To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill A Mockingbird

Last night I watched the American Film Institute’s 50th Anniversary presentation of To Kill a Mockingbird. This was shown on the USA Network with only four well-place commercial breaks.

This is my favorite movie, and possibly the best movie ever made.  An AFI survey a few years ago listed Citizen Kane as the number one film of all time, but I can’t stand Citizen Kane, so I just might be biased.

Earlier last week I also watched (on Netflix) the documentary, Hey Boo: Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird, made in 2010 for the 50th anniversary of the novel.

The book and the movie can almost be reviewed as one, they are that close in plot and dialogue. Harper Lee was a consultant on the movie and much of the original writing from the novel made it into the screenplay.  This happens so seldom it is worth mentioning.

I fell in love with the book 52 years ago when I bought it from the Book of the Month club. Not only did I love the book, everyone did. It later won a Pulitzer Prize.

Today, watching the movie, most agree that no one but Gregory Peck could have played Atticus Finch.  That’s certainly my point of view. However, in casting the part both Spencer Tracy (well maybe) and Rock Hudson (shudder) were considered.  The casting director combed the South for the perfect Scout and Jem, locating newcomers Mary Badham and Philip Alford.

Mary Badham received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress for her portrayal of Scout (She lost to Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker). She never appeared in another major film production, though she has made a decent living with television work. Philip Alford later won a role as one of James Stewart’s sons in Shenandoah, but since then has had small roles in big movies or vice versa.

Some said To Kill a Mockingbird, both book and movie, rode the wave of the Civil Rights movement to achieve the success it did. Actually, the book seems not so much about race relations as it is about human kindness and respect for others. Atticus gathers Scout in his arms and talks to her about ‘climbing into the other person’s skin and walking around.’ Thus to find understanding and empathy for the new trying-too-hard teacher, the poor kid in class with no lunch money, Boo Radley and Tom Robinson.

The book is now required reading in most junior high and high schools, often initiating discussions about the characters and their motivations.

For whatever reason, Harper Lee never published another novel. I’m sure she was encouraged (hounded?) to write a sequel. That’s a compliment; it means your characters are strong and likable. But how could she craft a story that compared in any way to the one she had already told?

She reportedly started another novel and got bogged down in the research. She told a close friend she had ‘nowhere to go but down.’   She tired of the limelight and declined to give any more interviews.  Even Oprah could not lure Nelle Harper Lee to sit on the couch with her.

To Kill a Mockingbird. Read it or watch it. With my recommendation.

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Palm Sunday Reflection

Today was Palm Sunday – a joyous day in my home church, First United Methodist.  We celebrated Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem all those years ago. The children came into the sanctuary carrying palm branches. The Wednesday night children’s classes had learned special music for the occasion. “Hosanna Loud Hosanna”, the traditional Palm Sunday hymn, rang out as the congregation joined in worship. This particular day there were two rosebuds on the altar to announce the addition of as many babies to our church family.

But after today, and for the rest of this week, the church should be in a more somber mood. For the next few days we should reflect on the meaning of Jesus’ last days on earth.

On Thursday evening, there will be a service of communion, a remembrance of Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples. We will hear scripture and songs as we ponder our savior’s life and death… the betrayal, the pain he suffered. We will leave the worship service in solemn silence…

To return again on Easter morning. To the promise of the resurrection. To the joyous greeting Christ is risen! and the response, He is risen indeed!

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And What Did You Do on Spring Break?

At the Co-op where I work, we have just finished a wonderful tradition known as Spring Break. A whole week of Saturdays, of projects begun and maybe even finished, a period of guilt-free time-wasting. All the small talk nowadays will involve mention of this event. “What are your plans…?” “Are you enjoying …?” “What did you do …?”

Spring Break usually falls in the middle of Lent, but since my Lenten discipline this year has no dietary restrictions, every day of my spring break I ate something I ‘shouldn’t.’ (I put that word in call-out quotes because it is usually ‘they’ who say that I ‘shouldn’t.’)

This junk food thing wasn’t my main objective during Spring Break, I’m a little deeper than that. But when the first day I slept late and had an egg sandwich for brunch, and followed it the second day with a bowl of chili for supper I saw a trend developing. I decided to have a week long indulgence of foods I allow myself only rarely. During the rest of my stay-cation (not all the same day) I ate:

Taco Bell’s Five Layer Burrito – this is possibly my favorite fast food meal. Besides tasting good, it only costs $2.00 and fills me up for hours.

A Sonic Blast – I considered this a whole meal the day I had it. Occasionally I get so hungry for ice cream and this does it for me … as well as providing a taste of my favorite candy, Butterfinger.

