Rating: 
Summary: Close to perfection
Review: I rented this movie after the passing of Gregory Peck (whose daughter named her child Harper) and I'm sooo glad that I did. I had no idea that one of my favorite directors Robert Mulligan (Summer of '42, Man in the moon) directed it . He seems to be one of the only directors whose films never fail to make me cry. The opening credits were absolutley touching with the child humming and the rest of the film did not dissapoint either. Mary Badham reeks with realness in her role of Scout. Mulligan went out of his way to hire child actors from the South . He wanted children who knew the context of the film and had real Southern accents. Thank you Robert, Southerner's notice the accent and appreciate this. However, I did miss Aunt Alexandra and the storyline behind Mrs. Dubois but then again movies never quite meet the standards set by books.
Rating:
Summary: "In the name of God, do your duty!"
Review: Atticus Flich (Peck) is a lawyer who is defending a Nergo named Tom from a crime he didn't commit. Atticus is unpopular because he's defending a negro. A great movie AND a great book! I read the book first before I watched the movie. Atticus Flich is the #1 Hero on AFI'S list of 100 Heroes & Villians.
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Summary: A Timeless Classic that Speaks for Itself
Review: 'To Kill a Mockingbird' the only written Pulitzer Prize classic by Harper Lee to gain so much in literary or film history. It has become not only a tale of a single father's love for his two children but a social commentary of socialism, racism and injustice. Director Robert Mulligan delivers Lee's classic with such precision that the book translation into the film reatined it's quality with nothing lost. What other films taken from books can say that? It has made the American Film Institute's (AFI) list of top 100 films of all time. It's considered one of the finest examples of family drama ever made. Even though set in a 1932 Depression-era Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, in history it still remains timeless. It's message still remains powerfully strong and resounding in our American society today. It still defends the cause of tolerance, justice, sound morals and responsible, loving single parenthood.
This message is just as very much important today as it was then. I recommend this to people of all ages. The courtroom drama is beyond mundane or formality. Gregory Peck is Atticus Finch, small-town Alabama lawyer and widower father of two. This is one of his best performances that got him the Oscar at the Academy Awards in 1962. He takes on with compassion the defense of a black man (Brock Peters) accused of rape and murder of a young white woman. His children Scout (Mary Badham) who tells the story and her brother Jem (Philip Alford) learn about racial prejudice and hatred. They also overcome their fear of a mysterious, obscure and silent neighbor Boo Radley (Robert Duvall, in his brilliant screen debut). Some of the best classic lines from the movie when Atticus has a quiet moment with his children. If you just learn a single trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it. And he tells them about it was a sin to kill a mockingbird. The mockingbird was different from all the other birds...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 corncrib, they don't do one thing but just sing their hearts out for us.
What comes from this beautifully told film is a shining, intense drama that cleverly extracts the ideas of Harper Lee's heartfelt classic, a tremendously talented group of American actors brought together in one film and the magic of devoted artistry of screenplay and an outstanding score. It's strength has survived all the madness and complexity of today's so-called Hollywood cinema. 'To Kill a Mockingbird' is truly an all-time classic that speaks for itself.
Rating:
Summary: Best Pick of Peck's
Review: When I ordered this DVD little did I know Gregory Peck would pass away just a week after I received it.
I had seen the movie before and read the book - ages ago when I was still in the Philippines. But I watched it with "new" eyes - after 30+ years of living here in the USA. It is an amazing movie - a real classic - pure & simple with a powerful message. I am glad it wasn't colorized! This is a wonderful, wonderful movie! Peck at his best! That Oscar was well deserved! And the bonuses are great too - especially - "Fearful Symmetry" - the making of TKAM. Go and get yourself a copy of this DVD!
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Summary: Like great wine, this film improves with age.....
