Dear Jodie,
Gregory Peck won the Oscar playing Atticus Finch for his
address to the jury in "To Kill a Mockingbird," and rightly so. He was marvelous.
But those who come to this wonderful movie seeking a
courtroom drama will find the movie out of balance.
Certainly the trial of Tom Robinson for a crime he didn't
commit was a major part of the plot, but this is a coming of age story.
Scout, Jem, and Dill's story, of how they learn the ways of
the world in which they lived.
I loved it. Still do.
I found much recognition in it.
Growing up, I, too, had a "haunted" house with a boogieman
inside six or seven houses away that we sneaked up on from time to time.
I, too, had to stay in the house a few hours while the
authorities took care of a rabid dog.
I, too, had to run like hell to get away, leaving behind
articles of clothing (shoes in my case ... britches in Jem's).
The essence of this story, to me, lies in Atticus's comment
to Jem. "There are a lot of ugly
things in this world, son."
Then there is the Mockingbird ... Boo Radley, wonderfully
portrayed by Robert Duval in his first screen role, and all of other human
beings in the movie shunned by their fellow humans.
Ah, but I'm supposed to be commenting on the acting, not my
own feelings on the movie, so I will.
Mary Badham was amazing as Scout and justly nominated for Best
Supporting Actress. Brock Peters was
just brilliant as Tom Robinson.
That Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, and Brock Peters remained
friends until Peck's and Peter's respective deaths is telling. Badham always called Peck
"Atticus."
Harper Lee (author of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel)
remarked of Gregory Peck's performance, "The years told me his secret. When he played Atticus Finch,
he had played himself, and time has told all of us something more: when he
played himself, he touched the world."
10
out of 10
What
did you think, Jodie?
Read
Jodie's review here.
