This is the first in a new regular series in which we invite our Premium VIFF+ supporters to nominate a favourite movie to share.
This month, Margot Pratt has chosen Robert Mulligan’s beloved film adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird.
Margot says, “It’s a timeless film that hasn’t seen a big screen in years. The story is told through the memories of a 9 or 10-year old girl. Perfectly written, cast, shot… Everything!”
A white woman accuses a black man of rape in a Southern town during the Depression. Though he is obviously innocent, the outcome of his trial is such a foregone conclusion that no lawyer will step forward to defend him – except Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck), the town’s most distinguished citizen.
The film, like the novel, was embraced as a paradigmatic work of liberal inclusiveness, but more recently has been criticized for telling the story through a white lens (even as conservative elements in the USA have sought to have the book banned from school libraries). It’s a superbly crafted piece, and was nominated eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Gregory Peck won the Best Actor award and it’s his signature role.
Robert Mulligan
Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Phillip Alford, Brock Peters, Robert Duvall
USA
1962
English
3 Academy Awards (Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction)
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