I believe this is a good time to be watching this movie.

[Uncle Joe]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-to-sign-jobs-act-then-mark-50th-anniversary-of-the-film-to-kill-a-mockingbird/2012/04/05/gIQAtUphwS_story.html

In the evening, the president will host a screening of the film “To Kill a Mockingbird” in the White House family theater. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the American classic, which will air Saturday night on the USA Network with an introductory message from the president."

[Initech]

1. Meanwhile the Republican campaign is actively screening "Dumb & Dumber"

Starring Rick Santorum & Mitt Romney of course. -

[Art_from_Ark]

20. Zing!

That's a Duzy!

[elleng]

2. Yes, and it will be at my local theater starting April 22; I'll be there.

[Scout]

3. went to a showing of this film hosted by Mary Badham!

and got an autographed picture of her.

love this book, love this movie.

[rustydog]

23. Jealous, very jealous! It is one of my all time favorites

[Martin Eden]

4. No matter how many times I see it, two scenes still bring tears to my eyes:

When the colored folk in the balcony rise as Atticus is leaving the courtroom and the pastor tells Scout to stand up because her father is passing;

and when Scout realizes the identity of the man who carried her brother home after the attack and she slowly says "Hey, Boo"

[DearAbby]

7. +1

[Tom Ripley]

29. "Hey, Boo" is one of the greatest lines in literature

[Uncle Joe]

30. I just realized you've been here since last September and you haven't been able to find

a single thread to recommend yet.

Good luck with your endeavors I hope you find something that pleases you.

[Tom Ripley]

31. WTF? I didn't know that this was Consumer Reports.

I'm flattered by your interest, but I think you are mistaken; I distinctly remember giving more than a few K&Rs to threads.
It seems to me that you are wanting a piece of literature (and it is beautifully written) to serve as some kind of holy scripture. And, in my opinion, that's never a good idea. History backs me up.

[WilliamPitt]

32. "Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father's passin'."

[librechik]

5. excellent timing indeed--I hope I can get my grandson, the teen actor

to watch during his weekend visit!

[southernyankeebelle]

6. Everytime I see this movie I always am in awe. It was sooooooooogood.

Really it still a movie to see for our times.

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. I live a few blocks from the famous courthouse

and in May the now famous annual play of the story is put on by our local folks.
For a couple of weeks my town is filled with people from all over the world who come to see the play
( the courtroom scene takes place in the usually closed off 2nd floor courtroom).
Tickets are sold out in a matter of days, always.
We locals know to just avoid the Courthouse Square during this time.

Nice coverage of the event in this NatGEO story:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0601/feature8/index.html

[Wind Dancer]

21. Thanks for the link!

Very insightful info on Harper Lee, too!

[Uncle Joe]

9. Thanks to everyone that posted and/or recommended.

Peace to you,

[malaise]

11. Rev Al just played a clip and is discussing

its relevance today and the fact that it will be shown at the WH tonight

[Uncle Joe]

12. I just saw it malaise

I believe the man doing Hardball for Mattews will be covering it as well, I think CNN even covered it, but can't remember for sure, I was scanning through the networks.

[malaise]

10. We're watching it again on Saturday night

[Brigid]

13. "The Grapes of Wrath" should be next.

Another one for our times.

[Cali_Democrat]

14. Great book/movie

Yup.

[Tom Ripley]

15. It is a great aesthetic experience, but there are some real problems with the theme

both novel and film

[Uncle Joe]

16. What might that be?

[Tom Ripley]

17. Paternalism and privilege

and don't even get me started on Atticus' cross examination of alleged rape victim Maybelle Ewell.
But, y'know, it's a product of its time.

[Uncle Joe]

18. Being narrated by a young girl being raised

just by a single parent and no doubt modeled after the author's father, it would be difficult for some form of paternalism not to shine through.

Paternalism can be bad but it doesn't have to be, anymore than maternalism, both can be benevolent or overbearing, in the case of "To Kill A Mockingbird" it seemed highly benevolent to me.

Privilege was just the reality of the situation.

As for his cross examination, what are you referring to, agressive questioning?

[Tom Ripley]

19. I'm talking about "white paternalism" AKA "my family were really good to their Negroes"

that was the issue with that movie last year "The Help"
It's a subgenre of southern lit that I always refer to as "Calpurnia Never Spit In Our Grits"

I imagine everyone who has a very sentimental attachment to Atticus would deplore a present day attorney using the same putting the victim on trial approach. Oh, there's the class thing, also.

[Uncle Joe]

22. I never saw "The Help" but surely you're not suggesting that no enlightened whites existed

in the South are you?

What about the class thing? It was what it was that being reality.

Furthermore Atticus was of the belief and the story bears out that his client was the true and ultimate "victim," he wasn't the rapist and his life was at risk.

So what should a good defense attorney; who is charged to defend his client do in such a situation?

[Tom Ripley]

24. Do some research into the differences between "white" and 'black" responses to TKAM

I think you will be surprised

[Uncle Joe]

25. I do know that differences existed between "white" and "black" responses to Civil Rights

To Kill A Mockingbird helped to serve as a bridge between those differences, the bridge is still standing and that to me is the big picture.

However don't be coy, if you have something of substance please share it.

[Tom Ripley]

26. I am not being coy about anything; do the research

and you will find that the book is far more beloved by "whites" than "blacks" (and the reasons why)

[Uncle Joe]

27. It would be natural if the book was more beloved by whites than blacks as

the primary protagonists were a little white girl and her father living in the segregated South and the story told from her perspective.

The book/movie was as much about the loss of innocence as racism but that doesn't take away from the value of To Kill A Mockingbird to American Society nor its' contribution to progressive understanding in the Civil Rights Era.

Considering recent events and the belief among too many that racism is fictitious or behind us, the message of To Kill A Mockingbird is still critical and most appropriate to contemporary times.

[burrowowl]

28. To Kill a Mocking Bird

is one of the books I have read at least 5 times and seen the movie 3.