More than 60 years on from its release, an award-winning movie continues to be hailed by fans as a “true classic”, and it was also based on a novel that is widely considered the “best book of all time”. The 1962 American legal drama crime film was directed by Robert Mulligan and starred Gregory Peck and Mary Badham.

The film is, of course, based on Harper Lee‘s 1960 Pulitzer Prize–winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The film follows lawyer Atticus Finch in Depression-era Alabama, as he educates his children against prejudice while defending a black man who is falsely charged with the rape of a white woman. The film’s synopsis reads: “Scout Finch (Badham), 6, and her older brother, Jem (Phillip Alford), live in sleepy Maycomb, Alabama, spending much of their time with their friend Dill (John Megna) and spying on their reclusive and mysterious neighbour, Boo Radley (Robert Duvall).

“When Atticus (Peck), their widowed father and a respected lawyer, defends a black man named Tom Robinson (Brock Peters) against fabricated rape charges, the trial and tangent events expose the children to the evils of racism and stereotyping.”

The film had an overwhelmingly positive reception from both the critics and the public. It went on to win three Academy Awards, including Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay, and was nominated for eight, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress.

It has amassed an incredible score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics’ consensus stating: “To Kill a Mockingbird is a textbook example of a message movie done right — sober-minded and earnest, but never letting its social conscience get in the way of gripping drama.”

One fan wrote: “A true classic. Based on a wonderful novel. The acting across the board is great. A movie that reminds us that justice doesn’t always apply equally.”

Another said: “One of the rare movies that lives up to its exceptional literary parent. Stunning performances by all, and absolutely masterful acting and directing. This is a cinematic adaptation of a supremely powerful book, and it pulled off masterfully.”

Goodreads has compiled a list of the 100 books everyone should read at least once in their lifetime, and number one is a classic. Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird came out on top and received the most votes from readers, with just under 25,000.

The book has more than six million ratings on the platform and scores 4.46 out of five stars. Many have described it as the “greatest book of all time”. In a Reddit thread titled similarly, “What is the greatest novel ever written?” many listed To Kill a Mockingbird.