Winner: Mary Badham -
To Kill a Mockingbird

 Brief Synopsis: Based on Harper Lee’s American classic, two young children named Jean Louise Finch and Jeremy Atticus Finch (“Scout” and “Jem”) live in the slow-paced town of Maycomb, Alabama during the early 1930s. Not much happens in Maycomb — Scout and Jem entertain themselves by rolling car tires in the street and spying on their reclusive neighbor Boo Radley. But everything changes when their father, Atticus Finch, agrees to be the defense attorney for a Black man named Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell. For the first time, Jem and Scout are exposed to racism and hatred as the town turns against Atticus and his children. In the events that follow, Atticus defends Tom Robinson in the trial of the century, Mayella’a father Bob threatens the lives of the children, and Jem and Scout learn the truth of what it means to kill a metaphorical mockingbird.

It’s kind of hard to figure out what separates good child actors from great ones, but I think what stands out to me about Mary Badham in is that she perfectly captures Scout’s youthful naivety, which is essential to a film that tries to establish a reminiscent tone. Over the past several years, there has been increased literary and film criticism (especially after Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman was published) about if To Kill a Mockingbird has outlived its usefulness as an educational tool for racism and prejudice. And to be honest, even though I love the book and the film, I believe it’s a fair point to consider. The adults (from this point forward, I’m speaking specifically about the movie) are kind of one-dimensional: Atticus is noble, Tom Robinson is a helpless victim, and Bob Ewell is wicked. It raises questions about if To Kill a Mockingbird oversimplifies racial issues, and by teaching Mockingbird as if it holds the same social relevance today as it did nearly 60 years ago, if we’re not pandering to the racial stereotypes of white savior (Atticus), Black victim (Tom Robinson), and evil white people (Bob Ewell).

Arguably, though, the allegorical natures that Atticus, Tom Robinson, and Bob Ewell represent (noble, victim, and evil) are there because it reflects the most accessible way young Scout can understand what being noble is and what injustice looks like. Does nobility and injustice look different now than in 1962 when this film was made? Absolutely. But I would also argue that that doesn’t negate the value of To Kill a Mockingbird. Even if the social relevance has diminished somewhat over time, it still has a lot to offer from a variety of perspectives when it comes to elements of filmmaking and American history. Which wraps me back around to this Pappie Award: Mary Badham’s phenomenal performance as Scout Finch. Gregory Peck may have won the Academy Award that year, but this film really comes together because Badham really encompasses everything I’ve mentioned above. She has emotional depth, tomboyish behaviors, wide-eyed innocence, and an amazing chemistry with Gregory Peck that allow the film to develop its coming of age narrative. The moment that probably best highlights this is the mob coming to the jail to lynch Tom Robinson. Scout, unaware of the significance of what she’s doing, makes them turn away by rambling to Mr. Cunningham about his son Walter. The scene showcases Badham’s ability to subtle shift Scout from being scared to confused to shy, and to me, she feels indispensable in that role.