TO.KILL.A.MOCKINGBIRD

[Monsters For Sale]

I really LOVE "To Kill a Mockingbird".  Everything about it is perfect.

It always bugged me that I could never persuade a former, film-loving co-worker to watch the movie.  I attempted to loan it to him several times.  It seems the book was assigned to him in school and he hated it.  No amount of explaining, "Whatever you think of the book, the movie is wonderful." could ever get him to give it a chance.

I cannot watch that movie without wishing I was a kid living on that street.

[Scatter]

Isn't that, like, 8 hours long?

It's more the subject matter than the length that evoked a thunderous "Meh" from me.

[Scatter]

I cannot watch that movie without wishing I was a kid living on that street.

Nancy grew up in Brooklyn. I grew up in a little town called Wolcott in Ct. All during the movie when the kids were doing something I would ask Nancy if she did that as a kid and invariably, because she grew up in a big, dangerous city, the answer was "No".

"Ever sneak out at night and run the neighborhood?"
"No"
"Ever have a haunted house in your town all the kids were afraid of?"
"No"
"Ever walk through the woods in the middle of the night, scared out of your mind at every twig snap?"
"No"

She was getting perturbed.

Finally, when the scene with Atticus in fron of the courthouse protecting his client came up, I asked, "Ever stand beside your dad and face down an angry mob?"

We both started busting up laughing.

[Illoman]

I read the book due to one of my daughters having to read it for school.. There's been a few times when both had to read a classic piece of literature, and I would buy a cheap copy at Half Price Books to read at the same time. This way if they (or me) got stuck we could help each other out. If it wasn't for this I would not have read Mockingbird. What a great book!

The thing that put me off from seeing any of the TCM showings was the price. I can't justify $12.50 plus handling charges for a movie I've already seen or own. That's the price of the dvd! The thrill of seeing Frankenstein on the big screen almost tempted me, but I've seen Bride that way and just couldn't justify spending the money. It's too bad they have to charge so much, but I assume it's a limited audience and I can understand them wanting to turn a profit.

[Haunted hearse]

The thing that put me off from seeing any of the TCM showings was the price. I can't justify $12.50 plus handling charges for a movie I've already seen or own. That's the price of the dvd! The thrill of seeing Frankenstein on the big screen almost tempted me, but I've seen Bride that way and just couldn't justify spending the money. It's too bad they have to charge so much, but I assume it's a limited audience and I can understand them wanting to turn a profit.

I went to see both "Dracula" and "Frankenstein" at the Pomona theater when I still lived in L.A., and I love seeing these movies on the big screen.  There's something about seeing a great old movie in a great old Movie theater, which is worth paying the price for a ticket. 

[Mike Scott]

Isn't that, like, 8 hours long?

LOA is 3h 37m and it's a great movie! If you've seen and liked Kwai, Zhivago, or Ryan's Daughter, you'll like LOA. Catch it on TCM, sometime. (Though it's nothing like seeing it on the big screen.)

[Haunted hearse]

LOA is 3h 37m and it's a great movie! If you've seen and liked Kwai, Zhivago, or Ryan's Daughter, you'll like LOA. Catch it on TCM, sometime. (Though it's nothing like seeing it on the big screen.)

I remember LOA once appeared in the 1970's, double billed with Dr. Zhivago.

[Mike Scott]

I remember LOA once appeared in the 1970's, double billed with Dr. Zhivago.

Wow! I'd hate to pay for the babysitter for that one! 

[typhooforme]

Scatter.wrote:
Finally, when the scene with Atticus in fron of the courthouse protecting his client came up, I asked, "Ever stand beside your dad and face down an angry mob?"

We both started busting up laughing.
************************************************************
Scatter.,.you.cracked.me.up!..That's.a.great.story.of."defusement"!

[yendor1152]

I've seen the movie at least a dozen times over the years and love it. The book, which I've also read, goes into much more detail about Calpurnia, the black woman who helps Atticus out with the housework and child-watching. The kids go to a black church with her in one scene. Also, the old lady who sits on the porch and yells at the kids every day is fleshed out in the novel. Jem ends up vandalizing her flower garden, and as a punishment, he must read to the old lady every day after school. What he doesn't realize is that she's "on her way out" and has fits and seizures while he's reading to her. Later, he's told that it was a kindness for him to read to her in her dying time. I'm pretty sure some of this was filmed. When I was in high school, we read the book, and there were pictures inside of the old woman in a bed (the same actress we see on the porch).

There's also a scene where it snows, which is an unusual occurrence. Basically, though, I'd say the film catches the feel of Harper Lee's book perfectly. Did you know that Dill was based on Truman Capote, a childhood friend of Harper's? My favorite part of the film is the very end, when Scout brings Boo back to his home. The narration of the adult Boo is very effective, very nostalgic and touching.

And let's face it, the Halloween night sequence is one of the best in any film!

[Hepcat]

There's something about seeing a great old movie in a great old Movie theater, which is worth paying the price for a ticket.

Even a great new movie!

[Flower]

Sheriff Tate's comments also struck a cord ...

Bob Ewell fell on his knife - he killed himself. There's a black man dead for no reason; now the man responsible for it is dead. Let the dead bury the dead this time, Mr. Finch. I never heard tell it was against the law for any citizen to do his utmost to prevent a crime from being committed, which is exactly what he did. But maybe you'll tell me it's my duty to tell the town all about it and not to hush it up. Well, you know what'll happen then? All the ladies in Maycomb, including my wife, will be knocking on his door bringing angel food cakes. To my way of thinking, taking the one man who's done you and this town a big service and dragging him with his shy ways into the limelight - to me that's a sin... it's a sin. And I'm not about to have it on my head. I may not be much Mr. Finch, but I'm still sheriff of Maycomb County and Bob Ewell fell on his knife. Good night, sir.

[jimm]

This was required reading when we were kids, wonder if that still holds true. Wonderful film adaptation also, one of Peck's finest.

[monsterphile]

This was required reading when we were kids, wonder if that still holds true. Wonderful film adaptation also, one of Peck's finest.

My daughter's class read the book and watched the movie.  The tradition lives on...at least around here in NJ.

Rob

[Lunkenstein]

I actually saw it at a drive-in in 1962 first run.  Some of the scenes scared me pretty good at 7 years of age.  As I grew older it became one of my very favorite films.