To Kill a Mockingbird

This is probably the best book I've ever read. I can't believe I was never made to read it in school, although in retrospect this is probably a good thing as I can appreciate it more now. It was recently recommended to me by three girlfriends in a row, so it shot to the top of the list. This book, after the Bible, is apparently the one Americans say means the most to them. The film is different, since nothing literary can translate as-is to the screen, but it is as great. For those of you like me who've never read or seen it (are there any of you out there?), it's the tale of a young girl and her brother in a small Southern town in the 1930s learning about the complications of race and ethics, and learning how to be humanists. Gregory Peck is phenomenal as their father, especially during the courtroom scene. It's almost as if the character of Atticus Finch was written for him, and in fact Harper Lee was unique among authors by loving the adaptation of the book. The black-and-white film has been beautifully transferred to DVD. There is a documentary but it can be missed; I'd stick with the film. It is plainly shot, without fancy camera angles or movements, so the story is what you see. Keep your eyes open for Robert Duvall. In this particular film, he's very, very good.

year: 1962
length: 129 min.
rating: 4.0
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056592/combined