McDonald’s Sausage Biscuit – On Tuesday I woke early to write and at about 10:00 a.m., I needed to go to the post office. And then I decided I deserved a break! This is a seldom enjoyed treat. I can remember having it only once in 2011 when members of my morning prayer group surprised me with breakfast on my birthday.

Meatball Sub – I am a big fan of the sitcom “Friends.” I have seen every episode and own most of them. The meatball sub is Joey Tribiani’s favorite sandwich, yet I had never tasted one until last December when Subway had their promotion. Now I’m a fan, too. All for less than $3.00

One night my youngest son popped in with a Pizza Hut $10.00 box.  Pepperoni pizza with the thickest crust I have ever seen, bread sticks and cinnamon sticks with icing. Plenty of food for the three of us. (The third being Phillip’s GF,  Zefani.)

One thing I determined on this break-from-food-sanity is — I don’t need to retire. Though I am of retirement age and then some, I realize that if I stayed at home every day, I would be a slug. My cholesterol level would be off the charts, I would weigh 500 pounds and have my own reality show on The Learning Channel.

So, tomorrow it’s back to work at my fun job with great co-workers. My food binge leaving me only a little worse for wear.

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Once More for the Birds

On Thursday, March 22, at 9:00 pm National Geographic Channel will show the long-awaited-fourteen-months-in-production special about the red-winged blackbirds falling out of the sky December 31, 2010. (I blogged here about this phenomena on March 4, 2011.)

The title of the special is “Signs of the Apocalypse.”  Originally the show was to air on December 22, 2011, then for some unknown reason was rescheduled to the March date.  I figured NatGeo had negative reaction to an end-times special showing three days before Christmas, but that’s just my best guess.

On New Years Eve 2011, Beebe residents living near the birds’ roosting place were asked to refrain from shooting fireworks, lest there be a more bird deaths.  Most complied, but ‘someone’ (presumed to be not from the neighborhood) did set off a large round of fireworks near the roost. The result was 400 dead birds ‘falling from the sky.’  This would seem to prove, at least it’s strong evidence for me, that fireworks were always the cause.

I will say here that since I wrote about it a year ago I have learned that most blackbirds move somewhere else in the summer, so not many are around to be frightened by Independence Day fireworks. Also, these birds have poor night vision (and they fly crazy) contributing to the flying into things scenario.

I don’t know what all this will do to the NatGeo apocalyptic theory.  If indeed it is a theory. Or is the title of the special a teaser, meant to pique interest?  If that’s the case, it worked. I’ll be watching.

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Room With a View

The Netflix package my children gave me for Christmas (Thanks Kids!) allows me to cruise through hundreds of movies and documentaries and choose something to watch when there’s nothing good on cable or the networks. Which happens oftener and oftener.

So, last night I chose Room With a View, an English movie adapted from a 1908 novel by E. M. Forster.  Mr. Forster used much irony in his stories about the hypocrisy involved in the class conscious culture of the day.

The movie, made in 1985, stars a young and beautiful Helena Bonham Carter as Lucy Honeychurch and Julian Sands as George Emerson. Daniel Day Lewis gives an excellent performance as the prim and proper Cecil Vyse.  They were ably supported by Maggie Smith and Judi Dench in character roles. The rave review on imdb.com says this film captures the spirit of the book.  All of us who have been disappointed when a favorite book is made into a lousy movie, can understand the satisfaction when the movie actually does indeed capture the spirit of the book.

Room With a View is a love story about a young girl (Lucy) who must decide between two suitors, exuberant, passionate George or steady, predictable Cecil. Should she go with convention or take a chance on love? The limitations and expectations placed on young ladies during the Edwardian Era play a big part in her decision making.

The background music is spectacular — arias by Puccini and selections by Victor Herbert adding to the drama.

I do have to mention one particular scene that surprised me. The vicar comes upon two young men, waist high in water, bathing. They invite him to join them and he promptly drops trou and steps out from behind the bush completely naked. He jumps in the water and he and the young men engage in splashing and horse play, chasing each other in and out of the pool for a few minutes, before the story line moves on.

Today, when I checked the Parents Guide for this movie the concern listed was: “Full frontal nudity in a non-sexual way.”  True.  The rest of the movie everyone stayed fully clothed, skirts down to the floor and collars up to their chins.

I never figured out the point of this scene, which would lift right out of the film without changing the plot a bit.  Unless it was to shock the daylights out of this grandma!

Room With a View is worth your while and I would recommend it. Just keep your finger on the fast forward button.

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