I really appreciated was the story of Tom Robinson's trial. Atticus (Scout's father) was defending Tom in a rape case, and since Tom was black, this was taboo in Maycomb. This pithily showed unfairness and how cruel prejudice and hate can be. Maybe if the movie was only centered around that story instead of throwing in aspects like Boo Radley, Dill, and others, I would consider calling this movie a classic. It didn't really help that Scout, who is supposed to be an innocent unknowing little girl, actually comes off as an annoying, loud, obnoxious brat that you'd want to slap throughout the entire movie.

  There's some good acting although Gregory Peck's wooden oh-so-conscientious face was nowhere near Oscar worthy, had it not been for the controversial theme. In the end, the courtroom scenes are perhaps the only engaging bit I would recommend this movie for.
  
  

• The Definition of a 'Man'
  By A3H3H6TFWSIVRF on 2003-06-13
  This film ruined me for all time.
  I first saw it as a child and 'Atticus Finch' set the bar so high as to what it meant to truly be a man that I don't think any living person will ever be able to match it.
  Humility, honor, dignity, truth, integrity, justice, compassion, bravery and love. Gregory Peck's remarkable portrayal personified all those characteristics in a way that we are not likely to ever witness again.
  The scene in the courtroom after Atticus' closing arguments when the 'balcony people' all rise and Scout is told to stand because 'You're father is passing', will never fail to move me to tears.
  Every moment of this film is executed with complete integrity and every actor, most remarkably the children, is to be commended. This has to be seen to be believed. Without ever being preachy, all parties involved have made one of the most outstanding arguments ever committed to celluloid against racial hatred and prejudice. It is easy to see why so many attorneys will tell you that this film made them take up law.
  I am writing this on the day of Gregory Peck's passing and I want to send a heartfelt 'Thank You', out to the universe or heaven as the case may be, to the man who cared enough to give such a perfect rendition of all that is good that it was deservedly ranked as number one on AFI's list of 'The Top 50 Most Heroic' screen characters. A proud and fitting legacy from a truly remarkable actor.
  
  
• Southern Comfort
  By A2IKPU8WUBCZV4 on 2003-09-08
  This 1962 black and white film is based on Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning book "To Kill a Mockingbird". Gregory Peck won an Oscar for his wonderful performance as Atticus Finch, a lawyer in Alabama during the Depression. Atticus is appointed to defend a black man who is accused of raping a white woman. Many townspeople try to get Atticus to back out of the trial but his conscience won't let him. Though Tom Robinson (the accused) is obviously innocent, the outcome of his trail is blatant proof of how prevalent prejudice is at that time. Mr. Finch's conviction to defend Tom costs him some friendships but gains him respect among the black community and the admiration of his children.

  You just cannot go wrong with this movie. It shows how kids adapt to very serious situations around them but manage to keep the innocence. Gregory Peck should be a role model for us all. He shows us to stand true to our convictions no matter how hard that may seem. Winning the approval of others does not take the place of following what's in your heart. I give him a standing ovation and 5 stars.
  
  

• A Timeless Story For Everybody..
  By AKX28FGA6L47J on 2004-08-24
  This is probably my very favorite movie - the one film that I would have to have if I was stranded on a desert island that, fortunately, had electric outlets, a televison and a DVD / VCR.
  
  In a time when we've all become accustomed to these panoramic epics which command a budget of hundreds of millions of dollars and seek to spell bind the audience with breath taking special effects, To Kill A Mockingbird succeeds without having to resort to any of these.
  
  This movie, filmed appropriately in black and white, tells the simple story of Atticus Finch, an attorney in the south of the 1930's who is raising his two children, Scout and Jeb. The story is seen through the eyes of Scout, a young girl, who is narrating the story many years later as a grown woman. And this is one of the important elements of this film. To Kill A Mockingbird is seen from a child's perspective and, as such, men like Atticus and the poor black man charged with the crime, Tom Robinson are seen as very honourable men (which is what they were.!!) almost wearing white hats while the evil people in the movie - the woman wrongfull accusing Tom of rape and her white, trailer trash father - are thoroughly despicable individuals more to be pitied than to be hated.
  
