A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Starring Matthew Rhys, Tom Hanks, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Cooper

Directed by Marielle Heller

An anomaly is defined as "something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected."  To say Fred Rogers was an anomaly is no understatement, as the man was hailed by many as a living saint for how he continually maintained a positive attitude, blessed the lives of others, taught children the most important lessons of life, and never suffered any real outbursts or dark hidden secrets.  The man was the epitome of wholesomeness and value, a man who helped shape the lives of countless children and - by process - their children as well.  Fred Rogers was a man that needed to exist, a man whose legacy will continue forever, and a man who became famous in the least likely way possible.  Last year's documentary "Won't You be My Neighbor?" showed the true Fred Rogers, and this year's drama "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" showed the lasting impact Fred Rogers had on the world, and in particular one jaded journalist.

The film is based off several meetings Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks) had with Esquire journalist Tom Junod (in the film his name is Lloyd Vogel, played by Matthew Rhys) for an article Junod was working on about heroes.  In the film, Vogel was jaded after a strained, deeply angered relationship with his estranged father Jerry (Chris Cooper), and used his writings to express a negative view of humankind - so when Mr. Rogers agrees to have him write the article (despite him also reading his previous work), Vogel sets out to find what makes Mr. Rogers really tick.

After their first meeting, Vogel is more distressed that Mr. Rogers moreso asked him questions about himself than he did about Rogers (something Mr. Rogers was famously known for in real life - whenever anyone interviewed him, he spent more time asking how the interviewee was doing and showed more interest in their lives), yet the words Mr. Rogers had for him began to grow like a seed in his soul, and he had to meet him again and again.  As he begins to learn the importance of love, forgiveness, and redemption, his heart begins to open itself to the possibilities that people aren't as bad as he thought, and maybe there's some good in even his father.

Mr. Rogers was the definition of wholesomeness, a man who nowadays would've been ridiculed and treated harshly for being an older man with a soft voice who enjoyed the company of children, but yet in his time, he managed to transform the lives of countless millions of people - both young and old - in ways that still resonate today.  Fred Rogers passed away in 2003, but yet people still revel in his wisdom and niceness, which is odd considering the recent climate of things.  People nowadays are more angry, more mean, and more self-centered than ever before, and it's during times like this we need someone like Fred Rogers now more than ever - yet if we did get Mr. Rogers today, he wouldn't have lasted a week on television.  His show was nowhere near the caliber of today's hit children shows with lavish set pieces, continuous music, and boisterous performers who gloss over any meaningful topics in lieu of lowbrow humor: "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" was a small PBS-funded show with terrible production values, weak set pieces, almost no music, and consisted of an older man calmly and softly talking to the audience, sometimes with long quiet pauses.  Yet this show has lasted the test of time, and no one really understands why - apart from the wholesome nature Mr. Rogers exuded.

Tom Hanks was the most inspired choice to play Mr. Rogers (not withstanding the fact that he's actually sixth cousins with him) because both men are hailed as the nicest men in Hollywood, and Hanks absolutely transforms into Mr. Rogers in his mannerisms, speech, and gracious nature that's absolutely spellbinding and riveting.  You feel like you're in the presence of the most amazing man ever (even though he'd never say it), and you feel better as a result.  This definitely happened to Lloyd Vogel, as we see through Matthew Rhys' amazing acting as he transforms on screen from a cynical, self-serving, hurting man into a forgiving, loving, nurturing father thanks to his several interactions with Mr. Rogers.

There's several tear-inducing moments the film delivers, and each one is completely cathartic.  You're not crying because you're sad, mad, or angry - but because it's a release of those negative thoughts that hold you down for so long.  There's even a memorable moment in the film that easily takes your breath away and one that I honestly have never seen in a film before, and you'll know it when it happens - because you'll never forget it.

There's a moment where Vogel is talking to Mrs. Rogers as Fred is greeting children outside a studio and asks her how it feels to be married to a saint, and she tells him flat out that Mr. Rogers is no saint: he's human, he has his anger issues, and he deals with them in a daily struggle just like everyone else.  To refer to him as a saint - she rightly points out - means that his nature is unattainable, when it's exactly the opposite: he taught us that we all have the power to be good to people, and to help the broken get fixed and change their lives for the better.  Many reviewers have said it and I repeat it: this is the film we need now more than ever.

Thanks to another tremendous performance by Tom Hanks, "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" teaches us the lifelong lessons of Mr. Fred Rogers - be kind, be loving, be forgiving - and leaves us captivated and our hearts full by the end.

The Score: A+