Elmer Bernstein's score for To Kill a Mockingbird is considered one of the greatest movie scores of all time. The main theme, with its longing melody, evokes childlike innocence through its seemingly simple piano, while the lilting flute has a youthful and dreamlike quality. When the strings come in on the main theme, that childlike aspect seems to mature and blossom, with a touch of bittersweet wistfulness, much as the children in the movie learned and grew from life's sometimes harsh lessons. There is also a mysterious quality to the main theme that weaves in and out through its measured and thoughtful tones. A number of critics have also applauded the decision to only score certain parts of the film; the unscored trial scene stands out in contrast.