The Story: First off, Happy Father's Day. And apologies for a very long post—it may actually take awhile to download—but it's an important one.
When I think of fathers, I think of Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. The character was voted the #1 movie hero in an AFI poll in 2003. Harper Lee thought of Spencer Tracy for the role. Universal thought Rock Hudson, their biggest star, would be ideal. The role (supposedly) was offered to James Stewart, who rejected it for its racial themes.
But producer Alan J. Pakula thought of Gregory Peck. When offered the part, Peck called back immediately and always considered the role "a great gift." It won him the Academy Award for Best Actor. Peck is usually associated with dramatic roles, ones where he is stolid and sure (although he could also be good in light comedy like Roman Holiday and Designing Woman). But, his Atticus Finch is more contemplative and—certainly in this scene—unsure. His earlier films where he was conflicted—particularly in Hitchcock's Spellbound and The Paradine Case—his portrayals seemed awkward and less than convincing. But, not his Atticus. For all the talk of "#1 movie hero" it's a portrayal torn between duty and consequences in all aspects of life and Peck's portrayal is vulnerable and no less strong for appearing weak.
"Thank you for my children." It's at that line that I usually start bawling my eyes out.
But, it's not just Peck as Atticus that I love in this scene. Homage must be paid to two of my favorite actors of all time.
Frank Overton, who plays Sheriff Tate, was a fixture of television playing stern authority types, and became known to the producers after appearing in a TV version of Horton Foote's "A Trip to Bountiful." His Sheriff Tate is another authority type, but watching Overton in this scene, one senses the sub-text that he feels a bit responsible for putting the Finch family in jeopardy for Atticus' role as appointed public defender. Watching his expression change throughout the scene, considering what has happened is a master-class of subtlety, even when he is not the center of attention. Overton died after completing one of his last roles, that of Elias Sandoval in the first season "Star Trek" episode "This Side of Paradise." Another favorite appearance is as the Father in the Twilight Zone TV-series season one episode "Walking Distance." And I always remember him as another conflicted Sheriff who must decide whether he will turn over Dr. Richard Kimble to Lt. Gerard after Kimble has saved a busload of kids in "Nightmare at Northoak."
Regarding that, Mulligan's direction took the basics of the script, but pared it down, almost eliminating the participation of Estella Evans' Calpurnia, slicing the doctor's role to almost nothing—and that done with voice-over done in post-production—and taking out some repeated dialog and just leaving the scene to Atticus, Scout, Sheriff Tate, and Boo Radley. It also allows for some dramatic pacing, not over-crowded with dialog. A lot happens in this scene, but so much of it that is memorable are expressions on faces.
I did some juggling here on the transcript: where I could, I used Horton Foote's screenplay and directions when they match the final film. Where there were changes, I merely used the dialogue.
The Set-Up: In 1932, Lawyer Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) has been asked to serve as defense attorney to laborer Tom Robinson (Brock Peters) in a rape trial in the southern town of Macomb, Georgia. The consequences being a guilty verdict, the death while making an escape attempt by Tom, and an attack on Finch's children Jem (Phillip Alford) and Scout (Mary Badham) by Bob Ewell (James Anderson) for Finch's efforts. An altercation has occurred injuring Jem, who is carried home by a mysterious stranger. Scout, who is uninjured, runs home after them.
Action.
CALPURNIA Yes, sir.
SCOUT Yes, sir.
SCOUT Yes, sir.
After she has dressed, she starts slowly down
the hall towards Jem’s room.
140.
SCOUT
Then I saw someone carrying Jem.
SCOUT Hey, Boo!
144.
His hand comes lightly on Jem’s hair.
293 TWO SHOT - ATTICUS AND HECK
Atticus pushes up his glasses and presses his fingers to
his eyes.
ATTICUS
I can’t remember if Jem is twelve or thirteen.
295 ANGLE FAVORING TATE
He is trying to dig a hole in the floor with the toe of his boot. Atticus looks over at Boo. Heck’s meaning dawns on him.
ANGLE
WIDENS as Atticus gets up and starts for the house.
Words by Horton Foote (after Harper Lee)
Pictures by Russell Harlan and Robert Mulligan
To Kill a Mockingbird is available on DVD and Blu-Ray from Universal Home Video.
Horton Foote's original screenplay differs slightly in order from how the film continuity occurs.
288 INT. THE HALL OF THE FINCH HOUSE
Cal and Scout COME IN. ATTICUS IS AT THE PHONE.
ATTICUS
Heck? Atticus Finch. Someone’s
been after my children. Jem’s
hurt. Between here and the
schoolhouse. I can’t leave my
boy. Run out here, please, and
see if he’s still around. Thanks,
Heck.
He hangs up. He goes to Scout.
SCOUT
Atticus, is Jem dead?
