To Kill a Mockingbird

There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep 'em all away from you. That's never possible. -Atticus Finch

That quote by Atticus Finch portrays the main theme of this movie. To Kill a Mockingbird was first published as a novel in 1957 by Harper Lee. The movie adaption was released in 1962 by Universal Studios. The story centers around a young girl named Scout and her brother Jim. Their father is a defense lawyer who agrees to take on a case in which a black man was accused of raping a young white girl. Of course, in this time society was much different, and Atticus Finch, their father, had much opposition and hatred directed towards him because of his decision to help the black man.

This movie promoted many good values, and I enjoyed it very much. Atticus is a very good role model for his children, teaching them about tough issues in life such as poverty, death, racism and the value of education.

To Kill a Mockingbird definitely sticks to its PG rating. There is no bad language, and no violence. The only aspect that would make it unsuitable for children under the age of 12 is the theme of rape, as well as a few descriptions of violence. For example, a woman tells how a crazy son stabs his father in the leg with a pair of scissors, and the sheriff reports that a man fell upon his own kitchen knife, killing him. There are also two scenes that are somewhat spooky and suspenseful.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable movie, clearly portraying the depression-era times in its black and white form. The book has also come highly recommended, and though the ending is very bittersweet, you come away from both the book and the movie feeling challenged by the social injustices that are still rampant in our world today.