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To Kill a Mockingbird (Widescreen) [VHS] 
Actors : Gregory Peck, John Megna, Frank Overton, Rosemary Murphy, Ruth White
Director : Robert Mulligan
Studio : Universal Studios
by Universal Studios
Release Date : 1998-02-24
Publisher : Universal Studios
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780783222950
UPC : 096898334136
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 395 reviews)
List Price : $9.98
Our Price : $7.95
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Mychildrensstore.co.uk.com essential video |
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Ranked 34 on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 Greatest American Films, To Kill a Mockingbird is quite simply one of the finest family-oriented dramas ever made. A beautiful and deeply affecting adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee, the film retains a timeless quality that transcends its historically dated subject matter (racism in the Depression-era South) and remains powerfully resonant in present-day America with its advocacy of tolerance, justice, integrity, and loving, responsible parenthood. It's tempting to call this an important "message" movie that should be required viewing for children and adults alike, but this riveting courtroom drama is anything but stodgy or pedantic. As Atticus Finch, the small-town Alabama lawyer and widower father of two, Gregory Peck gives one of his finest performances with his impassioned defense of a black man (Brock Peters) wrongfully accused of the rape and assault of a young white woman. While his children, Scout (Mary Badham) and Jem (Philip Alford), learn the realities of racial prejudice and irrational hatred, they also learn to overcome their fear of the unknown as personified by their mysterious, mostly unseen neighbor Boo Radley (Robert Duvall, in his brilliant, almost completely nonverbal screen debut). What emerges from this evocative, exquisitely filmed drama is a pure distillation of the themes of Harper Lee's enduring novel, a showcase for some of the finest American acting ever assembled in one film, and a rare quality of humanitarian artistry (including Horton Foote's splendid screenplay and Elmer Bernstein's outstanding score) that seems all but lost in the chaotic morass of modern cinema. --Jeff Shannon |
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To Kill a Mocking Bird DVD Review |
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This is an excellent film with fine script, acting, and music score; however--as another reviewer has mentioned--the 1.85:1 widescreen is not enhanced for 16:9 TVs, and furthermore, the picture quality is only average. I don't recommend this version of the DVD. |
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A Masterpiece of a Masterpiece |
Talk about the legacy of acting legend Gregory Peck. This compelling actor played two of the most iconic characters in all of cinematic lore--Captain Ahab and Atticus Finch. (And Peck played both roles in his own unique, creative style.) With respect to Atticus Finch, Peck merely enhances an extraordinarily good film, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, based on Harper Lee's phenomenal and timeless novel. I've read the book and seen the movie, many times; experiencing both are extremely rewarding. In particular, the film works marvelously, for several reasons.
For openers, Horton Foote penned a riveting screenplay, while director Robert Mulligan brings Lee's novel to vivid life. The film is blessed with very believable child actors in Mary Badham (Scout) and Phillip Alford (Jem), who both made their silver screen debuts. The supporting cast is spectacular, including a grisly, disheveled James Anderson playing villain Bob Ewell and a very young Robert Duvall playing reclusive Boo Radley. Add to that Peck's commanding performance as a widowed lawyer and father of two children in the Jim Crow South during the Great Depression, and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is a movie for the ages. Highly recommended for all movie collectors and cinema buffs.
--D. Mikels, Author, The Reckoning |
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To Kill a Mockingbird DVD |
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Purchased as a gift and my mother loves it. Great classic - great quality and excellent delivery time. |
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A favorite movie |
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I teach this novel to a 10th grade class and showing the movie is an integral part of the unit. To Kill a Mockingbird is my very favorite book and the movie is one of my favorites. |
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Mockingbird |
1962's To Kill A Mockingbird spreads its wings to great lengths with seamless effort in underlining the trials and tribulations of a society suffering from social prejudices. Its narrator, the overall-wearing, lovable tomboy Scout Finch (Mary Badham), describes the challenges she and her family face when her father decides to defend a black man charged with a serious crime. Through her eyes, you see the clear divide that begins to grow in Maycomb County.
Originally adapted from the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Harper Lee, director Robert Mulligan reveals his vision of the classic when the picture opens with a monologue from a seemingly grown-up Scout. The introduction presents us with information on the somewhat artificial and judgmental Maycomb. The frame is focused on an all-American, southern neighborhood where citizens open their homes to all, except for the Radleys. Mystery constantly surrounds their dilapidated home as gossip and tall tales run high in the town; it does not help that the youngest of the family, Boo (Robert Duvall), constantly hides from the outside world in the security of his rundown haven.
In the movie's beginnings, we are introduced to Scout, Jem, and Atticus Finch, a prominent family in the southern town. Played by Gregory Peck, Atticus serves as the county's best defense lawyer. Peck brilliantly portrays the classy, respectable single parent described in the Harper Lee original. Atticus is a character that demands respect both on paper and on screen, and the multi-talented Peck delivers this attitude. His calm demeanor and noble ways add to the character development in the film.
Controversy surrounds the family when Atticus chooses to take the case of and defend Tom Robinson (Brock Peters), who Mayella Ewell (Collin Wilcox Paxton) claims assaulted her. The tension between the word of a black person versus the word of a white person is depicted perfectly by Mulligan when the controversial case goes to court. The small courthouse not equipped for many people is suddenly packed with eager onlookers. When the case begins, Atticus asks Tom Robinson subtle, honest questions and receives truthful answers in return. When Mayella takes the stand, however, her over dramatic shrieks and tearful sobs take away from the validity of her testimony as well as that of her emotions. Nonetheless, it is well known throughout the movie that the jury still favors Mayella because of the color of her skin. The verdict of the case has nothing to do with the facts being brought up by the prosecution and defense; the verdict is solely based on social injustices.
Furthermore, under the black and white color pictures lie common events within a family that make the movie relatable to all; Atticus tries avidly to do the right thing, Jem strives to make his father proud, and most evidently, Scout endures the difficult process of becoming and understanding what it means to be a lady. Not everything is as perfect and plain as it seems though. The movie packs its share of tragedies; however, it remains inspirationally uplifting in the simplicity of its message. Atticus's plans for the trial come to an unexpected halt, but his positive, sensible mind helps him come to terms with the outcomes of the whole debacle.
All of the characters come to a climactic clash at the end of the film when Boo Radley makes an unanticipated appearance, Mayella's father Bob goes after the Finch children, and Jem breaks his arm. The sensation from the film's conclusion fills audiences everywhere with content and motivates them to be as noble as Atticus Finch in their daily lives. In this intense yet satisfying ending, we see the invariable nature of humans to disagree, but the positive consequences for those who rise above. |
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