Essential.

Rating: 10/10 (21 June 2004)

Undoubtedly a classic hallmark in cinema, To Kill a Mockingbird dealt with social issues when social issues were still very much an issue in society, much more so than today although some of the same basic feelings are still present. Being younger than the film itself, I can only imagine the impact it had on people when it first came out. And seeing how the film has not been forgotten after the decades since it's release, I think it's safe to say that it had quite an effect as it continues to do so. Having read the book in high school, the film seems fairly accurate to the story except for a few very minor things that are mostly the result of a book being condensed into a much shorter journey.
Gregory Peck is perfect in his role as Atticus Finch and apparently I'm not alone in that opinion as he won an Oscar for the role. All three children in the movie are also quite impressive and entirely convincing. I particularly enjoyed seeing Robert Duvall in his first film appearance as the ambiguous Boo Radley.
It's very difficult to give reviews for older films, particularly ones that were made prior to my existence, mostly due to the inevitable fact that like everything else films also age, sometimes weakening the original potency. But to be honest, the only thing that I can see that has noticeably aged is the music, which is entirely understandable and is to be expected. And given the fact that it's over four decades old, that is quite a statement. It all boils down to a very important film about a very important and popular book in which social issues were dealt with and still holds relevance today. Like many classics, it's not just a movie, but a film with a message. A heart warming classic and an essential notch in the belt of film history.