4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Lessons For Life
Date of Review: Jul 8, 2000
During the Depression of the 1930?s, in a small Southern town, Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck), a soft-spoken attorney, widowed and raising two young children, accepts the difficult task of defending Tom Robinson (Brock Peters), a black farm hand accused of raping a white woman.
The adaptation of the 1960 Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Harper Lee is masterfully accomplished by Horton Foote?s screenplay. The rape trial, the Depression, and the racial prejudices of a small town are all slightly out-of-focus since the story is told through the eyes of Atticus Finch?s young tomboy daughter, Scout (Mary Badham).
Atticus, trying to protect his children from the world, finds himself (and his children) trying to defend not only Tom Robinson, but themselves, against racism and hatred as the trial strips away at his children?s innocence and naivete.
In addition to the outstanding main story, a subplot introduces us to Boo Radley, a mysterious (and so-called dim-witted) neighbor of the Finch?s. Boo Radley?s character was the screen debut of Robert Duvall.
... Kitty give this film Two-Paws-Up!
