#34 on Original, #25 on Anniversary, #2 on Cheers, #1 on 10 Top 10: Courtroom Drama
What can I possibly say about such a classic film. The story is heartbreaking and inspiring; the acting superb. It reminds me of a time in this country when people allowed hatred to cloud their judgment. (I’m sure this is still going on someplace, but I can hope it isn’t, can’t I?) It represents the people in this country that are willing to stand up for what is right, even when it seems that most of the world is against them.
I have never read the book. Most people read it in high school, but due to switching from regular to honors English classes, I somehow missed this and haven’t gotten around to reading it. So I don’t have the source material to compare the story to. But this brilliant work portrays the story to me with such a kind of quiet forcefulness, I don’t think I would have needed to read the book to understand fully what was going on, like some other book to screen adaptations.
Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch is so amazingly good and believable. I don’t know if any other actor could have played this part as genuinely as Peck did. Atticus Finch makes me want to be a better person, and I think for a film to have that kind of an effect on a viewer speaks volumes all on its own. Atticus’ strength lies in his inaction, in his ability to resist impulsive actions, and being the bigger person in situations with narrow minded people. I think Peck as Finch could say almost anything and it would sound wise. I’m not sure if this is because of Peck’s low pitched voice, or his way of speaking, but then again, I’m not sure if this matters. I think it just matters that Peck was perfect in this part.
There were other aspects to the film that helped to make it well rounded. The interactions between Scout and Jem; the townspeople coming to the jail the night before the trial, and Scout not understanding really what was happening, but diffusing the tension with an innocence that it seems only a child can possess. Being scared of their neighbor, Boo Radley, only to find out he wasn’t going to harm them.
I was surprised to see that Boo Radley was Robert Duvall. But I do think he was very good at portraying Boo’s “quiet way”. Over all the casting on this film was pretty near to perfect. Collin Wilcox as Mayella during her courtroom scenes was able to show exactly what her life was like simply in her eyes, even when her words were saying otherwise. Brock Peters as Tom Robinson simply blew me away. Peters portrayed the fear that Robinson must have felt, while still trying to maintain his innocence, perfectly. You could see that he was not only scared, but he was angry that this was happening to him. For an actor to be able to show that many layers of emotion takes great skill, and both Peters and Wilcox performed brilliantly.
One of the other AFI lists that I do not include in The List, is AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains. The number 1 hero is Atticus Finch. With the 50th anniversary of the movie being this year, AFI has uploaded the segment from that special to their YouTube page featuring Atticus Finch. I suggest watching it, because this nicely sums up why I think in his own way, Finch is the bravest of all the film heroes. And he shows this bravery without blowing things up, and without a lot of special effects and camera tricks.
Every time I see Atticus Finch leaving that courtroom, with everyone in the balcony standing up to show their respect for him, my chest gets tight, and I feel the same pride that they must feel watching him help someone who deserves it.
Favorite Quote
Rev. Sykes: Miss Jean Louise. Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father's passing.
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