A great adaptation with a few writing flaws.

Rating: 8/10 (28 March 2017)

To Kill A Mockingbird is a great example of a book adaptation gone right. It knows what details to keep and which ones to leave alone, and therefore creates a sympathetic, complex, cohesive film. The way the film handles race, class, childhood and poverty, was not made this film stand out at the time it was released, but is relevant even now. All of the performances here are really stellar, but Gregory Peck's performance of Atticus Finch and Brock Peters performance of Tom Robinson are the stand outs. The emotion and dedication both bring to their roles is astounding. Every time Atticus is on screen, he steals the show. The character's quiet compassion and brilliance are really translated well to the film, and he really holds the film together. For me, the parts that fall a little more flat are mostly the parts that have to do with Scout, which is a shame considering she's our main character. It's not that she's performed poorly or anything, but often times shots linger on her for too long or the writing for her is just not very good. The child acting in this movie is overall very good, with Phillip Alford's portrayal of Jem being the highlight. Dill and Scout are more just okay than anything else, but it isn't a detrimental things at all. The main problems I have with the film are all hinged on the way Scout is written. Sometimes just seems to do things for no other reason than to progress the plot, rather than to actually contribute to the message of the film. All in all though, To Kill A Mockingbird is a poignant film that I can easily recommend. 8.9/10