Recently there was a poll in EW (maybe last year or 2 yrs ago) for the greatest hero in American cinema and Atticus Finch came out at the top, number 1. No surprise there.

I read the book (and saw the film) in my 1st year of high school. It made me think about racism. Before that, I never really thought about racism and and how it was damaging to our society. The book was a real eye-opener.


That was an interesting story you shared with us about your childhood growing up in AL. Thanks.

I just recently saw this - because - and it really made me think about the promise of America. That even though there are those who would deny America, there are also those who would fight and die for it.
Common sense says a group progresses better in step rather than in conflict.

I've known several people from Lake Forest, Illinois. One of these people was extremely offended by the portrayal the characters in Ordinary People. It was a bit too amusing how much the movie offended her.

I finished a script a couple weeks ago with a court scene. It was tough to write those big blocks of dialogue without trying to find something to break it up. Seems like it won't matter if you've set it up well in the rest of the script/film!

I read the book when I was 8 years old, and my teacher called my mother to complain that I was reading a book about a rape. My mother defended me; I had no interest in the rape trial - I just read about Scout and Boo. I had no father, and adopted Atticus as a surrogate. And what I loved best about the movie, though I don't remember when I first saw it, was that it was exactly like the book.

My favorite scene, to this day, is Atticus at night on the porch swing, listening to Scout and Jem talk about their deceased mother. So quietly, perfectly heartbreaking.

@michele: That scene you note, what a wonderful moment. Some times the quietest, simplest set of circumstances paired with just the right group of characters can create the most memorable moments - in this case showing that Atticus can not only be a 'hero' who takes on racism, but also through his steadfastness in even the common responsibilities of being a father.