Alabama. The deep south. Many years ago. Little Jean Louise "Scout" Finch (Mary Badham) is a young southern girl about to start school. Her brother, Jeremy "Jem," is already in school. They live in the small Alabama town of Maycomb with their father, Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck), a widowed lawyer, and the nanny/maid, Calpurnia (Estelle Evans).
Scout and Jem are typical innocent children living a care-free life. But that innocence is about to be shattered when a terrible, tragic event occurs.
Tom Robinson (Brock Peters), an African American, is arrested and sccused of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell. Atticus is asked to defend Tom Robinson in court, something the townsfolk do not think very highly of at all. So even suggest that Atticus do next to nothing to help Tom Robinson. But as Atticus puts it, "He wouldn't be able to hold his head up in the town again."
Atticus knows that Tom Robinson is innocent. But the rest of the town doesn't. Everyone whose anyone thinks he got to be guilty. Tom's only chance is the honor bound Atticus Finch, determinded to see that the "trial of the century" so to speak does not turn into a miscarriage of justice.
Atticus must balance his duties as Tom Robinson's lawyer while being a father to his children, making sure that once the trial is over, the children's innocense isn't completely lost.
Casting the children perfectly was a real coup for the producers. It takes a great cast to make a great movie. Told through the innocent eyes of Scout Finch, have you ever seen better child performance? Only once in a long while do we get such great performances out of children. Jackie Cooper was brilliant in Skippy (1931); Haley Joel Osment gave an absolutly chilling performance in The Sixth Sense (1999) and Anna Paquin (in her Oscar winning role) was perfect in The Piano (1993).
Mary Badham and Phillip Alford gave incredible performances that should have earned them each a juvinile award at least. They were emotional when they had to be, dramatic when they had to be, and adorable when they had to be. Mary Badham was approprietly rocognized for her amazing performace by receiving an Oscar nomination in the supporting catagory. Although she didn't win (She lost to another child star, Patty Duke, in The Miracle Worker) the Academy, for once, got something right.
Atticus Finch was voted the greatest hero in cinema history. And with good reason. Atticus Finch was Gregory Peck's legacy. It was his greatest role, with out a doubt. But this is how we start a great movie. By good casting. Peck, as it turned out, was the perfect choice to play Atticus. (The first choice was Rock Hudson. Ugh.)
To Kill a Mockingbird is not simply another good dramtic movie. To Kill a Mockingbird is a comming of age tale. A loss of innocense tale not unlike Stand By Me or The Lion King. Moatly, it is a tale about right and wrong.
Harper Lee wrote the original novel from which the brilliant, Oscar winning screenplay was born. The book was writen in a time when racial hatred was rampant and men with enough compassion and ethics to defend a truly innocent black man were few and far between. Harper Lee captured the times and the attitudes of the deep south like a photograph we'll have for all time.
As tragic as Hamlet, and as poignant as Schindler's List, To Kill a Mockingbird shook our reality and shattered our views on what is right, what is wrong and what is socially acceptable, ultimatly giving us the realization that yes, sometimes two wrongs do make a right. Movies just don't get any better than this.
Plot: 
The story is simple but horrible, tragic, and yet incredible all at the same time. Based on the book of the same name, To Kill a Mockingbird is an almost true account of Harper Lee's own childhood. The film is a snapshot of life in those days, an era gone by when hatred was rampant and heros were found only in comic books.
Visual Effects:
The Cinematography of the film is terrific. No, it isn't perfect, but it effectivly converys the emotions of all the characters and helps tell the story was great ease.
There are no fancy tricks of the camera; there are no computer effects or visual stunts to make the story better. The film doesn't need any of it to be what it is: a work a art... nay, a masterpiece.
Sound:
Judged as one of the 25 best scores of all time, the music haunting and at times dramtic. Perfect in every detail.
Character Development:
This is a loss of innocense film for a reason. Atticus learns from this experience. The children do as well. How much do they grow up by the end of the film? more that you'd expect.
Atmosphere:
The film is exciting... no, it isn't fast paced, but it is heavily dramatic. It'll keep you glued to the set. You won't be checking your watch all the time.
Realism:
As was stated before, this film is like a photograph of history. It is a film about an era gone by, and captures perfectly the sentiment of the times with a bunch hollywood glitz and glamour to screw it up.
Warren’s Rating:
Movies it was nominated with for Best Picture:
*Lawrence of Arabia; The Longest Day; The Music Man; Mutiny on the Bounty
11/10 *NOTE*: It isn't every great movie I rate higher than 10. This is a very special rating reserved for movies that are better than the best of the best. To Kill a Mockingbird is a well-deserving one of those. Is the movie worth your time to watch?
21-07-06
Age at win: 46
Nominated for: Best Actor in a Leading Role, Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird
Nomination: 4/5 (acting), 4/5 (total); Win: Only
It comes around as often as maybe only once a decade. Nicholas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas. Jamie Foxx in Ray. Vivien Lee in Gone with the Wind. Robert De Niro in Raging Bull. These are some of the best performances ever given. Gregory Peck's Atticus Finch is certainly to be listed among these for years yet to come.
Gregory Peck gives a fatherly approach to Atticus Finch. Not only is he calm and cool going with the children, he seems to have rather enjoyed himself in the role. Not only is he very passionate in portraying the litterary icon, he is very tender and loving too, balancing nicely the characteristic of father and lawyer without ever overplaying either part.
He stayed great friends with Harper Lee and Mary Badham up untill his death in 2003, and maybe it was becuase of the great repor he had with the cast.
To Kill a Mockingbird is one of those movie that resonates even in the 2000's, where conservative, home-grown values still hold true and liberal ideas are consistantly introduced upon society. Racism is till out there. Though not as rampant, it is a threat never-the-less.
To Kill a Mockingbird should be required viewing for everyone in school, if only to learn that violence begets violence; that racism and hatred are not the answer.
Well done, Mr. Peck. Your legacy is safe for a long time to come.
23-07-06
Gregory Peck
DOB: April 5th, 1916 DOD: June 12, 2003
Jon Voight's performance
