My Favorite Films: To Kill a Mockingbird

I was planning to do another MFF post since I hadn't done one in awhile, and this one in particular is quite special for me because it's on what started my love for film and it's adapted from my favorite book: To Kill a Mockingbird. The film won't celebrate it's fiftieth anniversary until December, but I'm writing about it early in honor of the commemorative Blu-ray and DVDs being released today.

Directed by Robert Mulligan and released by Universal Pictures, To Kill a Mockingbird tells the story of Alabama lawyer Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) who defends an an African-American man that is falsely accused of raping a Caucasian woman  in the 1930s. The case is seen through the eyes of Atticus' young children (Mary Badham and Phillip Alford).

I first saw this film in middle school a few years ago, and the way I've looked at films has never been the same. There are so many things about it that I remember being fascinated by: the realness that the actors brought to their performances, the family element that is prevalent throughout the film, and the moral of the story that still applies to society today.

No one other than Gregory Peck could have played Atticus. It's almost as if the character was written specifically for him. Harper Lee even said "In that film, the man and the part met". His nine minute summation speech (which he filmed in just one take) is one of my favorite scenes in any film and it's one of many moments that show how much Atticus deserved to be ranked the greatest hero in American film.

Mary Badham and Phillip Alford give the finest performances I've ever seen from child actors. Something I've always taken note of is their facial expressions throughout the film, particularly in the scene where Scout meets Boo Radley, which I'll talk more about farther into this post. They were both wonderful alongside Gregory Peck, especially Badham, who became close to him during filming (they even called each other "Scout" and "Atticus") and remained friends with him until his death in 2003.

Brock Peters plays Tom Robinson, the man Atticus defends who is accused of rape. The scene in which he gives his testimony is part of what makes the trial so powerful. It's obvious that he's an innocent man, yet few people in Maycomb believe him. 

Then there is Collin Wilcox as Mayella Ewell, the supposed rape victim. Her only scene in the film takes place during the trial and it's just as moving as Peters'. Yes, I realize I keep going back to the trial, but it's the defining point of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Last, but certainly not least, is Robert Duvall as Arthur "Boo" Radley. He has no lines and appears in the final scene, but it always makes me tear up when Scout meets him for the first time and simply says "Hey, Boo".  It's such a heartwarming scene.

Since the book is my favorite, I care a lot about how it's adapted, and Robert Mulligan did a wonderful job. There are few changes in the film and, in my opinion, it's quite close to the novel, although I know some people don't agree.

Overall, To Kill a Mockingbird continues to inspire me, and has changed not only the way I view films, but the way I view life and society, and I hope it does the same for many of you.

Review: That Touch of Mink (1962)

IMDb Synopsis: A rich businessman and a young woman are attracted to each other, but he only wants an affair while she wants to save her virginity for marriage.


For me, the 1960's is a hit or miss decade for comedies. Some I've loved, others, not so much. Unfortunately, That Touch of Mink is part of the latter.


The only thing I enjoyed about this film was Cary Grant. He (as usual) was decent as the suave, debonair gentleman that he often played, but I wouldn't consider it one of his best roles by any means. Doris Day, who I've never cared for, delivers what I found to be a mediocre performance. She's much better in Pillow Talk, another romantic comedy and the only film of Day's I've liked so far.


As for other things I disliked, I found the plot and script to be extremely lacking. Even though the performances aren't great, the actors did the best they could with the material given. The film could have been better had the characters weren't so one-dimensional had more depth, like Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine in The Apartment, for example.


Overall, That Touch of Mink isn't the worst film ever made, but it's certainly not one of the best. I'd recommend skipping this one.

2.5/5 stars

Review: Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962)

IMDb Synopsis: Author Eugene O'Neill gives an autobiographical account of his explosive homelife, fused by a drug-addicted mother, a father who wallows in drink after realizing he is no longer a famous actor and an older brother who is emotionally unstable and a misfit. The family is reflected by the youngest son, who is a sensitive and aspiring writer.


I don't even know how to start this review. I watched Long Day's Journey Into Night yesterday afternoon, and the only word I can think of to describe it is "Wow"- a film hasn't impressed this much since Judgment at Nuremberg.


Sidney Lumet and Katharine Hepburn really complete the film. I was completely blown away with Hepburn's captivating performance- if that's not superb acting, then I don't know what is (which she's the greatest actress of all time, so I'm not at all surprised). The same goes for Ralph Richardson, Jason Robards and Dean Stockwell, who all give quite impressive performances as well. This is one of the films where the whole main cast deserved Oscar nods.


One of my favorite directors as of late is Sidney Lumet (also known as the man behind masterpieces like 12 Angry Men and Fail Safe). I find his camera shots and cinematography to differ from other directors of the era, which brings a lot of depth to his films. I haven't read Eugene O'Neill's play yet, but I'm definitely going to now.


I can't enforce this enough: if you haven't seen Long Day's Journey Into Night yet, please do yourself a favor and change that.

5/5 stars

Review: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

IMDb Synopsis: A senator, who became famous for killing a notorious outlaw, returns for the funeral of an old friend and tells the truth about his deed.


I'll admit it- even though I'm a movie lover, I don't like westerns. And for a number of reasons, mainly because few of my favorite actors were in them, and the thought of (usually) just watching people shoot each other and ride around on horses doesn't appeal to me. I watched The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance because I really like James Stewart, I'm attempting to give John Wayne a chance, and it's considered to be one of those "every classic film fan has to see it" films. I'm still not a fan of westerns in general, but this is definitely the best one I've seen.


I mentioned previously that I was a Jimmy Stewart fan, and his performance did not disappoint- the fact that he wasn't nominated for an Academy Award baffles me. Out of the handful of John Wayne films I've watched, I consider his performance in Liberty Valance to be his finest- and that tops films like Stagecoach, Red River, and They Were Expendable. Other notable performances are delivered by Vera Miles (who is also great in Hitchcock's underrated thriller The Wrong Man) Lee Marvin as Liberty Valance himself, and Edmond O'Brien.


 I can't finish this review without mentioning John Ford. His direction was marvelous, but I wasn't surprised considering this was from the same man who made Young Mr. Lincoln and one of my all-time favorites, The Grapes of Wrath (which I reviewed a few months ago). I think it's safe to say that he's probably the greatest western director of all time.


All in all, I think The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a great film that should be seen by all classic film fans, even the ones like me that don't care for westerns.

4/5 stars