My Favorite Films: To Kill A Mockingbird

I've waited this long to post the eighth film on my list because, of course, it is on everyone's list: To Kill A Mockingbird.

Atticus Finch, the father played by Gregory Peck, is Everyman. He is the father all of us wish we had.

I love the American Film Institute (AFI) lists. In 2003, the AFI named the role of Atticus played by Gregory Peck as the top Greatest Hero of American Film. He beat out Indiana Jones, Rocky Balboa, Superman, and Lawrence of Arabia to name just a few of the top fifty heroes.

Every time I watch To Kill A Mockingbird, I am awed by how wonderful a film it is. It sets the tone of the sleepy depression-era Alabama town where Atticus, a widower, is raising his two children. The film covers three summers in the lives of the family.

The genius of both the book and the film is the way in which the action unfolds from the POV of the child Scout. You see both the larger drama of the trial and the smaller episodes in the life of the family.

I had a lot of trouble deciding on which scene to post here. To begin with, there are over 2,000 clips of class projects where students recreated scenes from the movie. Some are hilarious.

I wanted to post the scene where Atticus kills the rabid dog, Tim Johnson, but I couldn't find one from the original movie. I did find LOTS of student-made copies.

I finally settled on the scene where Atticus is sitting outside the jail, guarding his client, Tom Robinson. It captures both the larger drama and the smaller family dynamics.

Enjoy.