To Kill a Mockingbird is part of the TCM Big Screen Classics Series, and will once again inspire both young and old to consider what's right and what's wrong according to your own convictions, and not just the written law. We live in a time of super heroes and intergalactic adventurers, but according to the American Film Institute, the greatest hero in film history doesn't wear a cape, carry a gun or crack a whip. The greatest hero ever to hit the silver screen is Atticus Finch, played with soft-spoken, gentle conviction by Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird. No doubt, the film's returns to movie theaters will inspire a whole new generation to reconsider their definition of what it means to be a super hero.
On Sunday, March 24, and Wednesday, March 27, the film adaptation of Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel makes a rare return to the big screen, playing in more than 600 movie theaters nationwide. This special screening is part of the yearlong TCM Big Screen Classics series from Fathom Events. And if TCM is involved, you know the presentation will feature a special commentary by TCM Primetime host Ben Mankiewicz, both before and after the film Director Robert Mulligan's screen adaptation offers a wonderful chance for fans to revisit (or for newbies to enjoy for the first time) the film that remains both nostalgic and deeply affecting.
Told through the eyes of Atticus' young daughter, Scout (Mary Badham), the black-and-white film explores how the small-town idyll of a Southern town is shattered when educated, Atticus defends a poor black man (Brock Peters) accused of rape. There's also a subtle, yet touching focus on the relationship Atticus has with his children, which have come to be known as some of the most iconic scenes in cinema. And the innocence demonstrated by young Scout propels the story in the most natural and unpretentious way. She literally unknowingly saves the day with the easy charm of a child who has yet learned to bend to societal norms.
Nominated for eight Academy Awards, To Kill a Mockingbird won three Oscars, including Best Actor (Peck) and Best Adapted Screenplay for Horton Foote’s nostalgic, moving cinematic version of the seminal novel.
Tickets to the screening of To Kill a Mockingbird are available now at FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. In most locations the film will play twice each day, at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on March 24 (offering a chance for families to experience the film together) and at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. on March 27. For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).