Video/DVD Review: To Kill a Mockingbird
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that young children will identify with
Scout, but the material might be more than you would want your
kid to take in. Preteens will like the story, but mature themes
may be confusing for them -- a post-video discussion is
advised.
Families can talk about the prejudice depicted in the movie,
which is set in 1930s Alabama. What has changed in the United
States since the 1930s when it comes to race, and do you think
racism still exists today? How has the media's depiction of
racism and people of varying races changed over the years? What
role can/should the media play in fighting issues like
racism?
Based on Harper Lee's classic novel (which is often assigned to kids in junior high school), TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is set in a small Alabama town in the 1930s and follows the story of the Finch family -- 6-year-old Scout (Mary Badham), her older brother Jem (Philip Alford), and their widowed lawyer father Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck). Two parallel story lines follow Atticus' difficult decision to defend a black man who has been accused of raping a white woman, and the two young Finches' fascination with their mysterious -- and rumored to be dangerous -- recluse neighbor, Boo Radley (Robert Duvall). Atticus and his children face disapproval and worse from those who believe the accused is guilty, with or without a trial. And Scout and Jem discover that someone is leaving strange little gifts for them in a tree near their home.
This Hollywood masterpiece offers crucial lessons about prejudice and the fears that motivate it. Children will appreciate a movie that respects their intelligence and reaches for the heart without gimmicks and overly cute characters. Peck's Academy Award-winning performance anchors the movie, which is finely crafted with a perfectly balanced script by Horton Foote. A paragon of decency who stands for tolerance and non-violence at all costs, Atticus is also a loving, nurturing father who treats everyone around him, including his children, with respect -- the model parent.
Despite the ugly truths portrayed here, a gentle goodness pervades, even during the darkest of moments. Foote includes more than lynch mobs and courtroom fireworks; he also offers lower key, intimate moments. Like when young Scout questions her older brother about their deceased mother. Or, on a lighter note, when Scout fidgets during her first day of school; the tomboy can't get comfortable in her new dress.
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