I’m a little annoyed with myself. This is the fiftieth anniversary of the release of the film To Kill A Mockingbird. In honor of the occasion, they showed the movie in select theaters one night only–November 15. I had fully intended to see it, but somehow I forgot the date. Of course, I know I can see it any time on DVD, but still, I’d have loved to have seen it on the big screen.
I don’t know what year I first saw the movie, but I know I was quite young and my mother watched it with me. She explained some things to me. I understood what was happening, but she elaborated on some of the implications of the scenes in the movie: the subtext. I acquired my own copy of the book–a paperback–and read it to tatters over the years. I remember the first time I read it, some parts made me cry so hard I had to put the book down and walk away from it. It doesn’t hit me quite as hard now–though I still shed plenty of tears about the movie and the novel. I always loved that Jem and Scout made my mother think of her and Uncle Gerald growing up. Now all four are linked forever in my mind.
A favorite William Faulkner quote: “Everyone in the South has no time for reading because they are all too busy writing.”
I guess Harper Lee has been doing a lot of reading through the decades, because she gave us only one novel. It is a masterpiece. Though my poor paperback is long gone, Tom’s mother was kind enough to buy me this 1960 book club edition one year when we were antique shopping together.
The copies with “First Edition” printed in them are worth a lot of money, and mine does not have that. However, to me, it’s priceless: a gift from Harper Lee, my mother, and my mother-in-law.
i just re-read this book and loved it, again. we also missed the showing here. it’s on this wednesday on tcm, so i hope to see it.
I wish I could be there to watch it with you! Except, of course, for the copious amounts of Kleenex I’d have to use, which is embarrassing.
To Kill a Mockingbird is one of those rare examples where both the book and film are excellent. If I were to compile a “Best of the Best” Oscar winners list Gregory Peck’s performance as Atticus Finch would have to be near the top.
I read Mockingbird at least 3 or 4 times in college, when I was working on my BA in English. Now whenever I see an old dresser outside a house on trash day I think, “Someone needs to bust up that chiffarobe.”
Can you imagine anyone else playing Atticus? Perfect casting.
You stay away from those chifforobes. No good ever comes of busting them up.
Speaking of chiffarobes, we have one that needs to be moved to the basement.
Just don’t offer anyone a nickel to move it!
I’m sitting here with Lynn, both of us watching To Kill A Mockingbird at this moment on AMC. I didn’t read the book until just three years ago. I have no idea why I waited so long. I suppose what prompted me to read it then was a very close friend of mine and fellow UM minister wrote a Lenten study book on discipleship (published by Abingdon) titled, “People of Integrity: Authentic Christian Living.” He used Atticus Finch as one of his character studies. Reading Bill’s book made me want to see through Harper Lee’s eyes and words the character of Atticus. You are certainly correct about the casting. I couldn’t read the book without hearing Gregory Peck’s voice in everything Atticus said.
Hope you have a great Thanksgiving. We’ll be making our annual sojourn south.
Y’all have a terrific Thanksgiving, too. I’ll have a cup of tea in your honor!
I watched it today – and I don’t think that there is a minute of that movie I don’t love. It pulls on my heart strings – for Tom, for Boo and Mayella too — but the part that always makes me cry is when Scout talks to Mr Cunningham on the jailhouse steps. By the time she gets to “tell him ‘hey’ from me..” I am a sobbing mass of goo.
Yep.
One of my very favourite books, I still remember finding it on my parents’ bookshelf at about age 16, and reading it from start to finish in a single day.
There’s nothing like a book you can’t put down, is there?