Rating: 
Summary: Atticus Finch - the greatest hero of all time
Review: With the all the other heroic roles Gregory Peck played, his potryal of middle-aged Atticus Finch, with no particular good-looks to speak form, was his greatest as his sole Academy Award proves. Although, in the terms of scenes covered, the film may not be very faithful to the equally brilliant book, it retains the true spirit of the story (as well as the major scenes). To add to that, the casting is perfect; the character are all just how I imagined them. The children were particularly impressive, making their characters realistic; Mary Badham acts her role with a childish innocence, very relevant to her character of Scout, which delightful to watch.
The movie is full of wonderful scenes, with the court trial being the highlight. Gregory Peck's closing defence speech consists of some of the greatest film dialogue of all time. For readers and non-readers of Harper Lee' book, this film will be enjoyable and shame on those (particularly a certain reviewer) who cannot appreciate its message.
Rating: 
Summary: Mockingbird Killing Revisited-The PC edition
Review: Mockingbird killing revisited Some classic movies remain relevant long after the era they portrayed passed into memory. Some should be left untouched. Except for the acting of Gregory Peck and Brock Peters, the movie version of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird seems like a slow moving story going at 33 rpm in a world that's on warp speed 40 years after the movies release. The movie set in Black and White cinematography moves slowly with its plot introducing all the characters especially the children in little vignettes. Yet for a movie about the mistreatment of African-Americans in the 1930's rural south, there is little exposition about the key figure, Tom Robinson, the man accused of rape by a spinster white women or the lives Blacks lived in that era. The movie glorified the courage of Atticus Finch, played stoically by Peck, who took to the unsuccessful defense of Robinson, who dies off-screen, much as the activities of the blacks in this movie are used to highlight Finch's lack of prejudice. Where the Whites in the movie are portrayed in shades of gray from unrelenting bigotry to middling tolerance, all the black characters are presented as noble savages with great dignity and idol-like appreciation for the attorney's defense. 40 years ago there was a lump in my throat, when the Black community seated in the balcony of the courthouse, stood silently to honour attorney Finch, now there was a look to my watch to see when this tale would come to an end. Some parts of this drama still work, the attack on Finch's children by the wronged spinster's father and defense by recluse Boo Radley played by Robert Duvall, still works well as well as the sheriff's(played by Frank Overton) failure to prosecute Radley. However, even that ending is marred by the reverential liberalism that the racists death cancels out Tom Robinson's. But every black character even the Finch maid and nanny, Calpurnia, is shown with respect and anonymity. Its as if the movie's creative team were afraid to show three dimensional African American life, proving once again in the words of Nat "King" Cole, "Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark." Joseph B. Rosenberg
Rating:
Summary: Exquisite Filmmaking
Review: I don't really feel the need to review "To Kill a Mockingbird." The editorial review and the opinion of the American Film Institute should say enough about the superiority of this work. Every actor gives a flawless performance. Atticus Finch is Gregory Peck's finest roll and his performance lives up to character. All the children are simply amazing. One performance that seems to get virtually no attention in reviews is Collin Wilcox Paxton as Mayella Violet Ewell. Ms. Paxton draws together an astounding collection of emotions and releases them in one to the most intense and frightening performances I have seen in any film. I remember seeing the film as a pre-teen (when it was new), and Ms. Paxton's anguished, screaming face is the image that is most vividly burned in my memory. She scared the bejeezers out of me. There simply can be no reasonable rating less than 5 stars for this flawless classic. So I was curious to find out why some people would give it less!?! I scanned through all the reviews and found only a handful who, I feel, had legitimate reasons for giving 4 stars because they felt the DVD transfer was flawed. I was amazed to find other reasons. Several school kids who had been forced to watch (and read) "To Kill a Mockingbird" who thought it was boring. Perhaps this says something about our schools, no? And maybe it says more about television. Some people were upset because it was not in color. They were unable to get over their disappointment and see the movie as it is. It was made in black and white at a time when Technicolor ruled the screen. There is clearly a very specific artistic reason Robert Mulligan chose black and white. He made the right choice. The sense of the dusty, dry, poor depression era is beautifully reinforced by the black and white presentation. But the most amazing review was one person that said "Racism still serves a purpose..."!! Wow! I guess there are still Bob Ewells among us! "Too Kill a Mockingbird" is without doubt one of the finest examples of American filmmaking. Anybody (particularly any American) who can appreciate the finer things in life, and has any sensitivity to the complexities of human society, should watch this film. And it stands up well to repeat viewing, as does any truly classic work of great art.
Rating:
Summary: Puh-lease!?!?!?!?!?!