Review: I suppose the death of Gregory Peck has left a great moment of sadness within us all. At least those of us lucky enough to have experienced the budding greatness of the 1962 film "To Kill A Mockingbird." There was a time, believe it or not, when director Robert Mulligan's "To Kill A Mockingbird" was considered trite and conventional. Many critics claimed Gregory Peck's Academy Award-winning honor for this film to be an acknowledgement of a long and fruitful career, rather than the individual performance. Unfortunately, this film was released during a time in American history when cultural change was on the horizon. The messages in this film, based on Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, were no longer considered relevant. They were lost in a sea of grainy TV footage showing Kennedy's assassination, the Vietnam war and Jimi Hendrix performing "The Star Spangled Banner." So I suppose it's not a surprise that "To Kill A Mockingbird" fell through the cracks. What a joy to see this film's reputation grow on an annual basis. Is there a single American film in history more deserving of lofty status than "To Kill A Mockingbird?" I say completely, without a moment's hestitation, that Gregory Peck's performance as Atticus Finch is one of the greatest single performances in cinema history. It ranks with George C. Scott's performance in "Patton," Robert De Niro's in "The Raging Bull" and Marlon Brando's in "A Streetcar Named Desire." Rarely has a role fit an actor so comfortably and believably as that of Atticus Finch with Gregory Peck. The moment arrived, the cosmos came together, and Peck gave the ultimate performance of a lifetime. It was a role which would forever define a man, if not a country. Today, "To Kill A Mockingbird" is required viewing for all children. In fact, it should be required viewing for all Americans. This film ultimately personifies all that is strong and decent within our troubled culture. There are really no villains in "To Kill A Mockingbird," but there are deeply flawed men, women and children struggling with the changing tide of a complex society. In "To Kill A Mockingbird," this is our world, for better or for worse. Gregory Peck/Atticus Finch will eventually serve as a beacon for us all. His portrayal is a testament. It is an example of what we can truly be if we tap the best within mankind. There is not a single bad note in "To Kill A Mockingbird," and a special note must be made for the heartbreaking performance of Brock Peters. I suppose it is telling that when watching this film as a child, I wanted to be like Atticus Finch - wrinkled white suit, gentle smile, respectful of tradition. One day, when my children watch this film, I have not a doubt they will feel the same way. This film, like the book, is exquistely timeless. And to think, it almost fell through the cracks of cultural upheaval.
Rating:
Summary: A must-have for your collection
Review: To Kill a Mockingbird is a true classic and a must-have for your DVD collection. Gregory Peck gives his greatest performance ever
Rating:
Summary: A good DVD for one of the best films ever
Review: Make no mistake, To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the best films of all time. It is beautiful, emotional, and touching from beginning to end. The acting is superb (both Peck and the children) and the black-and-white cinematography is gorgeous. Add to that the screenplay adapted from Lee's great novel, Bernstein's evocative score, and thoughtful directing, and it is easy to see why this is considered a timeless classic.
There are those who read the book and watch the film, expecting to see a movie that is an accurate incarnation of the book, and are dissapointed. Personally, I cannot understand this. For the film portrays the book almost perfectly--both the events and the theme and heart of the story. It is ridiculous to debate which work is better--they are both masterpieces of their own mediums. Thus, it is important to look at the film without the book in mind, and if you can do this, you will undoubtedly be impressed by the beautiful film.
The DVD is, for the most part, quite good. I would support an effort at Universal to make a limited edition 2-DVD set to honor this wonderful film, but as it now stands, I am perfectly happy. The extras are pretty good, and the film is preserved in very good shape. Do yourself a favor and buy this film.
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Summary: Honors the book
Review: Never was a movie so worthy of its source material. Has this scenario ever happened to you? You read a wonderful book. It moves you. The characters inspire you. The story changes you. Then they make the inevitable movie, and it's no longer art--It's a piece of mass merchandising. Well, this movie is art. It is catharsis. It is sublime. The times it portrays are past, but its themes are timeless. My guts always twist whenever I remember the courtroom scene in which the wrongfully accused takes the stand. Buy it. And if you're ever in Spokane Washington and you like quirky [stuff], stop by Boo Radley's emporium.
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Summary: Lesson to be learned
Review: Gregory Peck, as Atticus Finch, the small-town Alabama lawyer and widower father of two, does an outstanding job of acting in To Kill a Mockingbird. He handles a difficult situation with the utmost level of professionalism. He deals with racial hatred while teaching his two children that the world in which we live is filled with many types of hatred. The lesson that he teaches is relived with every challenge that Atticus faces. The strength Atticus shows us in dealing with the community and retaining the friendship of a wrongfully accused man is tremendous. I would recommend this movie for families to watch as a family. There is a strong message that we all can learn from on how to better deal with racial hatred.
Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest ever
Review: I've watched this film 2 to 3 times a year since 1962 and never get sick of it. Peck's Atticus Finch is without a doubt the greatest hero of all time. The multiple plots from Boo Radley to Tom Robinson to Truman "Dill" Capote keep your attention from beginning to end. Harper Lee wrote a masterpiece, and, even though some characters such as Aunt Alexandria and Mrs. DuBose were minimized in the film, it too was a masterpiece.
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