  The movie's focal point - and it certainly was a very powerful one in 1963 when this movie was made - concerned Atticus Finch's defense of a black man who had wrongfully been charged with the sexual assault of a white woman, a crime in the 1930's south that usually bypassed the courts entriely and went directly to the nearest tree which had a limb big enough to throw a noose over.
  
  This movie, of course, addresses racism and it must have opened alot of eyes in the 1960's when it was made in terms of addressing the progress, or lack thereof, that had been made in the intervening 30 years.
  
  But more than that, it was very much a movie about growing up and how we saw the world and our parent(s) and adults and good and evil. The conclusions we came to and how the events of our youth shaped our lives and made us the people that we are today. It showed us, for example, that the boogey man "Boo Radley"- wonderfully played by a young Robert Duval - was not so scary when you understood the real "boogeyman" was the flesh and blood father of the woman who cried rape.
  
  Needless to say, Gregory Peck, who won the Best Actor award for his incredible performance of the decent Atticus Finch, was riveting. In a very low key and understated way, Atticus quietly exemplified all of the best qualities an individual could possess - honour, honesty, self-respect.
  
  This wonderful movie was based on Harper Lee's best selling Pulitzer prize winning novel. Surprisingly, Harper Lee never published anything more of significance after this book. In retrospect, how could you possibly follow up "To Kill A Mockingbird". I think it would have been comparable to following the Beatles after their initial Ed Sullivan appearance.
  
  This movie is one of those rare adaptations that actually adhered exclusively to the book and, as a result, was an artistic and commercial success. It's rare for a movie to ever approach the book in terms of quality (look at the movies based on Tom Clancey novels..!!).
  
  Another wonderful contribution to this film was the soundtrack. The almost haunting quality of the music, coupled with the black and white cinematography, created a wonderful mood - both during the film's ligher moments as well as the terrifying moments(as seen through the child's perspective). It's a beautiful soundtrack and certainly merits inclusion in your collection.
  
  This movie had a significant and lasting impact on me as an 11 year old seeing it for the first time. And many yearslater, it can still convey the same feelings in me that I felt back then. There's a very good reason why the book is considered mandatory reading in many American schools.
  
  If you're a lover of great films, then this movie is essential viewing.!
  
  
• Gregory Peck's Greatest Performance in a Great Family Movie
  By A3DK5X66XYMTHO on 2004-10-30
  This B/W film is simply one of the best movies ever made. Nominated for 8 Academy Awards, it and "Lawrence Of Arabia" dominated the 1962 Oscar race. Gregory Peck won his only Oscar for the role of Atticus Finch (which was his personal favorite movie). Watch his nine minute trial summation, done in one take, for a tour-de-force of acting.
  
  It is a complex film of family and race relationships with none of the epic qualities that won "Lawrence of Arabia" the best picture/director Oscars. But in terms of pure acting and story-telling (Horton Foote won the best screenplay Oscar for his superior adaption of Harper Lee's novel), the movie cannot be improved. Robert Duvall made his screen debut in his small but pivotal part of Boo Radley -- he dominates the screen without a single line of dialog. The film is worth repeated viewings for something new will be discovered.
  
  The two children portraying the Finch siblings also made their screen debut and Mary Badham lost the best supporting actress Oscar to Patty Duke, another child actress, for "The Miracle Worker." Her friendship with Mr. Peck and the antedotes of making the film is told in both Gary Fishgall's biography of Gregory Peck (2002) and the excellent documentary that accompanies this DVD Collector's Edition.
  
  The movie was banned in parts of the South during its original release for its sympathic portrait of black Americans. It is still a powerful movie that has not been dated with the passage of the years. Gregory Peck said that he would be forever remembered upon his death for the part of Atticus Finch and he was right -- all the obituaries lead with it in June, 2003.
  