ATTICUS
No, Scout. Look after her, Cal.He runs down the hall towards Jem’s room. Cal begins to undress Scout and get her out of the costume.
CALPURNIA
Are you sure you’re all right?
SCOUT
Sure.
She is free of the costume now and begins to rub her
little body. SCOUT Cal, is Jem dead?
137.
CUNNINGHAM No, he’s unconscious. We don’t know how badly he’s hurt until Dr. Reynolds gets here. Honey, what happened?
SCOUT I swear, I don’t know.
Calpurnia rushes OUT of the hall and into Scout’s room and then APPEARS again with clothes for Scout.
CALPURNIA Put these on, honey.
She hands the clothes to her and rushes down the hall towards Jem’s room.
DR. REYNOLDS, in his fifties, carrying his doctor’s bag COMES IN the front door. He takes a look at Scout and pats her on the head.
DR. REYNOLDS JEAN LOUISE Well, you’re still standing.
He goes past her down the hall to Jem’s room.
289 CLOSE SHOT- SCOUT She is all alone. She glances in terror towards Jem’s room. She slowly puts on her overalls Calpurnia has given her. After she has dressed, she starts slowly down the hall towards Jem’s room.
ANGLE WIDENS as the door opens and Dr. Reynolds COMES OUT. He sees Scout and goes to her.
SCOUT Is Jem dead?
DR. REYNOLDS Far from it.
He squats down beside her.
290 TWO SHOT - SCOUT AND DR. REYNOLDS
He pats her head.
DR. REYNOLDS
He has a bump on his head like you
and a broken arm. He’s got a bad
break, so far as I can tell, like
somebody tried to wring his arm
off. We can’t do much tonight except
try to make him as comfortable as
possible. We’ll have to X-ray his
arm. Looks like he’ll be wearing
his arm way out by his side for
awhile. Don’t worry though.
He’ll be as good as new. Boys his
age bounce.
While he has been talking to her, DR. REYNOLDS has been
fingering her bump and looking keenly at her.
DR. REYNOLDS
You don’t feel broke anywhere, do
you? SCOUT No, sir.
DR. REYNOLDS Then go in and look at your brother.
ANGLE WIDENS as Heck Tate COMES down the hall.
HECK You all right, Scout?
SCOUT Yes, sir. I’m goin’ now to see Jem. Atticus is in there.
HECK I’ll go with you.
291 INT. JEM’S ROOM
The room is dim. Jem’s reading light is shaded with a towel. Jem lies on his back. There is an ugly mark on the side of his face. His left arm is out from the side of his body. The man who brought Jem stands in a corner, leaning against the wall. Atticus is by Jem’s bed. Calpurnia is standing to one side. Scout and Heck Tate COME IN.
ATTICUS Come in, Heck. Did you find anything?
Heck glances sharply at the man in the corner, nods to him, then looks around the room -- at Jem, Calpurnia and Atticus.
139. DR. REYNOLDS (CONT'D)
HECK Mr. Finch, I’ll tell you what I found. I found a little girl’s dress. It’s out there in my car. That your dress, Scout?
SCOUT Yes, sir. If it’s pink.
HECK An’ I found some funning-lookin’ pieces of muddy colored cloth.
SCOUT That was m’ costume.
Heck runs his hands down his thighs. He rubs his left arm along the wall of Jem’s room.
ATTICUS What is it, Heck?
HECK (rubbing his neck) Bob Ewell’s lyin’ on the ground under that tree down yonder with a kitchen knife stuck up under his ribs. He’s dead, Mr. Finch.
Atticus rises.
ATTICUS (bleakly) Are you sure?
HECK Yes, sir. He won’t bother these children again.
ATTICUS Maybe we’d better go into the living room, Heck.
HECK No, if you don’t mind, I’d rather stay here if it won’t hurt Jem any, and I can have a look at his injuries while Scout tells me what happened.
Scout goes to Atticus. He puts his arms around her. Heck goes to Jem and looks at him.
HECK You think you can tell us what happened, Miss Scout?
140.
SCOUT All of a sudden, somethin’ grabbed me and mashed my costume an’ I ducked and then Mr. Ewell, I reckon, grabbed him again and Jem hollered an’ then somebody grabbed me, Mr. Ewell, I guess, and somebody grabbed him and then I heard somebody pantin’ and coughin’...
HECK Who was it?
SCOUT Why, there he is, Mr. Tate. He can tell you his name...
She points to the MAN in the corner who brought Jem home. He leans against the wall. He has a pale face and his hair is thin and dead white, and as she points to him, a strange spasm shakes him. At this moment it comes to Scout who he is, and she gazes at him in wonder, as a timid smile comes to his face.
SCOUT Hey, Boo...
