To Kill a Mockingbird

"To Kill A Mockingbird" premiered in U.S. theaters on Christmas Day 1962. Those who were lucky enough to see this movie on the big screen that December 25th came out of the theater with another Yuletide gift of sorts -- they had just watched one of the finest motion pictures ever produced (IMHO).There probably aren't enough glowing adjectives in the dictionary to describe the loveliness of this film. A truly fabulous piece of American cinema -- all the way through -- with a tender and bittersweet ending that always leaves one of those "trying to hold it back" lumps in the ol' throat.The cast is ideal, with each actor seemingly molded for each of their individual roles. There's "Scout" (Mary Badham), "Jem" (Phillip Alford), "Dill" (John Megna), "Boo Radley" (Robert Duvall), and "Tom Robinson" (Brock Peters).And "Atticus Finch" (Gregory Peck), one of the truly most memorable characters ever brought to the screen. And it's hard to think of how Mr. Peck's Academy Award-winning portrayal of that southern lawyer and father could have possibly been any better than we see it here. Peck always seems to have that "controlled" quality in his movie performances that are always a pleasure to watch. And never more so than as the low-key "Atticus" in this film. I doubt that it's possible to watch this movie and NOT admire the strength of character and unwillingness to stoop to such levels of vulgarity after Atticus is spat upon by "Bob Ewell". It's one of several scenes in the film that illustrates the type of man Atticus is, and the type of example he's setting for his young children. Some might be apt to call Atticus a coward in that scene. But they'd be wrong.This film offers up many highly-memorable moments indeed --- Atticus sitting in front of the jail reading by the light of his living-room stand lamp. .... The mystery of Jem's ripped pants. .... Boo Radley's spooky house. .... Atticus impressing his children when he shoots the rabid dog. .... That old hollowed-out tree that keeps filling itself up with all kinds of cool stuff. .... "Stand up, your father's passing". .... Plus, that beautiful and stirring Elmer Bernstein music score. Utter magic.There's also a good deal of humor residing in this screenplay. I always get a good healthy laugh when viewing the scene which has dinner guest Walter Cunningham Jr. drenching his dinner in syrup, to the shock and dismay of Scout --- "What in Sam Hill are you doin'?! He's gone and drown-ded his dinner in syrup and now he's pourin' it all over!". :)And possibly the most memorable quote comes at the end of the film, when Atticus says to Scout: "Miss Jean Louise -- Mister Arthur Radley". With these few words, Scout's fears of "Boo" vanish forever. The dignity with which Atticus "introduces" Arthur ("Boo") to Scout is what makes this quote memorable for me.Universal Studios Home Video, on September 6, 2005, issued a beautiful-looking new Two-Disc DVD version of "To Kill A Mockingbird", which comes with a bountiful helping of bonus supplements, as well as the very first "enhanced" (Anamorphic) Widescreen transfer of the film on DVD.Packaged under its "Legacy Series" banner, this 2-Disc Set sparkles in virtually all respects, especially the video quality of this iconic black-and-white film. It looks very nearly perfect to my eyes. Very few distracting artifacts can be observed during the running of this 130-minute main feature (which is presented in its intended 1.85:1 Widescreen framing here). And the nighttime scenes are rendered in fine fashion, with next to no video annoyances visible at all. The film passes the "Freeze Frame" test as well -- i.e.: you can "pause"/"still" an image on screen in virtual perfect clarity, without the image blurring at all, which I usually take as a pretty good sign that what I'm seeing is a darn-good transfer of the material to DVD.There's a choice of five separate audio options for the feature film on Disc 1 -- with one of the five being a Commentary Track with Director Robert Mulligan and Producer Alan Pakula, which was recorded for the first DVD edition of "TKAM" in 1998. Tragically, Pakula was killed in a freak auto accident in November of 1998, not too long after he recorded the commentary track for the DVD. He was 70 years old.Other audio options for this two-disc edition include the original English Mono (in 2.0 Dolby Digital), a French 2.0 DD Mono track, and two newly-created multi-channel 5.1 Surround audio tracks (a Dolby Digital 5.1 plus a DTS 5.1). The DTS track isn't listed in the specs on the packaging, however. But it IS on here.Audio tracks cannot be changed "on the fly" (as the saying goes) while watching the movie (unfortunately). You must go to the "Languages" Sub-Menu to switch the audio. To switch to the Commentary Track, you must access the "Bonus Features" Menu on Disc 1. There's no "Commentary" option available from the "Languages" Menu (for some reason).Subtitle options: English, French, and Spanish. .... These subtitle choices are also ALL available when viewing any of the Bonus Features throughout this two-disc DVD set (including even the movie's trailer).A bonus item that was originally scheduled to be a part of this set, but was ultimately not included, is a replica of Gregory Peck's "working script" (with handwritten notes by Peck). That bonus was evidently replaced by the 11 "Theatrical Poster Reproductions" that are included here. These poster art copies are very nice, being re-printed on high-quality paperboard stock, which have a glossy look to them. Included are a few USA poster