  
  
• To Kill a Mockingbird is like a sin
  By A35XMSURGM0L1N on 2004-07-11
  'To Kill A Mockingbird' is of course the movie adaptation of Harper Lee's movie with the same title. Gregory Peck is a lawyer in rural Mississippi who is asked to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman.

  The movie starts however with a seemingly unrelated event, the lives of Atticus Finch's two children. His daughter is a tomboy and his son is trying to keep her from getting into more trouble. The stumble upon some strange items and look at the house of a strange man called Boo Radley.

  Then the movie goes into the court case. It is of course very obvious that the black man is innocent, but this is 1930's South with an all white jury...

  Then the two parts of the movie come back together again...

  The acting in this movie (in black and white) is superb. I recall that Gregory Pecks perfomance was voted the best of the century. Even the little girl is superb, she even got a nominatation for an oscar. Boo Radley is played by Robert Duvall, though he says next to nothing and is only in the movie for a few minutes. He of course 10 years later would play Tom Hayden in The Godfather. For Star Trek fans: Tom Robinson, the black man accused, is Sisko's Father of DS9
  
  

• Destruction of the innocent by the evils of the society
  By A2087JBOXEPFM6 on 2004-07-20
  Destruction of the innocent by the evils of the society
  Kuldip Kumar Garhwal

  "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but... sing their heart out for us. That's why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird." The movie 'To kill a mockingbird' depicts the destruction of the innocent by the evils of the society. Mockingbird is a symbol of innocence, characterized by Tom Robinson and Arthur Radley (Boo) where racial prejudice and ignorance are the symbol of evils in the society.

  Tom Robinson, an African-American is accused by Mayela, a white woman, of sexual molestation. Atticus, a prominent lawyer of the town Maycomb, has proved that Tom Robinson is innocent but still the "all-white jury" convicts Robinson of the guilt. Tom Robinson, a "quite humble respectable Negro", becomes the victim of racial prejudice. Arthur Radley (Boo) has been emotionally destroyed by his father, as his father did not let him step outside the house. Boo is one of the "mockingbirds" in the story, who is the victim of ignorance; evil of the society which is trying to kill the good. Boo had a deep affection for children, which is later displayed in the story, when Boo saves Jim and Scout from Bob Ewells.

  "There are some men in the world who are born to do unpleasant jobs for us; your father is one of them", said Maudie to Jim after his father (Atticus) lost the case of Tom Robinson. Atticus helped his children to learn values of life and he showed them how to live life by the values; preaching by practicing. Atticus allowed his children to call him by his name instead of 'father'. He wanted his children to explore freedom, but also taught them to stay in limits. Jim is brave, intelligent, and caring. He learns courage, dignity, and value of life from his father. He is transforming into adulthood.

  Scout is still a kid; she does not know anything about the existence of evil in the society. She is learning about evils from the real life example of the victims (Tom and Boo) of the evils in the society. By the end of the story Scout's perspective on life develops from that of an innocent child into that of a near grown up. "Mr. Tate was right", said Scout to Atticus, after Mr. Tate, the town Sheriff explained Atticus indirectly that whatever Boo did was correct and he is not supposed to be punished for that. "It would be like shooting the mockingbird, wouldn't it." Scout shows a high level of ability to comprehend at the age of five, and understands the whole situation and judges what is right and what is wrong.

  The Music Director of the movie has done an excellent job. Music plays an important role in the movie, by setting the mood for what is been screened. The movie starts with a musical note, which seems like it is played by a kid, one note at a time. The movie also has gothic music to create the horrifying or thrilling environment, when Jim and Scout were walking home after the Halloween Party and they had an encounter with Bob Ewells. Most of the places the movie has melancholy music to produce the feeling of thoughtful sadness. The pleasant arrangements of musical notes in the movie create an atmosphere where we feel that we are a part of the movie, and we go back into our nostalgic memories and look back into our childhood. The movie itself seems like a mockingbird song.

