It’s a classic you watched in 9th grade English, but have you see it since?

I feel such nostalgia when I see this image. While my Dad was an attorney, he never talked to me on the porch swing with such affection, I wasn’t a tomboy and I didn’t wear overalls. I guess it just reminds me of the childhood I never had, as a southern girl in the 1930’s.


Last week I was hosting an improv show and we came to a game where I asked the audience for movie quotes. Usually we get the same basic ones (“I’ll be back”, “Show me the money” “Frankly my dear I don’t give a damn”). I’ve never been stumped by a movie quote until this show. A woman from the back says “If you just learn a single trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks.” I responded with a hearty “HUH!?!” She repeated the line and then commented in a snooty fashion, “It’s from ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’”. I reply back, “Oh sure, that’s a classic, one of my favorites” and then as an aside say, “Never seen it.” My joke got a good laugh but it made me leave the theatre thinking about that film.

As I changed in the dressing room I told a friend “I know it’s about kids, racism and a guy named Boo, but I don’t remember what happened.” My friend leaned back and was about to give a plot summary and I quickly interrupted him, “no no, don’t say anything. I want to watch it and experience it with fresh eyes.” As a high school student I was forced to read a lot of crap that was given the label of literature. I was especially happy when a movie had a film made because it was a big time saver. I remember being assigned this book and one weekend asking my dad during a trip to Blockbuster if we could rent “To Kill a Mockingbird.” My wise and discerning father smiled and said, “Maybe later, why don’t you actually read this one. It’s good, trust me.” Sure enough, I read the book and it was good. I watched the movie and it was good too, one of the few films that held its own to the book.

When I sat down last week to watch this film I had high expectations and still no recollections of plot points. Watching this movie made me happy. I ran the gambit of emotions and felt satisfied when the final credits ran. It’s really a great story that really kept me going until the last minute. Atticus Finch made me want to have some kids and go to law school. (A few days later, only one of those is still a goal.) This character personifies wisdom and yet communicates values to his children in a simple and powerful way.

I realize that my blog has been recommendation heavy, but I can’t change my course when it comes to this classic film. Click from this page to your Netflix queue and add “To Kill a Mockingbird”. It doesn’t need to take the top spot, but when it gets closer to the number one spot, remember my strong recommendation. One week before I had said “It’s one of my favorites” as a joke, but now it actually is.