copies, plus several from foreign nations, like Argentina, Japan, Italy, Poland, among others. The artwork's country of origin is printed on the back of each of these reproduction prints. A well-done extra bonus, IMO. (Although I would have loved to have had Mr. Peck's working TKAM script too. But, oh well.)Also in the envelope with the 11 poster re-prints is a signed message from "To Kill A Mockingbird" author Harper Lee.Let's have a look at the DVD Bonus Features.............Disc 1:....Gregory Peck's acceptance speech after he won the Oscar trophy as "Best Actor 1962" (the only Oscar statue he was ever to take home, amazingly enough). This vintage 1963 B&W video clip runs for 1:28.....Excerpt from the "Academy Tribute To Gregory Peck", with Gregory's daughter Cecilia. This is a 10-minute bonus item....."American Film Institute Life Achievement Award" presented to Gregory Peck. Run Time: 10 minutes....."Scout Remembers", which is a 1999 NBC-TV interview with "Scout" herself (Mary Badham). This bonus runs 12 minutes. .... Mary Badham, for those who may not know it, is the sister of John Badham, who directed such motion pictures as "WarGames" (in 1983) and the enormously-popular and successful John Travolta film "Saturday Night Fever" (in 1977).....The Original Theatrical Trailer for "To Kill A Mockingbird" (Length: 2:53). The trailer is in Full Frame (1.33:1) format. Excellent sound quality too. Video quality is lacking a bit, but it's not too bad.....Production Notes. (Text screens only.)The only thing missing here are the "Cast And Filmmaker" bio text pieces that were included on the '98 disc. Too bad, too, because those biography notes were quite good (and extensive), and covered several of the various TKAM players and execs.Disc 2:There are two first-rate documentaries on the second disc of this set. These two extra DVD programs amount to 3 hours and 7 minutes of added "Mockingbird" entertainment, pretty much the equivalent of two entire additional movies.The Disc-Two programs are:"Fearful Symmetry: The Making Of 'To Kill A Mockingbird'" (90 minutes; B&W; Non-Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Video; 2.0 DD Stereo Audio; 24 Chapter Stops). .... This is the same feature-length, behind-the-scenes documentary that was also included on the earlier DVD release of "To Kill A Mockingbird". Wonderful stuff here. Lots of interesting details about how this classic film got to the screen. Includes many on-camera comments by Gregory Peck. Produced in 1998.-- And: --"A Conversation With Gregory Peck" (97 minutes; Color & B&W; Full Frame 1.33:1 Video; 2.0 DD Stereo Audio; 18 Chapter Stops). .... This sensational movie-length documentary was produced by Gregory Peck's daughter (Cecilia) in 1999. It is a very nicely-constructed presentation, with a good music score too, which delves in great depth into the personal side of the great Gregory Peck, who proves here that he was still more than capable of holding an audience's undivided attention at age 83.This documentary could very easily have been called "Gregory Peck's Life: In His Own Words". It's quite literally a biography on the personal life and movie career of Mr. Peck. It's certainly one of the best "bio" pieces I've ever seen on the life of any actor.This "docu-bio" contains video clips of many of Peck's films, plus old home movies, several talk-show clips featuring Gregory, and lots of other interesting stuff that help to give even more insight into the life of this amazing American actor (who was born in California on April 5, 1916).Gregory Peck takes center stage during portions of the program (literally), as he talks and jokes with large audiences around the United States, and conducts various Q&A sessions.There's lots of candid footage of Peck (and family) here too, including some impressive shots taken at Niagara Falls. And in Paris, too. And Ireland. And in Washington, D.C., as Gregory gets an award from then-President Bill Clinton.Near the end of this thoroughly-engaging bio/"Conversation", we see proud granddaddy Gregory holding his just-born grandson (who was named "Harper", after TKAM author Harper Lee). The scenes of Little Harper will make you want to reach into your TV and scoop up this adorable munchkin. He's one of the cutest little tykes I've ever laid eyes on. It's no wonder Gregory looks so proud here. These tender scenes with Gregory and his new grandson add the perfect sweet and sentimental finishing touches to the whole documentary.This "Conversation" bonus is a genuinely unique program. It was produced with an obvious large dose of love and affection by Mr. Peck's daughter (and all others who were involved in putting it together). After viewing it, you can't help but feel like you know (and admire) a man named Eldred Gregory Peck quite a bit better than you did just ninety-seven minutes earlier. And that might be the best compliment I can pay this very special and heart-warming documentary.Mr. Peck passed away in June of 2003, four years after he filmed this program. He was 87. He will be missed forever by multiple generations of movie fans who loved his work in the cinema for many decades. His talent is one that we'll likely not run across again, until we reach heaven. But thank goodness for fabulous documentaries like this one, plus all of his cherished films as well, which enable fans to retouch the magic and greatness that will forever be associated with Mr. Gregory Peck.