Teach Your Children Well- With This Classic Movie: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)

Atticus Finch is the man we all wanted our fathers to be. And if we were lucky, we not only had him, but a Boo Radley in our lives as well. Why? Because, in their own way, both are men of conscience; men for all seasons.

I sometimes say sarcastic things about the powers-that-be who make the movies out in Hollywood because of so much sleazy violent and amoral trash coming out of the sewer pipe of certain movie makers that fills our children's minds, but when they make movies like TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, I have to applaud them with a standing ovation. I wish the majority of movies had the maturity and integrity and human warmth that this film does. Thanks, whoever made this classic. Thanks forever.

The story is set in a Southern (U.S.A.) town back in the early part of the 20th century, where if you were black your rights were essentially not much more than that of an animal. The thing that draws you into the setting as much as anything is the pacing of the film which is quite slow and easy, as easy as Old Man River rolling by on a summer Saturday afternoon. The other thing that draws you in is the wonderfully simple yet nostalgic and beautiful musical score.

Essentially, the story is about a Southern lawyer (Atticus Finch, played by Gregory Peck) with a respect for the dignity of human beings if all races who defends a black man accused of rape, and he tries to interpret all of this to his innocent young children and their friend (who, oddly enough, is supposed to be based on the character of Truman Capote as a small boy) . And in the background of it all is a mysterious man named Boo Radley who strikes fear into the hearts of the children.

Robert Mulligan directed the film, and this called forth a wide range of directorial talents, essentially in the relationships. There are many relationships to consider in the movie. The two siblings, the two siblings and their friend, Atticus and his two children, courtroom scenes, Atticus and the Klansman-like rednecks, and many others. All of these relationships are dealt with slowly and deeply, and Mulligan's sure hand is in all of it.

Gregory Peck won an Oscar for his portrayal of Atticus Finch, and strange as it may seem, this was Robert Duvall's screen debut as Boo Radley. Both are outstanding. The children, played by Mary Badham and Phillip Alford, are very well coached and are utterly convincing. The chemistry between Peck and these children is absolutely believable and full of heart.

Three things stand out in the movie, which wear well across the years. The first is the courage of the lawyer Atticus in standing up against public opinion to preserve what he knows is right. I know a lawyer in real life like that and I'm proud to have him as a close friend. The second thing that strikes you is the warmth and love that the widowed lawyer has for his beloved children. Finally, we are reminded how terrible it was for our black brothers and sisters to have lived in the Southern United States in that time in that century. Thank God we Americans are making some progress in eliminating the weakness in collective thinking known as racial and cultural prejudice in our species. There are still those who hate blacks, Hispanics, Jews, Asians, and others in our largely Caucasian population majority, but their days are numbered, and their children are seeing the light of God's love for everyone. One would hope the entire world could see it that way some day, and this movie is an anthem to keep trying.


This is a fine movie for children of all ages to see. Don't be put off by the fact that an accusation of rape is a theme of the movie; no "rape scenes" are ever shown and besides, at a certain age most children today should be told by their parents about the reality of dangerous people who might harm them this way.

And it introduces them to the fact that there really ARE people out there who hate other people because of the color of their skin and it shows them what is the right way to live with people like that. We adults forget that. But to show a child what is wrong (prejudice) is just as important as to show them what is right.

A few years after you have shown your kids things like BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, ALLADIN, THE WIZARD OF OZ and other movies like that, introduce them to TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Talk to them about it. Tell them how wrong it is to hate.

I would call the movie a keeper. If you are building a personal home movie collection, this might be one you'd want in it. It's in mine, for sure.

*****