Brings tears to my eyes

Rating: 10/10 (27 May 2000)

Every once in a while, there is a movie that successfully brings tears to my eyes, no matter how often I watch it. To Kill a Mockingbird is at the top of that list. The scenes of Scout being shown by Atticus what she will inherit when he dies, of Scout finally meeting Boo Radley, and most of all, that most important journey through the woods by Scout and Jem -- these are the key tearjerker moments for me.
(COMMENT: I have read many of the previous comments. As with so many other movies, I am tired of hearing comparisons to the novel. You simply cannot do in a movie what you can in a novel, and conversely, you cannot accomplish in a novel what you can in a movie. This film is so intense, so innovative in cinematography, acting and music, and you simply could not get that out of the novel. That's why there are novels and that's why there are movies. It's a different experience! I recall people complaining about how major plot elements from the novels Dr. Zhivago and East of Eden were left out of the movie versions. Well, duh! Look at the sizes of those novels! There is no way you can cover it all in a theatre! You must choose what is most important to the main theme, and go with that. This is what happened in To Kill a Mockingbird, the movie. You do know, by the way, that Harper Lee loved the movie, don't you?)
I remember the first time I showed the video to my youngest son and his best friend. They were about Jem's age. They were literally transfixed. They were glued to the screen. One of the elements that helps keep us so emotionally caught up in the viewing of the film is Elmer Bernstein's exceptional soundtrack. Then, there's the opening credits set inside the cigar box full of childhood toys, possibly the most original I have ever seen, and definitely a brief commentary on Boo Radley's childhood and on the loss of innocence.

The theme of innocence is so integral to this film. Boo is innocent. Tom Robinson is innocent. Scout and Jem are innocent now, but we realize that someday, they could be like all their bigoted neighbors...except for the superb example their father is showing them.
Atticus Finch is indeed one of the outstanding heros of American film. What he does is not much in the grand scheme of things, but he puts his neck out for an innocent black man, knowing the consequences of his actions. And yes, there are awful consequences. This is his heritage to his children. You know they will be like him some day. I appreciate knowing that the character of Dill was based upon Truman Capote as a young child, as this was a semi-autobiographical novel by Harper Lee, who knew Capote. This helps us understand Capote a lot more.

This movie is a masterpiece. It moves me, and I take it that it moves many others. (By the way, I have a new CD of the soundtrack by Elmer Bernstein, re-recorded and with the orchestra directed by Mr. Bernstein. I highly recommend it. It goes from sweet and lovely to downright frightening. If you've seen the movie at least twice, you can follow the story just by hearing the music.)