----------------The packaging for this "Legacy Series" edition has a very solid and collectible feel to it. It's a three-panel folding "Digipak" type of a case, which sports an attractive "leathery" texture on the outside of the case. Unfortunately, there's no outer slipcase box (sleeve) included here, which will probably displease some collectors who wish to display this set "face out". That'll pose a small problem, because the case always wants to "spring" back open (due to the lack of a restraining outer slipcase). An outer box would certainly have been useful, but even without one, this package stands out as a "classy" DVD item on the shelf.Additional Packaging Note -- This "Mockingbird" set is not packaged the same as "The Sting" (another Universal 2-Disc Legacy set). "The Sting", which is also worthy of a purchase IMO, comes in a two-panel "book-like" pack, which "snaps" firmly closed on the outside -- just like the "Lawrence Of Arabia" 2-Disc Limited-Edition DVD release, which came out in April 2001.For continuity sake, I would have preferred the "Sting" type of closeable Digipak for the TKAM release. The two sets would look better side-by-side if they'd been packed the same. But, no big deal really.Both the "TKAM" and "Sting" Legacy versions lack any Chapter List inserts or paper enclosures (which is a bit of a debit). However, if you own the previously-released single-disc DVD "Collector's Edition" of "Mockingbird", I'd recommend hanging on to the excellent multi-page fold-out insert that came with that disc. It can be used with this new DVD set as well. It has a complete Chapter Selection listing for both the movie and the "Fearful Symmetry" documentary, and the chapter breaks are in the exact same spots on this newer Legacy version, with the same chapter titles used as well (39 total Scenes/Chapters for the Main Feature). There are also some interesting Production Notes and photographs printed on that 1998 TKAM insert.Also -- Make sure to disregard the "Color" notation marked on the loose piece of paper on the back of the DVD case that lists this "Legacy" set's contents. The film is in B&W, not color. That's obviously just a misprint.----------------A Final Glowing Blurb......."To Kill A Mockingbird" is a masterpiece of personally-felt moods and memories. Who among us doesn't have at least one childhood memory that can be rekindled through the actions of Scout, Jem, or Dill? This is a motion picture you can watch again and again -- and each time take away something different when that incomparable final act fades to black (usually something that requires yet another hard swallow with which to combat that ever-present lump in the throat that this movie masterfully induces each and every time it's watched).Any DVD collection of great American motion pictures is unquestionably incomplete if "To Kill A Mockingbird" does not occupy a prominent position on the shelf reserved for such magnificent movie treasures.David Von PeinSeptember 2005

"To Kill a Mockingbird" is one of the finest stories ever put on film; and the hero of that story, Atticus Finch (who is played by the incomparable Gregory Peck), has to be one of the most admirable characters ever portrayed on the silver screen. If I could give this move more than five stars, I would. But, since I can only give it five stars, I'll have to be content with that. But please note that my five-star rating is for the movie itself, not for the special features included on this disc, which I found to be something of a letdown, in all honesty. (More on this later.) But the movie itself deserves the highest rating I can give it. It is a cinematic masterpiece that everyone ought to see.In 1960, Harper Lee (a childhood friend of celebrated writer Truman Capote), published her only novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird", which was based loosely on her own childhood memories of growing up in the small, sleepy, Southern town of Monroeville, Alabama, during the Great Depression. Lee maintains that the novel is not autobiographical, since many of the events it depicts are fictional; but the setting and characters are based on the places and people she knew as a child. The narrator, Jean Louise "Scout" Finch, is based on Harper Lee herself. Scout's devoted father, the respected local attorney, Atticus Finch, is based on Lee's own father, who was a lawyer. And Dill Harris, the boy who spent his summers living at his aunt's house next door to the Finches, is based on Truman Capote. Even the reclusive Radley family, who rarely ventured outside of their spooky, boarded-up house down the street from the Finches, is based on an actual family who lived near the Lees. They, too, had a mysterious son they kept hidden from view because they were ashamed of him, just like Boo Radley in the novel. In fact, most of the characters in the novel were based, at least loosely, on real people Harper Lee knew as a child. Perhaps that's part of the reason why this story feels so real. The portrait that Lee paints of life in the Depression-era Deep South is not only realistic, but vivid and nuanced. She is able to honestly portray the hardships of poverty and the evils of racism that she witnessed as a child without ever crossing the line into caricature, and without in any way undermining her nostalgic portrayal of the magical innocence of childhood."To Kill a Mockingbird" became a runaway bestseller, and ended up winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1961. And, even though the plot of the novel was not obviously well-suited to be adapted for the silver screen, it was made into a major motion picture the following year, with one of the biggest names in Hollywood, Gregory Peck, as