Possibly, my all-time favorite film...

Rating: 10/10 (22 March 2004)

...and I see a LOT of movies. There are so few films that transcend merely entertaining or provoking thought and actually make a difference to at least some people. To Kill a Mockingbird is one of them.
When I look at movies, I frequently look at messages and values. A movie doesn't HAVE to have these (AIRPLANE! is also pretty high on my "all-time" list), but to be considered truly "great", I think there has to be some substance.
Some of the messages in TKAM are fairly obvious: Jim Robinson's trial displays the ugliness of racism, and Boo Radley shows how easy it is to misjudge people and dismiss them. But there are more subtle, richer, messages as well: Atticus Finch doesn't just love his children, he respects them; Atticus also demonstrates by representing Jim Robinson that a good man isn't just "good" for some and not for others.
The messages in the film--even the most obvious ones--are presented with an air of dignity and understatement, many through Gregory Peck's character of Atticus. The characters are believable (Jem and Scout rank among the most unaffected child performances ever captured on film), and they present a marvellously moving story.
I consider myself a fairly sophisticated film-goer, and I have my favorites among foreign film, documentaries, action flicks, and even animation. But for me, To Kill a Mockingbird is like an old, dear friend due to its sincerity, and its charm.