To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)


Brilliant adaptation of the Harper Lee novel. A seductively appealing small-town atmosphere turns nasty when a lawyer (Gregory Peck) defends a black man framed for a crime he didn’t commit. The film cleverly tells several stories: the court drama, the wider race-relations issues of the American South, and also the mystery of “Boo” Radley, the unseen neighbour who ends up playing a significant role in their lives.

Gregory Peck is fantastic as Atticus Finch, the kind, calm and intelligent lawyer and father of Scout (the narrator) and Jim. Their friend “Dill” is also excellent. These three kids (Mary Badham, Phillip Alford and John Megna respectively) deliver some of the best child acting I've ever seen. You watch their youthful innocence being lost as they learn about the dangers and prejudices of the world around them. Sadder than this is that the story seems more relevant than ever in Donald Trump’s America.

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