its star. The movie wasn't able to depict everything that happened in the book, of course. (No movie ever can.) But we are fortunate that the talented screenwriter, Horton Foote, was able to find the essence of the story in Harper Lee's novel and turn it into a brilliant screenplay. What we end up with is a film that doesn't feel like a typical Hollywood movie. Instead, it feels more like an actual look at someone's bittersweet memories of childhood.I'm no literary critic; so I won't even attempt to plumb the depths of this story. It's far too rich for even a cursory exploration of its many themes in a review such as this. But I do want to comment very briefly on what I believe to be the single greatest thing about this story: the character of Atticus Finch. There are few people I can think of -- either in the real world or in works of fiction -- who are even remotely as admirable as Atticus Finch. I find it hard to even imagine a better role model for a young person (especially a young man) to emulate. He represents, at least in my view, the ideal father, the ideal lawyer, the ideal citizen, the ideal gentleman, and perhaps even the ideal human being. As a father, he sets a good example for his children, treats them with respect and kindness, nurtures them, allows them a measure of independence, encourages their curiosity, answers their questions as honestly as he can, tries his best to instill in them the right values, and gently explains things to them rather than lecturing them or yelling at them. As a lawyer, he has the highest possible standards of ethics and integrity, genuine compassion for his clients, a non-cynical respect for the law, and a commitment to justice. As a citizen, he is dutiful, respectful, trustworthy, hospitable, neighborly, tolerant, and unbigoted. As a gentleman, he is humble, peaceable, dignified, self-controlled, stalwart, courageous, and polite. And, as a human being, he is virtuous, kind, empathetic, hopeful, and wise. I wish I were even half the man that Atticus Finch is. The world would be a much better place if it had more Atticus Finches in it.This is a movie that everyone ought to watch. Not only is it a good story, with wonderful characters and a fascinating setting; but it also has some great lessons to teach about life, and about what it means to be a decent, honorable person. Everyone needs to be exposed to the example of Atticus Finch, who is one of the noblest heroes ever portrayed on film. I can't praise this movie highly enough; nor can my words do justice to it. You've simply got to see it for yourself.Unfortunately, my five-star review has to come with this caveat: While the movie itself is great, the special features on this disc are, at least in my view, underwhelming at best. The documentary "Fearful Symmetry", which tells the story of the real-life people and places behind the novel, and how the novel was turned into a movie, is pretty interesting. And, being a total geek, I actually enjoyed the mini documentary on film restoration that was included on this disc, which showed how various old movies, including "To Kill a Mockingbird", have been restored for digital release on DVD and Blu-ray. But the other special features didn't really appeal to me all that much. I think that Gregory Peck was a brilliant actor and an admirable human being; but the Gregory Peck hagiography on this disc simply went too far, in my opinion. The special features included with this motion picture should have been about the movie itself, or about Harper Lee's story, rather than about the star of the film. But four of the nine special features on this disc were about the life and career of Gregory Peck, and a fifth (an interview with Mary Badham, who played Scout in the movie) spent more time talking about what a great person Gregory Peck was than about anything else. For starters, there was a feature-length documentary that Peck's daughter co-produced, chronicling her father's reminiscences during his later years when he went on tour holding Q&A sessions before live audiences, which I might have enjoyed had it been edited down to a more reasonable length of half-an-hour or so, but which was simply exhausting at its actual running time of 97 minutes. In addition to this there were two very short clips showing Gregory Peck giving acceptance speeches, first for his Best Actor Oscar for his performance in "To Kill a Mockingbird", and second for his Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. He didn't really have much to say on either occasion; so I'm not sure why these were included. But what really puzzled me was the inclusion of a poor-quality, amateur video recording of Peck's daughter speaking at a ceremony honoring her late father after his death. I found these special features a bit disappointing. But they can't take away from the overall quality of the movie. I seriously doubt that anyone bases their decision about whether or not to buy a movie on the quality of the special features included on the disc. Even if there were no special features on this disc at all, the movie would still be worth buying; and I highly recommend it.

This movie is one of the BEST. It has all the elements that make up good film and story. You will laugh, cry and feel proud of the character of man, when Gregory Peck gives an incredible courtroom closing argument. The music too! Ohh, I just LOVE this movie!

Even with a small nonverbal roll Duvall was destined for greatness.

Thank you so much for reacquainting me with this wonderful story!!! Timeless and heartfelt!! Priceless!!