Review: Yeah right! Sure. Whatever. I'm sure some successful white attorney is going to just risk it all for some useless Negro who the world doesn't even care about. This movie represents the height of fantasy time for Hollywood. I am so very glad that we don't have to put up with this kind of cheap film making in today's world of movies. Racism still serves a purpose in this world and this movie's dierctor just doesn't seem to get it.
Rating:
Summary: Actor and Role in Perfect Alignment
Review: In his later years, Peck acknowledged that Atticus Finch was his favorite role among many such as Frank Savage in Twelve O'Clock High and Phil Green in Gentleman's Agreement. Peck was the perfect choice to play Finch and received an Academy Award for best actor for that performance. Finch is the central character in Harper Lee's autobiographical novel. A widower with two young children, he supports himself and his family as an attorney in a small town in Alabama during the Great Depression. When Tom Robinson (Brock Peters) is accused of rape, Finch agrees to represent the young black man. This decision antagonizes several of the town's racist whites. The action is seen through Lee's persona, "Scout" (Mary Badham), the younger of the two Finch children. The trial becomes the focal point of the narrative, with the courtroom becoming Finch's pulpit. His eloquent appeals for justice and racial tolerance are directed to everyone in the town, not only to members of the jury. As directed by Robert Mulligan, all members of the cast perform brilliantly. Of special interest is the screen debut of Robert Duvall as Boo Radley, a mysterious recluse who eventually becomes significantly involved in the plot. Thanks to Peck's skills under Mulligan's direction, this is not a "preachy" film. Finch is as credible to those who see this film as he is to those in the town in which he and his children live. When making word associations with the name Gregory Peck, intelligence, integrity, and dignity immediately come to mind. All three describe Finch. Credit must also be given to Horton Foote who wrote the highly literate screenplay based on Lee's autobiographical novel. This is a great film primarily because it contains a great performance by Peck and because (through Finch) it makes a power appeal to the best that is within us, whatever the color of our skin may be.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent film but NOT color
Review: What can one say about this fantastic story? The movie is an excellent adaptation of a book that was way ahead of its time. Although it leaves out what I consider some pretty pivotal points from the novel, it does well with what it can for lack of time and space (if it included everything from the novel it would be 4 hours long!) My only gripe is not about the film itself but about the listing. Amazon.com lists COLOR as a special feature format of this collectors edition. I think it is excellent as a black/white film but thought it would be interesting to see it in color. I was disappointed to find out that actually, viewing it in color is NOT an option at all. I'm sure no one would mind if it wasn't in color but Amazon should not falsely tell people that color is a viewing option when it is not. This is the only reason I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: a short review for ppl who don't want to read long ones
Review: This movie is very good. I'm 16 and a fan of Gregory Peck and I loved this movie. I recommend the book first because this movie cannot even compare to the novel. To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the best books I've ever read. I don't think my entire english class has ever agreed on loving a book that was an assignment.
Rating:
Summary: Should be required in schools
Review: This movie is about accepting others differences and being happy about your own. It would be wonderful if Atticus was everyone's Father alas that is not the case. The movie is poignant and thrilling and sad. I remember watching it as a child and the rabid dog scene was so profoundly compelling but now it is really nothing at all. Great movie to watch at least once a year and explain to your kids.
Rating:
Summary: Deserves all the accolades it has received.
Review: I have often introduced favorite books and movies to my two daughters, hoping they would love them as I do. My "batting average" on this has been less than 1.000; however, I hit a home run with "To Kill a Mockingbird". Both girls, ages 11 and 14, now count it among their favorite movies.
It's hard to believe anyone could pan this movie; yet that's exactly what the famous movie critic Roger Ebert did. Apparently the movie was too "white" for his taste. For example, with the exception of Tom, hardly any lines of dialogue were accorded to black actors. Roger: this is a story told throught the eyes of a white Southern child; other books and movies have told stories from the black experience. Next,Ebert finds it amazing that Atticus believed that Tom was shot trying to escape. Of course, implies Roger, he was gunned down in cold blood by the guard. Earth to Roger! This is a work of fiction. Tom's fate was whatever the author said it was. Ebert even picked at Sheriff Tate's "let the dead bury the dead, Mr. Finch" near the end of the film, wondering how Tom and Ewell would feel about burying each other. Again -- Earth to Roger! Hello? Hello? Tate was quoting Scripture, something a person might well do in that circumstance, without first analyzing every deep repercussion to his words.
In summary: if you're a pretentious, riddled-with-white-liberal-guilt movie critic like Ebert, feel free to write drivel like his. But if you're a normal person, this is a movie to treasure.
Rating:
Summary: A Movie that actally fits the book
Review: The Book is usually always better than the movie. In this case the movie does the book justice. The little girl who plays scout is so beleivable and Gregory Peck is such a wonderful actor. The book is one of the best ever written.
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