I finally saw 'To Kill a Mockingbird"...

[devilgrrl]

What an absolutely BRILLIANT movie that was!!!! We were never made to read this when we were kids, so I can't wait to read the book. Wow!!!! Am I just bolled over!

If anyone hasn't seen this movie yet - do so - do it today - do it NOW!

[Dookus]

1. Good gravy!

What took you so long?!?!

And read the book NOW! It's my all-time favorite.

[Richardo]

3. You'll be surprised at how much Atticus IS Gregory Peck...even on paper

brilliant casting in that movie - for every single character...

[trof]

26. Who says nothing good ever came out of Alabama?

My people!
:-)

[mac56]

2. I promise you'll want to read it again and again.

nm

[SiouxJ]

17. True! I've read it over and over. Probably my favorite book

and one of my favorite movies. One of the rare times where the movie did justice to the book.

:hi: Mac!

:loveya:

[wryter2000]

18. That's exactly what I thought

It's one of the few examples where a movie did justice to the book.

Loved those child actors! And how about Robert Duvall as Boo Radley?

Is everyone aware that Truman Capote was the model for Dill? He was a childhood friend of the author of Mockingbird.

[SiouxJ]

20. Hmm, I didn't know that, but having seen

"A Christmas Memory" that makes a lot of sense. That was the story he wrote about one of his childhood Christmases. It was made into a TV movie which was quite good.

[mac56]

41. It's one of a few books I read over again each year.

Not on purpose, just because I'm drawn to it.

Hi SiouxJ!
:loveya:

[Raven]

4. Just the best movie ever! And, I wonder,

did the author ever write anything else?

[Dookus]

6. Nope...

it was Harper Lee's first and last novel.

[Dookus]

7. Other trivia...

Harper Lee was a childhood friend of Truman Capote's. The character "Dill" is based on Truman (on edit: doh! I wrote Harper by mistake).

Also, Robert Duvall's portrayal of Boo Radley was his first movie role.

[devilgrrl]

10. I got to see the "Special Edition" DVD

Which contains a documentary of the making of "TKaM" featuring the script writers, director and stars. It talks about all trivia you mentioned. Utterly fantastic!!!

B-)

[cjbuchanan]

8. No others published

Harper Lee has only published the one book.

[cjbuchanan]

5. One of the best

Glad you liked it.

[bookman]

9. My Favorite Book

I really enjoy Mark Twain and actually I've been a speaker from time to time on the subject of Mark Twain. I usually get asked to name my favorite book. My answer: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is my favorite Mark Twain book, but my favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird.

I did teach the book with my better 8th grade students. I take great pride in knowing I introduced Atticus Finch to my students.

[devilgrrl]

11. Well, I wish I had you for a teacher...

We read 'Shane' in 8th grade, not that that was a bad book or anything...

[Dookus]

21. Bookman-

A question:

I, too, first read it in 8th grade. Liked it just fine, but it didn't have a strong impact on me. I read it again my 20's and it blew me away.

Do you think 8th graders really appreciate the a)beauty of the language used b) the incredible character development and c) the political message?

I'm just curious. After I re-read it, I was sort of disappointed that kids are made to read it so young. I was always a very precocious reader, and even I didn't appreciate it for what it is until I was much older.

[bookman]

38. Reading it early

I can understand many of your points. The sad fact is that many of my students most likely would never read it without doing it in school. I told my students it may be the most adult book they've evere read. That made them curious, but with some exceptions I was impressed by their ablity to take the book and give it some serious thought. In 8th grade that is truly amazing.

I always poll my students at the end of the year and many claimed to be really impressed by the book. (..and they knew the grade were already in. )

Obviously I've read it several times, and I'm amazed how it gets better with each reading.

And I very rarely re-read books.

I also feel much the same about the film.

There's talk about a remake. Not sure if that's a wise idea.

[Norbert]

39. I somewhat read the book as a sophmore in high school

Was not really serious about reading it and actually did more of the Cliff Notes routine. Back then I was always taking the easy way out and my grades reflected it. That was back in 1970.

I tried rereading the same paperback book last year that I had in high school. The problem is by the time I was half way through it some of the pages of the book came loose from the binding. :(

I had to take out a copy out of the library to finish it. I loved every word of it in spite of my copy falling apart. I wish I would have given it more of a chance in 1970. I plan on rereading it some time in the future when my reading list backlog is cut down.

BTW, my paperback copy, the one that fell apart is sitting on my bookshelf with a couple of rubber bands around it. It will never be thrown away, not in my lifetime at least.

