Hey Boo.

Not all of the movies in the Monday Night line-up are new. Casablanca – which kicked off this whole affair – was a movie I’ve seen before, but in the context where I couldn’t really absorb and enjoy it as richly as I could on a Monday night. I’ve also thrown other classics into the list, some that I’ve seen dozens of times (2001 and The Godfather, for example.) There are others that I’ve seen only once or twice. And then there are some that I barely remember at all.

For me, revisiting To Kill a Mockingbird was like being retold a childhood story that you remember in brief but where the details have grown fuzzy. As the movie unfolded, I was often about 2 minutes ahead of the plot, remembering some of the twists that were coming or some of the key moments that were being set up. Yet there were still some great surprises, crucial surprises – particularly that ending (what a great ending) and even the conclusion of the trial, which didn’t end at all like I expected. The experience was a bit like re-finding a warm blanket – secure and familiar, but also dusty with time. Which by strange coincidence, is the overall tone of the movie.

In many ways, I also remembered it wrong. Over the years, I’ve grown to remember To Kill a Mockingbird as a courtroom drama about racial prejudice with Gregory Peck at its center. But on seeing it again as adult, I don’t think that’s what it’s about at all. In fact, in some ways I think the courtroom aspects (which to be fair, do take over in the final act) actually form the sub-plot. Instead, I would argue that Boo Radley’s story is the A-plot. After all, the story is about the kids and I think that’s what makes it so wonderful. Everything is told from their perspective and with a sort of simplicity that makes this a movie appropriate even for young viewers.

I appreciated much more the strong point of view in the film. Nothing – absolutely nothing – happened in this movie that wasn’t seen or heard by the children. And if the children weren’t around, the action wasn’t included. (There are a few spots in the movie where it’s clear that something must be going on outside the edges of the frame but since the children can’t see or hear the action, it’s lost to us. I’m thinking particularly of a few closed-door conversations between Gregory Peck and people involved in the Tom Robinson trial.)

Back on the subject of remakes for a moment. I don’t know why, but the notion of remaking these movies or rather, imagining how they would look remade, often floats through my head as I watch these movies. And it seems to me that this is a movie that could never, ever successfully be remade. That’s not to say that the original is timeless, because it’s not. In fact, I think that the opposite is true; the movie is so of an age and the subject matter is so specific to the time period of the book and the early 60’s when it was made that seeing the movie play out today with modern actors would be absolutely wrong. Just wouldn’t work.

Are you familiar with Elmer Bernstein? I ask because he only died a few short weeks ago and in the last month, he has shown up twice in the Monday night line-up. Elmer Bernstein was a film composer, most famous for that outstanding theme to The Magnificent Seven. Bernstein also wrote the score for To Kill a Mockingbird it’s simply wonderful. Subtle piano lines and soft strings that grow a little more powerful as the movie plays on. Since watching the movie three weeks ago, I’m still hearing the cues in my head – it’s the sort of theme that aches. I’m trying to build some CDs capturing the music and themes of these Monday night adventures (chronological of course) and I’m really, really hoping I can find some of this music. Unfortunately, some of these movies are so old that it’s going to be close to impossible.

Robert Duvall showed up in this movie, I don’t know if that’s common knowledge. In fact, if the IMDB is to be trusted, this was his first on-screen role (at the age of 31!) He’s perfect, absolutely perfect, as Boo Radley. And he doesn’t speak a single line of dialogue. The climax of the film, as Boo is revealed to be hiding behind Scout’s bedroom door, is a masterpiece and one of the first of many highlights I would include as high points of this Monday Project.

Finally, here’s where DVD is king. As if having To Kill a Mockingbird wasn’t enough, the DVD also features a magnificently layered, 96-minute documentary on the background of the film which is top-rate in every respect. I love, love, LOVE these sorts of docs, and I particularly love them when I finish a Monday night movie. They provide a quick and dirty way to put the movie in context and fill out the background details that I might not have already known.