  My favorite scene in the movie is when Atticus is walking out of the courtroom after the trial is over and all the "colored" people sitting in the balcony stands up to pay respect to Atticus, a white man, who tried his level best to save a "Negro." The Reverend says to Scout who was sitting, "Stand up Jean Louise. Your father is passing." The scene says it all, there is not much dialogue but the expressions on the faces of the black people was marvelous, with a slow melancholy music at the background. As it this situation there is nothing left to say, because everyone knows in the courtroom that Tom Robinson is not guilty but still the jury has convicted him of the rape, just because of racial prejudice.

  _____________________________________________

  Kuldip Kumar Garhwal(...)
  
  

• Classic Movie
  By A31Y9DLKVASJQY on 2004-10-21
  This is one of those rare cases where a great book is turned into a great film. Gregory Peck was outstanding as the lawyer in a small southern town who is trying to defend a young black man who was accused of raping a white woman. The kids who played his kids did a great job too, especially the girl who played Scout.
  
  The dvd includes a special on the making of the film, which is almost as long as the movie, and almost as interesting.
  
  
• The best male performance of all time.
  By AJ0O0Z3QLVZWD on 2005-08-26
  Of course much has already been said of this classic movie. I can only add that it does contain perhaps the greatest single male performance in movie history. Gregory Peck's character is so dynamic, upstanding, courageous and human, that he stands above virtually all other masculine roles, and provides us with a hero for the ages. The story is about fighting racism and injustice in the South, and Peck plays a small town lawyer who risks life and liberty to save a framed black man from the gallows. Other heroes of like stature come to mind, seeing this movie, including Martin Luther King, Abe Lincoln, Jesus, Gandhi, and select few others. I do wish they would make more of this type of movie. How we do need more heroes in this weary world.
  
  
• Classic Novel - Classic Movie
  By A3AVEYXTE808WT on 2006-01-19
  When my children were about 9 years old, as part of their reading assignments (not assigned by a school), I gave them a copy of "To Kill a Mockingbird" to read. I am Black and I raised my children to be proud of being Black. "To Kill a Mockingbird" serves as a good platform to discuss racism, friendship, & discrimination (both racial and special disabilities). One of the DVD reviewers stated something about the topic of dated racism in the depression era - Well there is nothing "dated" about racism in the South or anywhere else. Although much progress has been made, events in Jasper,Texas and New York in recent years serve as reminders that we have a long way to go and much to learn. I'd recommend everyone to see this movie at least once, and to discuss at length.
  
  
• A wonderful film, with exemplary DVD extras.
  By on 1998-07-20
  Packages like this are why I bought a DVD player. This "Collector's Edition" includes a crystal clear, widescreen presentation of the classic film. The performances by Gregory Peck and especially the children in the film are as immediate today as they were when the film was made in 1962. The "making of" documentary that's included is fascinating; it includes interviews with Peck, the now-grown actors who played his children, the director, producer and others. It makes a great companion for the film and adds a tremendous amount of insight to both the process of turning the book into a film, as well as the atmosphere of rural Alabama during the depression. END
  
  
• Timeless Classic
  By A1OLK5D0Z0YA9B on 2000-09-12
  I am an 8th grade girl, and I was assinged to read To Kill A Mockingbird over the summer. At first, I thought it was quite boring, but then it got interesting, and I couldn't put it down. I hate to read, and this is a book I would read over and over again. The movie is just a great, and Gregory Peck is just incredible. Scout and Jem were fantastic as well. I would recommend the book and movie to anyone. I would also like to add that these reviews aren't a joke, and this book/movie should be appreciated, as it is the best book I have ever read, and the best movie I have ever seen.
  
  

• The Grapes of Wrath
• 12 Angry Men
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Of Mice & Men
• Inherit the Wind