Harper Lee's Novel To Kill a Mockingbird was a literary juggernaut when it was first released in 1960. After Spending one year on top of the New York Times Bestseller list and winning a Pulitzer Prize for fiction, it obviously attracted the attention of the major movie studios. Universal gained the rights to it, and in 1962 To Kill a Mockingbird was released into theaters.
The movie is shown from the perspective of young Scout (played by Mary Badham) as she grows up in the Deep South during the Depression. Aside from growing up, Scout experiences prejudice as her father Atticus Finch (played by Gregory Peck) tries to defend an innocent black man accused of rape.
The movie is touching without being overly melodramatic, and innocent without being childish. Robert Mulligan's directing, Horton Foote's screenplay, Elmer Bernstein's musical score and Alan Parker's producing all come together brilliantly. An American classic, To Kill a Mockingbird is a must see movie.
Now about the DVD specs. This Legacy edition, which replaces the 1998 release comes in a snappy folding case with an envelope containing reproductions of the posters and a letter from Harper Lee. Disc one contains the movie, which looks and sounds excellent. The extras on this disk are mostly throw-away selections from award shows featuring Gregory Peck that appeared on TV. The best extras on this disk are the commentary track, which is rare for a film of this age, and the trailer, which is a great piece of advertising. Disc two contains two lengthy documentary features: Fearful Symmetry and A Conversation with Gregory Peck. Fearful Symmetry was filmed for the 1998 DVD release, and is your standard "making of" feature, and Conversation with Gregory Peck is a fascinating retrospect on his life and works.
This DVD set is a must own. If you hated the book and movie when you studied it in high school, give them both another shot. They're both classics. If you even slightly liked the movie, i suggest you get this DVD. It's absolutely great, and it's not sadistically overpriced ($40-$60) like the original release is.
