Fred Rogers is a bona fide American hero. From 1968 to 2001, his preschool series Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood ran for 895 episodes and- as well as being educational- helped a generation of children with their emotional and mental well-being, dealing with serious issues such as death, divorce, and war. He even testified before the US Senate in 1969 to help secure the funding for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in what has been called "one of the most powerful pieces of testimony ever offered before Congress".
Now, being in the UK, I don't ever remember seeing Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood (we did get Sesame Street) but- such is the cultural and social impact the show had in America- that it filtered through in homage, parody, and reference. But you can't underestimate not only the esteem in which Rogers is held but the positivity and kindness he engendered throughout his life and work. Following on from Morgan Neville's superb 2018 documentary about Rogers' life- Won't You Be My Neighbor?- we now have A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, based on an article written for Esquire's edition on heroes by Tom Junod.
In 1998, magazine writer Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) is assigned to write a 400-word profile about Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks). Vogel is an investigative journalist with a habit of rubbing up people the wrong way; an early scene with his editor shows that Rogers was the only one on their interviewee's list who would agree to talk to him. Initially hesitant to write what he considers a 'puff-piece', Vogel nonetheless travels to Pittsburgh to interview Rogers in an encounter that will have a lasting impression on both men.
Director Marielle Heller's last film was the brilliant Can You Ever Forgive Me? which took a look at a caustic, bitter, and bizarrely likeably unpleasant character. Here, she takes a person known and revered for their decency and kindness (who- spoiler alert- is actually as nice as he appears to be) and puts them under the spotlight. It's another strong, assured character piece.
Frankly, if you were ever going to cast anyone to play Fred Rogers, Tom Hanks would be at the top of your list (and, interestingly, Hanks and Rogers are related; they are sixth cousins). Hanks gives a warm, empathetic, low-key and utterly engaging performance as the beloved TV host; quiet, thoughtful and disarming, Rogers becomes almost a confessor to Vogel as he helps the frustrated and hurt writer through a long-held family trauma. What could have been mawkish or saccharinely sentimental is instead nicely balanced. Another solid and fine performance from Hanks.
Matthew Rhys reunites with his co-star from The Post and matches his performance, providing the slightly more bitter yin to Rogers' wholesome yang. Vogel is a worn-down, emotionally closed off cynic, whose habit of writing harsh pieces has gained him few friends. His wife Andrea even warns him, when he tells her about the assignment, "don't ruin my childhood". Struggling with new fatherhood, plus a complicated family situation involving his estranged father, Vogel treats the assignment as just another job- but finds himself changing as he spends more time with Rogers.
Rounding off the main cast are Susan Kelechi Watson, who skilfully provides the emotional anchor as Vogel's wife Andrea (giving life and nuance to a role that could have so easily just been a cardboard cutout), and Chris Cooper, whose brashness and louchness as Vogel's estranged father Jerry provides a nice contrast to the subtle quietness of other characters. There's also a pair of lovely supporting turns by Christine Lahti as Vogel's editor Ellen, and Enrico Colantoni as Bill Isler (Rogers' associate who is fiercely protective of him, and is suspicious of Vogel).
Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster's script is tight, and nicely structured- it starts with an episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and introduces Vogel and his situation through this medium. For people unfamiliar with Rogers' work, it's a nice introduction to it, and those who are will get a nice warm buzz of nostalgia by seeing it. It's also to their credit that Rogers feels like a real person- it would have been easy to have made Rogers an inscrutable, enigmatic figure, but you learn as much about his life as you do about Vogel.
Junod has since been interviewed and has made it clear that certain scenes have been created- the opening fist-fight at Vogel's sister's wedding, for instance- but the film is "inspired by" their meetings rather than a strict biopic. Nonetheless, if you read Junod's superb article, a lot of the vignettes that he saw whilst spending times with Rogers make it in.
Another aspect of the film that deserves praise is the detailed miniatures work, akin to the miniature work of the original show. Various city skylines and neighbourhoods are rendered in the same slightly shonky but absolutely endearing style as the TV show, which adds another layer of authenticity to the project.
Ultimately, A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood is a warm, engrossing, thoroughly pleasant film that celebrates decency, kindness, and tolerance. In these divisive times, we need more films like this.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Tez
I saw A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood at an advance screening; the film will be on general release in the UK and Ireland on 31st January 2020
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