This scene is one of my favorites in the film To Kill a Mockingbird, which I just watched on TV. Atticus Finch guards his jailed defendant the night before his trial from the town people out for their own form of justice. My favorite part comes when Scout, Jim and Dill come running up through the middle of the crowd. Atticus looks terrified that his children are there and asks Jim to leave, but he refuses. While Scout is standing next to her father, she looks over and recognizes Mr. Cunningham, who had done business with Atticus. She talks to him and asks him how he is, mentioning that she goes to school with his son, Walter. This goes on for a while, with Mr. Cunningham looking embarrassed and Atticus looking amazed.

He replies back to Scout and tells her he'll tell Walter she said 'hello.' He then corrals the group of men to leave. Scout reminded him of his humanity, something hard to do in the midst of such hatred and mob mentality, something probably only the innocence of children can do.

Melanie's comment on my previous post had me thinking of great film adaptations of books. I have to say, To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the best. Usually, when I learn of a new movie coming out that is based on a book, I rush out to buy the book before the movie premieres. Right now, I'm reading Memoirs of a Geisha.

Why must all good books be made into probably not-as-good movies? I say this in anticipation of and nervousness toward The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, opening Friday. Let's hope this adaptation will be true to the story and not fall into the melodramatic category Peter Jackson made his own.

Anyone have any favorite book-to-movie adaptations?