There are poor films, there are good films but "To Kill A Mockingbird" is an exceptional film. The whole cast are exceptional as is the screenplay, director and the stage upon which it was played. To find fault in any way is impossible for me and I shall watch this wonderful film many times more in the years that are left to me. If you want my opinion on whether to purchase this blu-ray or not then my reply will be loud.........................................................YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES ....... And do not delay.

This is a highly successful adaption of Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning classic novel of modern American literature. The soundtrack by Elmer Bernstein, one of the greatest of all film music composers, is beautiful and profoundly evocative. The book and film capture, with great artistic integrity, the fraught atmosphere of a nation in economic depression and sitting on a volcano of racial prejudice. Gregory Peck, one of my favourite actors, deservedly won an Academy Award for his understated portrayal of idealistic, quietly dignified and principled attorney, Atticus Finch. Brock Peters was all sincerity and humanity as the fateful victim of social prejudice in his role as Tom Robinson, while James Anderson is menacing as an unrepentant and violent racist, Bob E. Lee Ewell. A superbly atmospheric and honest social and human drama.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD [1962] [50th Anniversary Edition] [Deluxe Limited Edition DigiBook] [Blu-ray] The Most Beloved and widely read Pulitzer Prize Winner Now Comes Vividly Alive on the Screen!Experience one of the most significant milestones in film history like never before with ‘To Kill A Mockingbird' [50th Anniversary Edition]. Screen legend Gregory Peck stars as courageous Southern lawyer Atticus Finch and the Academy Award® winning performance hailed by the American Film Institute as the Greatest Movie Hero of All Time.Based on Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize winning novel about innocence, strength and conviction and nominated for 8 Academy Awards® and this beloved classic is now digitally re-mastered and fully restored for optimum picture and sound quality and boasts hours of unforgettable bonus features. Watch it and remember why "it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." Narrated by Kim Stanley.FILM FACT: Awards and Nominations: 1962 Academy Awards®: Win: Best Actor for Gregory Peck (The award was presented to Gregory Peck by Sophia Loren). Win: Best Adapted Screenplay for Horton Foote. Win: Best Art Direction and Set Decoration in Black-and-White for Henry Bumstead, Alexander Golitzen, and Oliver Emert. Nominated: Best Picture for Producer Alan J. Pakula), Nominated: Best Director for Robert Mulligan. Nominated: Best Cinematography in Black-and-White for Russell Harlan. Nominated: Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Mary Badham. Nominated: Best Music Score for Substantially Original for Elmer Bernstein. 1962 Golden Globe® Awards: Win: Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama for Gregory Peck. Win: Best Original Score in a Motion Picture for Elmer Bernstein. Win: Best Film Promoting International Understanding for ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’ 1963 Cannes Film Festival: ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ was selected for the 1963 Cannes Film Festival in feature film category, winning the Gary Cooper Award. ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ marked the film debuts of Robert Duvall, William Windom, and Alice Ghostley.Cast: Gregory Peck, John Megna, Frank Overton, Rosemary Murphy, Ruth White, Brock Peters, Estelle Evans, Paul Fix, Collin Wilcox Paxton, James Anderson, Alice Ghostley, Robert Duvall, William Windom, Crahan Denton, Richard Hale, Mary Badham, Phillip Alford, John Breen (uncredited), Jess Cavin (uncredited), Frank Ellis (uncredited), Jack Clinton (uncredited), Steve Condit (uncredited), David Crawford (uncredited), Jamie Forster (uncredited), Charles Fredericks (uncredited), Jester Hairston (uncredited), Kim Hamilton (uncredited), Kim Hector (uncredited), Ethan Laidlaw (uncredited), Nancy Marshall (uncredited), Paulene Myers (uncredited), Charles Perry (uncredited), Hugh Sanders (uncredited), Barry Seltzer (uncredited), Ray Spiker (uncredited), Jay Sullivan (uncredited), Kelly Thordsen (uncredited), Arthur Tovey (uncredited), George Tracy (uncredited), Bill Walker (uncredited), Joe Walls (uncredited), Dan White (uncredited), Guy Wilkerson (uncredited) and Kim Stanley (Scout as an Adult) (Narrator) (uncredited)Director: Robert MulliganProducers: Alan J. Pakula, Gregory Peck (uncredited), Harper Lee (uncredited) and Robert Mulligan (uncredited)Screenplay: Horton Foote and Harper Lee (based on her novel "To Kill a Mockingbird")Composer: Elmer BernsteinCinematography: Russell HarlanVideo Resolution: 1080p [Black-and-White]Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1Audio: English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English: DTS Mono; French: DTS Mono; Italian: DTS Mono; German: DTS Mono; Spanish: DTS Mono and Japanese: 2.0 DTS MonoSubtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, German, Italian, Cantonese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Icelandic, Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian and SwedishRunning Time: 124 minutesRegion: All RegionsNumber