To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
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A lawyer in Depression-era Alabama defends a black man falsely accused of a crime while raising his children in a racially divided town.
The story
Set during the Great Depression in the fictional segregated town of Maycomb, Alabama, the story follows Scout, a young girl living with her brother Jem and their father, Atticus Finch. Atticus is a principled lawyer who is tasked with defending Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. As the trial approaches, the case ignites intense racial tensions within the community. While the children, Scout and Jem, navigate their own childhood experiences and fears regarding a mysterious neighbor, they must also witness the heavy social consequences of the injustice facing Tom Robinson in a town governed by Jim Crow laws.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In the segregated town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression, young Scout and Jem Finch live with their father, Atticus, a lawyer known for his conscience. The children become fascinated by their reclusive neighbor, Boo Radley, while Atticus is appointed to defend Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. The trial exposes the deep-seated racism of the town. Before the trial, Scout and Jem intervene to stop a lynch mob from attacking Tom. During the trial, evidence suggests Mayella was actually assaulted by her father, Bob Ewell, but the all-white jury finds Tom guilty. After Tom is killed while attempting to escape, Bob Ewell is later found dead. When Scout and Jem are attacked in the woods, they are rescued by Boo Radley. Scout eventually walks Boo home, realizing the difference between her perspective and his.
- First release year
- 1962
- Runtime (minutes)
- 129
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Robert Mulligan
- Writers
- Horton Foote · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Gregory Peck · Atticus Finch; Mary Badham · Scout; Phillip Alford · Jem; Ruth White · Miss Dubose; Paul Fix · Bob Ewell; Brock Peters · Tom Robinson; Frank Overton · Sheriff Tate; Robert Duvall · Boo Radley
- Genres
- legal drama; crime; children's; coming-of-age
- Themes
- racial injustice; loss of innocence; moral courage; prejudice
- Tone and mood
- sober-minded; earnest; gripping
- Setting
- Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression.
- Premise and plot tags
- courtroom drama; period piece; coming-of-age
- Source material / true-story basis
- Harper Lee's 1960 Pulitzer Prize–winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird
- Reception
- The film received widespread critical acclaim and was a box-office success, earning more than six times its budget. It is noted for its strong performances and its status as a significant cultural work, being included in the National Film Registry.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 88 · scale: 100 · review count: 16
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Actor · win; Academy Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · win; Academy Award · Best Picture · nomination; Academy Award · Best Director · nomination; Academy Award · Best Supporting Actress · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was selected for the National Film Registry in 1995.; Atticus Finch was named the greatest movie hero of the 20th century by the AFI in 2003.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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From the page to the screen
This film adapts To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Check the adaptation reference.
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