The acclaimed documentary Hey, Boo, which explores the enduring cultural impact of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, is set to screen at Mobile’s Crescent Theater from June 10 through June 16, 2011. Director Mary Murphy will be on hand for audience question-and-answer sessions following both screenings on Friday and all three shows on Saturday.
A Deep Dive Into a Literary Phenomenon
Hey, Boo examines why To Kill a Mockingbird remains one of the most widely read and beloved American novels more than half a century after its publication. The film traces the history and cultural context of the book’s Deep South setting, the social changes it helped inspire, and the enduring mystery of why Harper Lee — a Monroeville, Alabama, native — never published a second novel during her lifetime.
The documentary features reflections from prominent figures including Anna Quindlen, Tom Brokaw, Wally Lamb, Richard Russo, Oprah Winfrey, and civil rights leader Andrew Young, each sharing how the novel shaped their personal and professional lives.
Director Mary Murphy’s Alabama Connection
Murphy, a New England native, developed her connection to South Alabama through repeated research trips to Monroeville — the small Monroe County town that served as the real-life model for the fictional Maycomb. She has also collaborated with Emmy-winning cinematographer Lynn Rabren, who is based in Orange Beach.
Murphy described her motivation for making the film as stemming from a powerful adult rereading of Lee’s novel. “I was literally blown away by it and was determined to learn more about the novel and the novelist,” she said.
An Award-Winning Filmmaker
Murphy brings extensive credentials to the project. A six-time Emmy Award winner, she spent two decades at CBS News, where she produced segments for 60 Minutes, 48 Hours, and CBS Sunday Morning. Her other documentary work includes Cry For Help, which aired on PBS, and Digital Days, a Tom Brokaw-narrated examination of the internet’s impact on the newspaper industry produced for the Associated Press.
In addition to the documentary, Murphy authored Scout, Atticus, and Boo: A Celebration of Fifty Years of To Kill a Mockingbird. She planned to sign copies of the book during her appearances at the Crescent Theater.
The Crescent Theater screening offered Mobile-area audiences a rare opportunity to engage with the legacy of one of Alabama’s most celebrated literary figures and the novel that helped reshape American attitudes about race and justice in the South.