Movie Review of “To Kill a Mockingbird”
A good movie review can be used to either influence you or deter you from watching a movie. Most of us, use internet sites such as Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, or even visit a film critic’s website, such as Robert Ebert, to help us decide what movie to watch. A broadcast with comedian and actress, Whoopi Goldberg, from Opposing Viewpoints in Context, was the first source I used for the movie “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Goldberg describes “To Kill a Mockingbird” as the one movie that she can watch “a billion, zillion, gazillion times” (00:00:29-00:00:42). Goldberg focuses her brief but enthusiastic review on one particular character, Boo Radley (Robert Duvall), who is talked about throughout the movie but …show more content…
Unlike Goldberg, Ebert reviews the whole movie and also compares the film to the novel. He starts by setting the stage for the movie by mentioning that it was released in December 1962, it was set in Maycomb, Alabama, in 1932, and goes as far as describing what was happening in America during the release of the movie. He describes every character in detail; describes the backdrop as a “tired old town of dirt roads, picket fences, climbing vines, front porches held up by pillars of brick, rocking chairs, and Panama hats” (Ebert). He compares the novel to the film by pointing out that the novel is intended to focus on the point of view of a coming of age six-year-old child, while the film focuses on the character and honor of the father, Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck), who is asked to defend an innocent black man, Tom Robinson (Brock Peters) accused of raping a white girl. Ebert describes the character that Goldberg found so fascinating in great detail. He uses the quote from the film of 10-year-old Jem (Philip Alford) describing Boo Radley to his friend “Dill” Harris (John …show more content…
A black man is clearly wrongly accused by an all-white jury of a crime that he could not possibly commit, no one reacts, there is no victory celebration, or outburst of protest from the blacks, the silence after the verdict is announced, is hard to believe and took away from the point that a man was wrongfully accused because he was black, despite undeniable evidence. He ends his review by stating that “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a time capsule despite some scenes that are hard to believe. I found the details in Ebert’s review more helpful than Goldberg’s review, but if you have not already seen the movie, Ebert’s review will spoil the movie because he gives a detailed summary of the whole movie, including the ending.
Works Cited
Ebert, Roger. Review of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” directed by Robert Mulligan. RogerEbert.com, 11 November 2001, www.rogerebert.com/reviews/to-kill-a-mockingbird-2001. Accessed 24 October 2017.
“What Can Whoopi Goldberg Watch a Million Times?” Tell Me More, 9 July 2012, Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://ic.galegroup.com.ezp1r.riosalado.edu/ic/ovic/AudioDetailsPage/AudioDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=false&displayGroupName=Audio&currPage=&scanId=&query=&docIndex=&source=&prodId=OVIC&search_within_results=&p=OVIC%3AGIC&mode=view&catId=&u=mccweb_riosalado&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE%7CA296723817&windowstate=normal&activityType=BasicSearch&failOverType=&commentary=.
A good movie review can be used to either influence you or deter you from watching a movie. Most of us, use internet sites such as Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, or even visit a film critic’s website, such as Robert Ebert, to help us decide what movie to watch. A broadcast with comedian and actress, Whoopi Goldberg, from Opposing Viewpoints in Context, was the first source I used for the movie “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Goldberg describes “To Kill a Mockingbird” as the one movie that she can watch “a billion, zillion, gazillion times” (00:00:29-00:00:42). Goldberg focuses her brief but enthusiastic review on one particular character, Boo Radley (Robert Duvall), who is talked about throughout the movie but …show more content…
Unlike Goldberg, Ebert reviews the whole movie and also compares the film to the novel. He starts by setting the stage for the movie by mentioning that it was released in December 1962, it was set in Maycomb, Alabama, in 1932, and goes as far as describing what was happening in America during the release of the movie. He describes every character in detail; describes the backdrop as a “tired old town of dirt roads, picket fences, climbing vines, front porches held up by pillars of brick, rocking chairs, and Panama hats” (Ebert). He compares the novel to the film by pointing out that the novel is intended to focus on the point of view of a coming of age six-year-old child, while the film focuses on the character and honor of the father, Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck), who is asked to defend an innocent black man, Tom Robinson (Brock Peters) accused of raping a white girl. Ebert describes the character that Goldberg found so fascinating in great detail. He uses the quote from the film of 10-year-old Jem (Philip Alford) describing Boo Radley to his friend “Dill” Harris (John …show more content…
A black man is clearly wrongly accused by an all-white jury of a crime that he could not possibly commit, no one reacts, there is no victory celebration, or outburst of protest from the blacks, the silence after the verdict is announced, is hard to believe and took away from the point that a man was wrongfully accused because he was black, despite undeniable evidence. He ends his review by stating that “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a time capsule despite some scenes that are hard to believe. I found the details in Ebert’s review more helpful than Goldberg’s review, but if you have not already seen the movie, Ebert’s review will spoil the movie because he gives a detailed summary of the whole movie, including the ending.
Works Cited
Ebert, Roger. Review of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” directed by Robert Mulligan. RogerEbert.com, 11 November 2001, www.rogerebert.com/reviews/to-kill-a-mockingbird-2001. Accessed 24 October 2017.
“What Can Whoopi Goldberg Watch a Million Times?” Tell Me More, 9 July 2012, Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://ic.galegroup.com.ezp1r.riosalado.edu/ic/ovic/AudioDetailsPage/AudioDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=false&displayGroupName=Audio&currPage=&scanId=&query=&docIndex=&source=&prodId=OVIC&search_within_results=&p=OVIC%3AGIC&mode=view&catId=&u=mccweb_riosalado&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE%7CA296723817&windowstate=normal&activityType=BasicSearch&failOverType=&commentary=.