Robert Duvall

Copyright Āc 2006 Ed Bagley

To Kill A Mockingbird - 3 Stars (Good)

Gregory Peck won Best Actor Oscar in this adaptation of Harper Lee's novel won the Pulitzer Prize for White lawyer Atticus Finch defending an innocent African American man accused of raping a white woman.

It's a story that illuminates everything that is wrong on hate, prejudice, bigotry, ignorance, stupidity, lack of backbone and lack of a heart. This is the story of a male all-white jury who makes important decisions of life without thinking of right and good reasons.

Finch (Gregory Peck) suffered reprisals because of his defense of Tom Robinson (Brock Peters) who is accused of raping Mayella Violet Ewell (Collin Wilcox). The real culprit is her father Bob Ewell (James Anderson), who beats her and tries to kill his daughter Scout Finch (Mary Badham) and his son Jem (Phillip Alford).

Scout tells this story about his childhood memories. She and her team Jem and his friend Dill Harris (John Megna) in a subplot involving "Boo" Radley (Robert Duvall) who finally saves Scout and Jem from Bob Ewell Ewell killing with his own knife.

Sheriff Heck Tate (Frank Overton) later claimed that Ewell fell on his own knife. Tate knew that Ewell has two legs and bad news to come in the form of a bigoted man, there would be no charges filed against Boo.

Ultimately, the innocent Tom Robinson is convicted and shot to death when he tried to flee the injustice.

This is not ironic that this story takes place in 1932 in Macon County, Georgia, a cesspool of racist hatred, even in 1962 when this film came out.

To Kill a Mockingbird shows that some people never personal growth seen in their entire lives, thank God that the others.

Boo, a loner who is scared at night, was the first film role Duvall. Duvall apparently stayed away from the sun for six weeks and dyed his hair blond in preparation for the role.

Dill was modeled on the author's childhood friend Harper Lee, Truman Capote. Finch is the father's name by Harper Lee.

Horton Foote, who wrote the screenplay for To Kill a Mockingbird, won an Oscar and the film also won Best Art Direction for a film in black and white. The film won five other Oscar nominations, including best film, won by Lawrence of Arabia Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif.

Gregory Peck picked up the Golden Globe for best actor and the film also won another for the promotion of international understanding. Peck said that this film was his favorite work.

His character Atticus Finch was voted the top screen hero of the past 100 years by the American Film Institute. It's really an honor for non-spin. To Kill a Mockingbird is also ranked No. 2 on the AFI 100 films inspirational of all time (It's a Wonderful Life with James Stewart is No. 1).

Proof of just how emotional To Kill a Mockingbird is just Brock Peters (the accused) who started to cry naturally during the filming of the stage show. Gregory Peck said he had to look ahead to avoid choking up himself.

Racial bigotry is a very emotional event and hate that continues to remain with us today. If there was not a God of love who is colorblind, the evil would be even deeper and more destructive.

To Kill a Mockingbird is as relevant today as it was when it was released. Each generation must work to progress past the sins of past generations. Tom Robinson can rest in peace knowing his descendants will then have a better system of justice.