To Kill A Mockingbird (1962) ****1/2

While it may come off as a touch simplistic and hokey by today’s standards (with easy to identify heroes and villains), and it could certainly be accused of being Oscar bait, there is no denying the underlying conceit of To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)—that of living a decent life, being a decent human being, and standing up for what you believe in (which Atticus Finch duly exemplifies on all counts). And I think it’s important to appreciate the film as a product of its time. 

Though it comes close to being overwrought during the centerpiece of its second half—the still riveting courtroom sequence—and though I don’t typically go for “message movies,” I’ve always loved this melancholic coming-of-age classic (both Harper Lee’s 1960 novel and Robert Mulligan’s now 60 year old film). Among the many reasons to love it: Gregory Peck is brilliant and perfectly cast in his signature role, Russell Harlan’s black and white cinematography is handsomely composed, and Elmer Bernstein’s tender and inquisitive score is the perfect compliment. Plus who wouldn’t want Atticus Finch to be their dad?