The rare film story of a father who must expose his children to a small town’s outraged passions… and can only protect them with his love.|Dec. 20, 1962|USA|129 Min.|Approved
Genre: Crime;Drama
Description: To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel written by American author Harper Lee. Published in 1960, it quickly gained recognition and success. Widely studied in U.S. high schools and middle schools, the book has become a classic of modern American literature and won the Pulitzer Prize. The story draws inspiration from Lee’s observations of her family, neighbors, and an event that took place near her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama, in 1936, when she was ten years old.
Though it tackles serious themes such as rape and racial inequality, the novel is celebrated for its warmth and humor. Atticus Finch, the father of the narrator, is regarded as a moral hero and a symbol of integrity for lawyers. Historian Joseph Crespino notes that To Kill a Mockingbird is likely the most read book in 20th-century America addressing race, with Atticus Finch standing as a lasting fictional representation of racial heroism.
As a Southern Gothic novel and Bildungsroman, it explores themes of racial injustice and the loss of innocence. Scholars highlight its examination of class, courage, compassion, and gender roles in the Deep South. The book is frequently used in U.S. schools to promote tolerance and condemn prejudice. However, it has also faced challenges and removal attempts from classrooms due to its use of racial language. In 2006, British librarians ranked it as a must-read for adults, even placing it above the Bible.
Reactions to the novel were mixed upon its release. Despite its popularity and educational use, in-depth literary analysis of the book remains limited. Author Mary McDonough Murphy describes it as “an astonishing phenomenon.” The novel was adapted into a critically acclaimed film in 1962, directed by Robert Mulligan with a screenplay by Horton Foote. Since 1990, an annual play based on the story has been performed in Harper Lee’s hometown.
Cast director: Meta Rebner
Cast actor: Gregory Peck, John Megna, Frank Overton, Rosemary Murphy, Ruth White, Brock Peters, Estelle Evans, Paul Fix, Collin Wilcox Paxton, James Anderson
Original name: To Kill a Mockingbird