ATTICUS (gently correcting her) Mr. Arthur, honey. Jean Louise, this is Mr. Arthur Radley. I believe he already know you.
Scout is embarrassed and trying to hide her embarrassment. She goes to cover Jem up. Dr. Reynolds COMES back IN.
DR. REYNOLDS Everybody out. (glances at Boo) Evenin’, Arthur. Didn’t notice you the first time I was here.
ATTICUS (glancing at Boo) Er -- Heck, let’s go out on the front porch. There are plenty of chairs out there and it’s still warm enough.
Atticus and Heck Tate GO ON OUT. Scout goes to Arthur.
141. SCOUT Come along, Mr. Arthur. You don’t know the house real well. I’ll take you to the porch, sir.
He looks down at Scout and nods. She leads him out of the door.
292 EXT. FING FRONT PORCH - NIGHT
Atticus and Heck Tate are there. Scout brings Arthur out.
SCOUT Won’t you have a seat, Mr. Arthur? This rocking chair’s nice and comfortable.
She leads him to the chair farthest from Atticus and Heck. It is in deep shadow. Atticus is seated in the swing, Heck on a chair next to him. Scout sits next to Arthur.
293 TWO SHOT - ATTICUS AND HECK
ATTICUS Well, Heck, I guess the thing to do -- Good Lord, I’m losing my memory.
294 ANGLE FAVORING ATTICUS
Atticus pushes up his glasses and presses his fingers to his eyes.
ATTICUS I can’t remember if Jem is ten or eleven. Anyway, it will come before the County court. Of course, it was a clear cut case of self-defense, but I’ll have to go to the office and hunt up --
295 ANGLE FAVORING TATE
TATE Mr. Finch, do you think Jem killed Bob Ewell? Do you think that?
ATTICUS You heard what Scout said.
142.
TATE (quietly, firmly) Mr. Finch, Bob Ewell fell on his knife. He killed himself. Your boy never stabbed him.
Atticus walks to the corner of the porch and looks at the wisteria vine.
TATE (exploding) There’s a black man dead for no reason, and now the man responsible for it is dead. Let the dead bury the dead this time, Mr. Finch. I never heard tell that it’s against the law for a citizen to do his utmost to prevent a crime from being committed, which is exactly what he did, but maybe you’ll say it’s my duty to tell the town all about it and not hush it up. Know what’d happen then? All the ladies in Maycomb, includin’ my wife, ‘d be knockin’ on his door bringin’ angel food cakes. To my way of thinkin’, Mr. Finch, takin’ the one man who’s done you and this town a great service, and draggin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight... To me, that’s a sin. It’s a sin and I’m not about to have it on my head.
He is trying to dig a hole in the floor with the toe of his boot. Atticus looks over at Boo. Heck’s meaning dawns on him.
TATE I may not be much, Mr. Finch, but I’m still Sheriff of Maycomb County, and Bob Ewell fell on his knife. Good night, sir.
He LEAVES.
O.S. SOUND: CAR DRIVING OFF Atticus looks out into the yard and then over at Scout.
ATTICUS Scout, Mr. Ewell fell on his knife. Do you think you can possibly understand?
143.
296 TWO SHOT - SCOUT AND ATTICUS
SCOUT Yes, sir. I understand. Mr. Tate was right.
ATTICUS What do you mean?
SCOUT Well, it would be sort of like shooting a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?
Atticus puts his face in her hair and rubs it.
ANGLE WIDENS as Atticus gets up and starts for the house. Before he goes inside, he stops in front of Arthur Radley.
ATTICUS Thank you for my children, Arthur.
He goes on inside. Arthur gets up and nods toward the front door.
SCOUT You’d like to say good night to Jem, wouldn’t you, Mr. Arthur? Come right in.
They go in the door.
297 INT. HALLWAY Scout and Arthur COME IN. They go to the door of Jem’s room.
298 INT. JEM’S ROOM Scout and Arthur ENTER.
SCOUT Dr. Reynolds gave him a heavy sedative, Cal says, so he’d sleep.
Scout leads him to Jem’s bed. Arthur looks at him from head to foot as though he had never seen a boy before. His hand comes up, but he lets it drop to his side.
SCOUT You can pet him, Mr. Arthur. He’s asleep. You couldn’t if he was awake, though, he wouldn’t let you. Go ahead.
144. His hand comes lightly on Jem’s hair. Then he tugs at Scout’s arm and she understands he wants to leave. They GO OUT.
299 INT. HALLWAY Scout and Arthur ENTER from Jem’s room. She leads him to the font door. They stand there. He holds her hand.
ARTHUR (whispering) Will you take me home?
SCOUT Mr. Arthur, bend your arm down here like that. That’s right, sir.
She slips her hand into the crook of his arm. They walk out the front door.
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