To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in 1932 in a small town in Alabama. Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) is a lawyer and the single father of two kids, Jem (Phillip Alford) and Scout (Mary Badham). He is an upstanding, but fair man who does his best with the children. Scout and Jem spend their summers playing with Dill (John Megna), who visits his aunt, and wondering if the rumors about their neighbor, a man named Boo Radley, are true. Atticus is asked to defend Tom Robinson (Brock Peters), a black man who has been accused of assaulting a white woman. The trial divides the town, and a lynch mob is out to get Tom. As Scout and Jem deal with school and their daily adventures, they also try to understand the ways in which racism and poverty effect those around them.

My one criticism of To Kill a Mockingbird is that all of these pieces don't always gel. It would be unfair to say that the movie is poorly edited, but the three different storylines truly do feel like three different movies at times. The Tom Robinson subplot is set up somewhat early in the film, but the trial is its own section of the movie. One could just watch those scenes and it would all make sense, and feel like a complete short film. Again, the Boo Radley story feels like an afterthought at first, and little pieces are added throughout the film. It doesn't come together until the end. The movie feels as if it comes to an organic end after the trial, but there are scenes after that which resolve the Boo Radley legend. These scenes are very emotional, but still feel out place. We are told at the outset that Dill only visits town during the summer, but his appearances are still a bit jarring. "Is that kid back?"

Having said that, this is still a moving and powerful movie. Again, each part of the story delivers its own emotional blow. The loving relationship between Atticus and the kids feels very genuine -- none of them are perfect, but they rely on and love one another. There are several touching scenes with the family. The trial will anger most level-headed viewers, as we see how ignorance can ruin a community. This same idea can be applied to the Boo Radley story, as the revelation of his identity is very bittersweet. The movie also gets points for maintaining the "timeless" part of "timeless classic". As a black and white movie, the film obviously looks old, but the universal themes and the great acting, especially from Peck, really make the movie feel just as important today as it was back in 1962. To Kill a Mockingbird is that rare film which has maintained its ability to entertain and educate.

To Kill a Mockingbird introduces the weirdest ham costume ever seen in a movie on Blu-ray Disc courtesy of Universal Studios Home Entertainment. The film has been letterboxed at 1.85:1 and the Disc contains a VC-1 1080p HD transfer which runs at an average of 28 Mbps. The image is very sharp and clear, showing no overt grain and no defects from the source material. As part of Universal's 100th Anniversary Collection, To Kill a Mockingbird has been meticulously restored and the black and white photography looks amazing. The image is very crisp and the picture is never overly dark. The level of detail is good and the image is never soft, nor are there any haloes. The Disc carries a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which runs at 48 kHz and an average of 2.0 Mbps. The track provides clear dialogue and sound effects. Unfortunately, this is yet another old mono track which has been remastered as a 5.1 track. But, we don't get much in the way of surround sound effects here, save for musical cues. The dialogue and sound effects come from the front channels and I didn't detect any subwoofer effects.

The To Kill a Mockingbird Blu-ray Disc contains a wealth of extras. We begin with an AUDIO COMMENTARY from Director Robert Mulligan and Producer Alan Pakula. (Which was clearly carried over from some previous edition, as both are deceased, Pakula having died in 1998.) "Fearful Symmetry" (90 minutes) is a feature-length documentary which explores not only the film, but the novel and the history of the area where the story is set. Through interviews with Mulligan, Pakula, screenwriter Horton Foote, and some cast member and some Alabama residents, we learn about how the movie came together, the production, and the reception. "A Conversation with Gregory Peck" (97 minutes) is another feature-length extra. This 1999 film was shot in front of a live audience where the actor reminisces about many of his famous roles, including Atticus Finch. "Academy Award Best Actor Acceptance Speech" (90 seconds) shows Peck accepting his Oscar. We also see Peck being honored (with Henry Winkler looking on) with the "American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award" (10 minutes). "Excerpt from Tribute to Gregory Peck" (10 minutes) is taken from an unspecified Academy event in which Peck's daughter talks about him. Actress Mary Badham talks about her experiences on the film in "Scout Remembers" (12 minutes). The final extra is the THEATRICAL TRAILER for the film.