When producer Alan J. Pakula and director Robert Mulligan approached Peck about taking the role of Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird", Peck agreed to read the book. He stated "I got started on it and of course I sat up all night and read straight through it...I called them at about eight o’clock in the morning and said 'When do I start?'" Peck did eventually request changes so that film deviated somewhat from the book, mainly showing more scenes of Peck in the courtroom than were in the original rough cut, thus shifting the focus away from the children, who had been the focus of the book, and more towards Atticus Finch. Peck's performance received universal acclaim from critics. "Variety" wrote that the role was especially challenging for Peck but that he "not only succeeds, but makes it appear effortless, etching a portrayal of strength, dignity and intelligence." The "Hollywood Reporter" said "Peck gives probably the finest performance of his career, understated, casual, effective." "Time" posited "Peck, though he is generally excellent, lays it on a bit thick at times – he seems to imagine himself the Abe Lincoln of Alabama." Reviews in recent decades have similarly lauded Peck's performance, with "Film Monthly" observing, "Gregory Peck's performance as lawyer Atticus Finch is just as beautiful, natural, and nuanced as the movie itself." Both Michael Gebert and Andrew Collins of "Radiotimes" refer to Atticus Finch as the role that defined Peck's career.