To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)

The film takes place in Alabama in the 1930s, and is told through the eyes of two kids, a young brother and sister whose father is a small town lawyer named Atticus Finch. The first part of the film is a charming immersion into the daily playful lives of the kids, with all the youthful imaginative antics that most of us can relate to from our own childhoods. Then, when their father agrees to serve as a defense lawyer for a black man accused of rape, the film shifts from being about the kids, to being an intense courtroom drama with Atticus Finch at the center. We’re immersed in a story that confronts us with profound questions fairness, dignity and humanity. This is not just a film that’s noteworthy for tackling the subject of racism, but it’s one of the most emotionally compelling films about respect for our fellow human beings, and about -- in short -- doing the right thing. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is a stunning film that draws you in and unfolds slowly at first, which was why Lara avoided it for years. She and James talk about the power of this film to change lives (while trying not to build it up too much), the utter awesomeness of Boo Radley (played by a young Robert Duvall), and the time James drove around the Universal Studios lot and stumbled upon a cast reunion.