of discs: 1Studio: Universal Pictures UKAndrew's Blu-ray Review: 1962 was a rather remarkable year for films featuring stellar performances by young actors. Patty Duke took home a well-deserved Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her iconic work in `The Miracle Worker,' but Patty Duke's was hardly the only notable performance that year. Duke was joined in the Best Supporting Actress category by another young girl whose performance has entered the annals of the near legendary, namely Mary Badham's beautifully rendered work as Scout in `To Kill A Mockingbird.' There were a slew of other films that featured standout younger performances like `Lolita,' `Sundays and Cybele,' `Cape Fear,' `The Music Man' just to name a few, but no other film that year and arguably any year actually captured the viewpoint of children as magically yet realistically as `To Kill A Mockingbird' did. What's perhaps so incredible about this beautifully heartfelt film is how effortlessly it manages to sum up an entire generation's experience of one distinct region of the United States, namely the American South, dealing with all sorts of issues from the epochal, like race relations, to the seemingly picayune, like sibling rivalry and loyalty). While a major subplot of the film casts a rather unseemly light on the American South, the incredibly noble and moral character of the focal children's father, one Atticus Finch [Gregory Peck], an attorney who is hired to defend a black man accused of raping and beating a white girl, gives this film a strong ethical centre which further helps to distinguish it and which adds inestimably to the film's allure.Harper Lee was a largely unknown quantity when her first novel "To Kill A Mockingbird" was published in July 1960. Lee had been encouraged by her childhood friend and neighbour Truman Capote, upon whom the character of Dill in the book is based, and Truman Capote wrote a brief blurb on the dust jacket of the first edition hardback espousing Harper Lee's talent. Harper Lee had no great hopes for the book, and in fact the publisher had warned her it probably wouldn't do very well, so Harper Lee, and also not to mention the publishers, when the book was sold to the public, became something of an overnight sensation.Similarly, director Robert Mulligan wasn't exactly a household name, either, though he had had the extreme good fortune to have partnered with producer Alan J. Pakula, who would also become a director of some considerable note, and did have a handful of features, as well as a long television career, under his belt. But Mulligan's quiet, deliberate approach turned out to be absolutely perfect for ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ especially with regard to coaxing absolutely realistic performances out the film's central trio of children, Mary Badham as Scout Finch, the six year old from whose viewpoint and memory of the film is told; Phillip Alford as Jem Finch, Scout's older brother and erstwhile protector; and the colourful neighbour Dill Harris [John Megna], who joins the siblings in a series of adventures, many of which revolve around ferreting out information about the Atticus Finch 's mysterious neighbour, Boo Radley [Robert Duvall]. As the children exploits play out, Attorney Atticus Finch, finds himself caught up in simmering racial tensions when a local black man Tom Robinson [Brock Peters] is falsely accused of having attacked a white girl Mayella Violet Ewell [Collin Wilcox Paxton]. Robert Mulligan resolutely refuses to ever let the film lapse into melodrama, staging things simply and without sensationalism, and that approach gives the film much of its indelible emotional power.In the trivial but fascinating department,`To Kill A Mockingbird' has one of the oddest concatenations of "famous relative syndrome" with regard to its cast and crew of any major motion picture. Just a brief listing includes these gems: Mary Badham [Scout] is the little sister of director John Badham [Saturday Night Fever]; Dill Harris [John Megna] is the half-brother of actress Connie Stevens; director Robert Mulligan was the brother of actor Richard Mulligan [Soap and Empty Nest]; and Estelle Evans [housekeeper in ‘Calpurnia’] was the sister of actress Esther Rolle ['Maude' and 'Good Times'].`To Kill A Mockingbird' is a quiet film, and in fact several studios passed on optioning Harper Lee's novel because they couldn't understand what possible allure it could have for audiences. "It's about a lawyer and his two kids," was all studio executives and never the most prescient bunch, could see in the book, obviously missing the profound truths buried in Scout and Jem's world, like the treasures Boo Radley secrets away in the neighbourhood tree cavity. But like a parent whispering to a beloved child, `To Kill a Mockingbird' speaks directly to the heart, never demanding attention, but commanding it nonetheless. If you've never seen this hugely affecting film, you're in for one of the most touching experiences of your cinematic life. If you're a long-time fan, rejoice that it's been revitalised now to rediscover all over again.Blu-ray Video Quality – Universal Pictures, and the bane of catalogue title collectors, seems to have finally woken up and realised how to treat its asset treasures. Now this has happened with the release of `To Kill a Mockingbird' and is presented on Blu-ray with an awesome encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. The film is