SHOP TO KILL A...
IMDb >
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsTo Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
| Photos (see all 31 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 2 videos ) |
Overview
Tagline:
The most beloved and widely read Pulitzer Prize Winner now comes vividly alive on the screen! morePlot:
Atticus Finch (Peck), a lawyer in the Depression-era South, defends a black man against an undeserved rape charge, and his kids against prejudice. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
Won 3 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 12 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(16 articles)
AFI Picks Top Films By Genre (From Studio Briefing. 18 June 2008, 10:35 AM, PDT)
AFI Agrees: It's a 'Wonderful' Film (From Studio Briefing. 15 June 2006)
User Comments:
Wonderful Social Classic That Echoes Issues of Its Day... moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Gregory Peck | ... | Atticus Finch | |
| John Megna | ... | Charles Baker 'Dill' Harris | |
| Frank Overton | ... | Sheriff Heck Tate | |
| Rosemary Murphy | ... | Maudie Atkinson | |
| Ruth White | ... | Mrs. Dubose | |
| Brock Peters | ... | Tom Robinson | |
| Estelle Evans | ... | Calpurnia | |
| Paul Fix | ... | Judge Taylor | |
| Collin Wilcox Paxton | ... | Mayella Violet Ewell (as Collin Wilcox) | |
| James Anderson | ... | Robert E. Lee 'Bob' Ewell | |
| Alice Ghostley | ... | Aunt Stephanie Crawford | |
| Robert Duvall | ... | Arthur 'Boo' Radley | |
| William Windom | ... | Mr. Gilmer, Prosecutor | |
| Crahan Denton | ... | Walter Cunningham Sr. | |
| Richard Hale | ... | Nathan Radley |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
129 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)Certification:
UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #20267) | Portugal:M/12 | Iceland:12 | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | South Korea:12 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:12MOVIEmeter: 
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Robert Duvall stayed out of the sun for six weeks and dyed his hair blond for the role of Boo Radley who, according to the story, spent much of his life locked in a cellar. moreGoofs:
Continuity: When Atticus is sitting in front of the courthouse door to protect Tom Robinson, the bottles in the top crate in the corner change from fewer bottles before the mob arrives, to more when the mob has left. moreQuotes:
Older Scout: [narrating] Atticus had promised me he would wear me out if he ever heard of me fightin' any more. I was far too old and too big for such childish things, and the sooner I learned to hold in, the better off everybody would be. I soon forgot... Cecil Jacobs *made* me forget. moreFAQ
A NOTE REGARDING SPOILERSHow much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
Is this movie based on a book?
more
more
Message Boards
Discuss this title with other users on IMDb message board for To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
| Intruder in the Dust | A Time to Kill | Giant | The Liberation of L.B. Jones | The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb top 250 movies | IMDb Crime section |
| IMDb USA section | Add this title to MyMovies |



















TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is presented like a play in three acts. It is also from the children's perspective. Through the kids, we find that racism is a learned attitude or feeling. We also see a delightful coming of age drama as the young kids realize that there is no Boogeyman down the street and their father is capable of doing a lot more than they think. The great Gregory Peck plays Atticus Finch, a pillar of nobility, social conscience, and, rare for 1930's Americana, a single parent. Peck is such a strong presence, you believe everything about him. It is something you can compare to America's trust in TV anchorman Walter Cronkite. We always took his word for it.
Act one puts Atticus in the background and allows the kids to flourish. Director Robert Mulligan was able to get such realistic performances from non-professional kids. They are amusing and fun to watch. The big mystery lies in the house down the street in this small Georgia town. Who is the monstrous, "6 and a half feet big" legend living in the end house? Some light suspense ensues, while the buildup to a stirring act two is happening. Atticus must defend an African-American man for the alleged rape of a white woman.
After threats galore, an unshaken Peck takes to the courtroom jungle in, without a doubt, one of the top 5 court scenes in motion picture history. Brock Peters lends the film its best moments as the accused "negro" on trial. This man has a face chiseled with suffering and deep, deep sorrow. We know Atticus is a good man, a decent human being with a soul. He sees this in his client as well, and in a closing argument that must have roused the civil rights movement, implores the jury to vote justice. An all-male, all-white jury in the 1930's were tough listeners. Peters' breakdown on the stand is one of the most realistic, emotionally saddening moments you'll ever see, especially in Hollywood films of the 1960's. The scene when Peck leaves the courtroom is now legendary as well.
Act three produces a tragic death, an unlikely hero, and the bringing together of a family. The filmmakers have such a passion for the material, they seem to handle it with gentleness. Racism is a hard-boiled subject and it is depicted and dealt with through grace and patience. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD poses the injustice of race relations in the 1930's as a front for the events happening in the 1960's. The film came out during turbulent times and was also an adaption of a literary classic. I am one to judge a film solely by film only. The book is a separate art form and should not be compared to the film, an art form itself. It is important, it is enlightening, and it has not aged. Watch it.
RATING: 9 of 10