Anthony's Film Review - A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)

A fine cinematic portrayal of the beloved Mr. Rogers, focusing on his impact on others...

Let me begin this review by talking about Tom Hanks. He is a phenomenal actor. Over four decades, he has played a wide variety of memorable characters. He is such a great actor that he is often called upon to portray real-life people, including the most high-profile ones. The examples that easily come to mind are his portrayals of airline pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger in the film Sully and of Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks. So it's amazing to see Hanks in yet another unique role depicting a real person, playing Fred Rogers of the television children's show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. In the film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Hanks embodies Rogers so well. Just watch the first scene of the film presenting a typical opening of an episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. The way Hanks as Rogers comes through the front door singing the beloved theme song, puts on his red sweater, and changes his shoes practically matches the real Fred Rogers.

It's important to note that A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is not a biographical film about the life and career of Fred Rogers. That's a good thing, because there already was another film that did that a year before: the documentary film Won't You Be My Neighbor?, which is great. We don't need to see a biopic in the form of a dramatization with an actor portrayal. So that leaves us with the question of what another Mr. Rogers movie could be about. Well, considering how Mr. Rogers has positively impacted the lives of many people, a suitable approach is to focus on that specifically. And instead of providing an overview of that topic, how about focusing on just one example of someone who was ultimately touched by the wisdom and kindness of Fred Rogers?

Therefore, along these lines, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is based on an Esquire magazine article by Tom Junod. The film features Matthew Rhys as Esquire reporter Lloyd Vogel, who is assigned to interview Mr. Rogers for a piece that will be in Esquire's next issue about heroes. His first reaction is one of unpleasant surprise. He is someone who thinks Mister Rogers' Neighborhood is a hokey kids show and presumably has never seen an episode of it. This is also a man who resents his father, for reasons that are revealed later in the film. His emotional turmoil is strong, such that his relationship with his father is seriously threatened. Naturally, this sets the scene for what's to come: Mr. Rogers providing both material for Lloyd's article and wisdom for healing the rifts with his family.

The story is not that bad. There isn't anything extraordinary about it, though. It's really a straightforward drama story where conflicts arise, the involved parties react, and eventually one character takes the initiative to mend the wounds. Through it all, the central character is really Lloyd Vogel, with Mr. Rogers being the supporting character who provides guidance. Still, it's wonderful to see people come together with the help of a beloved TV personality. If anything, this is something we all need to be reminded of given the turmoil of the real world.

Having seen the documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor?, I am inclined to briefly compare that movie with this one. Yes, it's like comparing apples and oranges, but I can at least discuss the amount of emotional impact I had from each. It's really obvious that Won't You Be My Neighbor? was a great movie and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is good on average. Part of it is that Mr. Rogers was the primary focus in the former but a secondary supporting character in the latter. Also, I realized that maybe it would be better if this movie presented two or three people who were touched by Mr. Rogers, not just one. But that's just me.

With Tom Hanks's performance as Mr. Rogers and a nice story to ultimately lift our spirits, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is a decent film. It reminds us to be kind, be kind, and be kind (something Fred Rogers would say, inspired by Henry James). It's also nice that, of the people this movie could be about, it centers on the journalist who wrote a notable piece in Esquire about Mr. Rogers. All in all, this is a movie that you can watch on any beautiful day, or any day when you are in need of something uplifting.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, visit the Internet Movie Database.