[GainesT1958]

12. To me, Gregory Peck played--and fit--that role...

As well as Clark Gable did Rhett Butler, Yuhl Brenner did the King of Siam, and Rex Harrison did Henry Higgins. It was MADE for him, and he for it. :D

How influential was his portrayal of Atticus Finch? Well, among others, John Edwards named his son Jake (John Atticus) after him.

The greatest movie about justice--REAL justice--ever made, by a wide margin!

B-)

[sendero]

13. I saw that movie when I was 10...

... at the theater. It was the first movie I had seen (admittedly we didn't get to see many) that just left me totally moved. Even though I did not understand everything that was going on, I understood on some level what the movies was saying. It is an all time classic.

[LynneSin]

14. I haven't seen it either, maybe I ought to make an effort and watch it

Shame on me

:cry:

[Raenelle]

23. You're in for a treat. One of the greats--

interesting and moving and brilliant from start to finish. Unforgetable.

[tjdee]

32. Seriously, get thee to the independently owned vid store...

Or even your local library.

Excellent movie.

I was required to read it in school, but it didn't make an impact on me until I watched the film years later as an adult.

[BrotherBuzz]

15. "When he was thirteen, my brother Jem....

got his arm badly broken at the elbow,"

[Shanty Oilish]

16. Saw it when I was little, and again last week

All I remembered well from the first viewing was that scene where the kids torque the grownups' consciences. You can be sure a kid will file that away! :)
Rented it last week to edify the kid. She fell asleep.

[proud patriot]

19. One of my all time favorites

I'm so glad you finally got to watch it .

[Unknown Known]

22. This book and Steinbeck's works

really changed my life. Thanks for the reminder.

[Raenelle]

24. "Hey Boo"--best line in the movie.

Stunning movie.

[Norbert]

31. I melt when I hear her say that

Boo Radley rank up there with Ivanhoe as far as literary heros are concerned, probably even higher.

You gotta read the book though. It's one of my all-time favorite books.

[CBHagman]

25. I recall it was a really powerful book and movie

I read the novel when I was about 12 and committed entire passages to memory.

The movie made a pretty strong impression on us as kids, too, partly because it's actually quite suspenseful and terrifying. I was a good deal older before I realized all the nuances of the story and its messages, but the basics were already there.

It's definitely a book and a movie worth purchasing and/or borrowing.

[DrBB]

27. Now go buy a CD by the Boo Radleys! Also: more Duval trivia

Duval is great as Boo Radley, but if you really want to know how brilliant Duval can be (whatever his politics) rent The Lightship. On my list of Best Psychokiller Movies of All Time. He's very low key and utterly persuasive. The fact that he seems to be playing his psychokiller as, well, William F Buckley only adds to the attraction for me.

[Breezy du Nord]

28. I've read the book

But haven't seen the movie yet. I think we're going to in my English class in the spring.

[JanMichael]

29. I read it 2 years ago at the age of 33.

I LOVED IT!!!

Harper Lee simply created a masterpiece of fiction wrapped around real societal issues.

Never seen the movie but it sure sounds good.

[notadmblnd]

30. It was required reading

for us in middle school. I don't imagine it is required anymore.

[Dookus]

33. I posted above...

that I'm sort of sorry it's relegated to middle-school. I think it turns a lot of people off to the book. I know *I* didn't appreciate it then, but now it's my all-time favorite novel.

Save it for late highschool, at least. And then make 'em re-read it in college, when you have at least SOME appreciation for beautiful language.

[Breezy du Nord]

34. It is for us freshies

But with BushCo in power, myabe it'll get pulled!!??

[roguevalley]

35. There are a lot of little girls named scout

because of that movie. :)

Lovely thing, Gregory Peck, when he's doing something dear to his liberal heart. God rest him.

[KoKo]

36. It's a wonderful Movie..and Book...glad you discovered it!

Makes my heart sing.....to hear your post......:-)'s to you!!

[DemoTex]

37. I was in love with Harper Lee's wonderful niece, M____, in college.

Jem was M____'s dad. Harper Lee was Scout. Dill was Truman Capote. Monroeville was the setting. I lost track of M____ when I went to Vietnam. Another toll of that goddamn war.

[arwalden]

40. In High School We Were Prohibited From Performing TKAM On Stage...

because of the nword. Our principal forbade it. He was black himself and preferred that we substitute another word that was less inflammatory. He suggested "darkies".

WTF?

-- Allen