Atticus Finch trial "State of Alabama vs. Charles White, Alias," and Atticus Finch's defense of Tom Robinson in "To Kill a Mockingbird". In a letter to the author, Harper Lee herself noted the "obvious parallels" between the cases (Lee was 12 at the time of the Charles White trial) and between Atticus Finch and Foster Beck, though she also stated that she could not recall the trial, and that "To Kill a Mockingbird" was a work of fiction. Former President Barack Obama referenced Atticus Finch as an ideal American character. In addition Atticus was mentioned during one of Obama's speeches. In July
The Day the Earth Stood Still In June 2008, the American Film Institute revealed its "10 Top 10" — the best ten films in ten "classic" American film genres — after polling more than 1,500 people from the creative community. "The Day the Earth Stood Still" was acknowledged as the fifth best film in the science fiction genre. The film was also on the ballot for AFI's other lists including "100 Years ... 100 Movies", the tenth anniversary list, "100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains" for Klaatu in the heroes category, "100 Years ... 100 Movie Quotes" for the famous line "Gort! Klaatu barada nikto" and AFI's