part of Universal's well publicised 100th Anniversary promotional push to revisit many of its storied films, restoring and re-mastering them for home video release and not all of these legendary films will receive Blu-ray releases, unfortunately. This new Blu-ray has been sourced from high resolution scans of original 35mm source elements and the results are simply gorgeous. The clarity and precision of the image is breath taking at times, with beautifully modulated grey scale, deep, rich blacks and piercing, though never blooming, whites. Though the film and all of the supplements and saved for the restoration feature, are in SD, and there are absolutely no compression artefacts to report. The restoration feature, which actually covers a lot of titles, actually spends a few seconds discussing one aspect of Universal's high definition releases which seem to create the biggest controversy: digital noise reduction of grain. In the case of `To Kill a Mockingbird,' there were a number of optical push ins, as opposed to zooms, which magnified grain to a really ugly degree, something shown quite clearly in the restoration feature. Rather than "erase" the grain, which the team of restorers quite clearly state is unthinkable, they used a new algorithm which "averaged" the grain over the entire sequence, including before and after the optical push. The results should please even the most pernickety videophiles. Several scenes which have been murky in previous home video releases have whole new levels of shadow detail on this new Blu-ray. Well done, Universal and please keep up the excellent work.Blu-ray Audio Quality – `To Kill A Mockingbird' offers both a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio surround mix as well as a standard 2.0 DTS mix. This would not seem to be a film especially suited to a surround track, and the good news is the track hasn't been overly "tatted up" to provide a false sense of immersion. The best part of the 5.1 track is the fuller representation of Elmer Bernstein's glorious score, one of the finest scores of the composer's long and legendary career for Leonard Bernstein's ‘To Kill A Mockingbird.' Ambient sounds occasionally dot the surrounds and especially with the rustle of leaves in that final horrifying Halloween sequence is a notable example, but the mixers have wisely kept things largely front and centre, as they should be. The audio fidelity is excellent and the soundtrack bears no noticeable signs of age related damage.Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:Audio Commentary: Commentary with Director Robert Mulligan and Producer Alan Pakula: This is incredibly informative, though Alan Pakula can be a little hard to hear at times. Director Robert Mulligan and Producer Alan Pakula, who were partners for such a long time, have an easy rapport with each other, and Alan Pakula coaxes a lot of anecdotes out of Robert Mulligan. This is totally excellent and highly enjoyable.Special Feature: Fearful Symmetry [1998] [480i] [91:00] This feature length documentary is by Charles Kiselyak, and is a loving if unshrinking look back on the cultural milieu from which `To Kill a Mockingbird' sprang. There are copious interviews with participants and contributors in the film, which includes Mary Williams (Narrator voice), Horton Foote, Robert Mulligan, A.B. Blass, Norman Barnett, Ida Gaillard, Alan J. Pakula, Gregory Peck, Cleophus Thomas Jr., Phillip Alford, Mary Badham, Elmer Bernstein, Claudia Durst Johnson (author of “Threatening Boundaries”), Collin Wilcox Paxton, Brock Peters and Robert Duvall. This insightful and interesting documentary also gets into some really interesting, if somewhat tangential, subjects like the importance of oral history in the American South.Special Feature: A Conversation with Gregory Peck [American Masters] [1999] [480i] [98:00] This is another totally fantastic feature length documentary. In 1999, Gregory Peck [1916-2003] visits the Barter Theatre, Abingdon, VA, where he had acted in 1940 and where this evening he tells stories and answers questions about his career. Interspersed are clips from Gregory Peck's films and from interviews recorded over the years and vérité contemporary footage of visiting with his daughter Cecilia Peck before and after the birth of her son, receiving the National Medal of Arts, chatting with Lauren Bacall, with Martin Scorsese, dining with Jacques Chirac [President of France], and always with his wife of forty-four years, Veronique Passani, beside him. We also get other contributions from Colleen Sheehy, Don Peck, Carey Paul Peck, Stephen Peck, Anthony Peck, Zack Peck, Thomas Jones, Mary Badham, Daniel Voll, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. Throughout, Gregory Peck is informal, candid, and wry. Directed by Barbara Kopple. Produced by Barbara Kopple, Cecilia Peck, Kristi Jacobson and Linda Saffire. Music by Art Labriola. Cinematography by Don Lenzer, Sandi Sissel and Tom Hurwitz.Special Feature: 1962 35th Academy Award® Best Actor Acceptance Speech [1962] [480i] [1:31] This is a model for all the longwinded, self-important award accepters nowadays that was said by Gregory Peck and went as follows: “Thank you, fellow Academy members. Thank you, Harper Lee, Alan Pakula, Robert Mulligan, Russ Harlan, all of my good friends and associates at the studio. Thank you, members of the press who cover the local scene, critics, and columnists across the country who approved of my work and said so. And I want to thank my family, my good, close friends, who have lent me inspiration and moral support and affection. Thank you very much.Special Feature: American Film Institute Life Achievement Award [1989] [480i] [10:01] This is a short snippet from Gregory Peck's AFI tribute, including a wonderful speech by the actor. First and last, however, it is the images on the screen that we remember and that we have come to celebrate. Gregory Peck reminds us that a star, ultimately, can be an idealization of ourselves, an image that not only mirrors our aspirations but fulfils them. At the ceremony they honoured Gregory Peck with the 17th Annual Life Achievement Award for allowing us and for so long and to see the very best in our world and ourselves.Special Feature: Excerpt from Tribute to Gregory Peck [1962] [480i] [10:09] This is another special Academy Award® tribute to Gregory Peck, including Gregory Peck's four children.Special Feature: Scout Remembers [480i] [12:01] This is a really fun piece featuring Mary Badham remembering her experiences with being in the film ‘To Kill A Mocking Bird.’Theatrical Trailer [1962] [480i] [2:52] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer of the the film ‘To Kill A Mocking Bird.’Special Feature: 100 Years of Universal: Restoring the Classics [1080p] [9:13] This is a special promo piece touting Universal's 100th Anniversary and their restoration and preservation efforts. The new slate of restorations is covered briefly, including some looks at the restoration efforts. Universal releases are regularly pilloried for over aggressive DNR [Digital Noise reduction], and there's a very interesting segment on this feature addressing that issue that all DNR-phobes really should watch. Other situations like flicker are also addressed. Audio restoration is also covered in this really interesting piece.U Control: My Scenes offers Cecilia and Anthony Peck narrating different PiP snippets which offer a number of participants like Robert Mulligan, Horton Foote, Mary Badham and Phillip Alford.BONUS: Universal 100th Anniversary Deluxe Limited Edition DigiBook Blu-ray packaging includes a stunning 44 page booklet that includes “INTRODUCTION BY VERONIQUE PECK.” “INTRODUCTION BY AUTHOR HARPER LEE.” “GREGORY PECK’S SHOOTING SCRIPT.” “ORIGINAL STORYBOARDS.” “ORIGINAL POSTERS & LOBBY CARDS.” “TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD PRESS BOOK EXCERPTS.” “PERSONAL LETTERS” and “GREGORY PECK’S LEGENDS OF HOLLYWOOD STAMP.”Finally, I'm not ashamed to admit I was once again in a flood of tears as `To Kill A Mockingbird' drew to a close as I watched it to prepare for this review. I've seen the film countless times, but viewing it with this stunning Blu-ray disc, it now has the same overwhelming effect on me, certainly a good indication of just how emotionally powerful the film is. How many films can you think of that lose little if any of their emotional resonance upon repeated viewings? `To Kill a Mockingbird' is one of that rare breed of films which seems timeless even as it precisely recreates a very specific time and place. Classic film lovers have come to dread Universal catalogue releases, rightly or wrongly, but `To Kill a Mockingbird' sets a new standard for the studio, one which they hopefully will continue with as their 100th Anniversary Celebration takes centre stage. `To Kill A Mockingbird' instantly jumps to the front of the pack with this best release in 2013, and it comes 100% high praise. So all in all, I am so proud and honoured to now have this beautifully crafted classic film, they I will not tire of watching again and again. Very Highly Recommended!Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film AficionadoLe Cinema ParadisoUnited Kingdom

Well-acted adaptation of the novel, paced just right to fit the setting of the Deep South. Still provoking enough to lose yourself in, and forget that it's old and in black and white (a very appropriate irony).Gregory Peck is widely accepted as a fine actor, but the children in this excelled too - especially given that this was filmed at a time when the vast majority of child actors were too busy 'looking cute' to pay more than minimum attention to actually portraying a character.The main plot centers around racism and a rape case, but there's strong coming-of-age and moral themes that make it a film relevant to all but the youngest of age groups.A delight to watch; and a must for any parent that would like to teach their children of the inhumanity of racism without exposing them to anything too graphic (despite the plot centering around a rape case, this film is fairly sensitive in its portrayal).I have to disagree with another reviewer on one point. Being of dual nationality (having both American and British parents), and having spent my life between the two countries, I've often heard complaints made in Britain about how unrealistic it is to have American accents in films set in Britain - so why complain about American accents in a film set in the Deep South? A British accent in the film would have been just as unrealistic by the same standards. I've lived in the Deep South and can verify that the accents, setting and pace of life portrayed are all realistic.

Words can't do justice to this beautifully acted classic. Absolutely true to the book and I am lucky to have both, so that I can delve inside whenever I feel the need for some masterful storytelling. Harper Lee was rightfully proud of this film.