A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Why, hello neighbor. Come on in.

You may recall last year I highlighted the documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor, a film about Mister Fred Rogers. Today, I highlight the narrative feature A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, which was formerly called You Are My Friend. It stars Tom Hanks as Rogers and is based on the Esquire article Can you Say ... Hero? by Tom Junod.

Junod is represented by Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys). Vogel is an acclaimed journalist with a wife, Andrea (Susan Kelechi Watson), and baby, Gavin. His relationship with his father, Jerry (Chris Cooper), is highly strained. One day, his editor, Ellen, assigns him to write an article on Fred Rogers. When he meets Mister Rogers at WQED in Pittsburgh, Vogel can't believe that real Fred is as wholesome as TV Fred. He's not impressed at how Fred asks him about his own life. Overtime, Fred's gentle personality helps Vogel mend his troubled relationships.

Director Marielle Heller frames the movie as an extended episode of Mister Rogers Neighborhood. Among other touches, we get to see establishing shots of miniature cities instead of real ones. We also see Hanks re-enact the show's opening so perfectly I thought he was Gumped over the real Fred. But, no. Production Designer Jade Healy's recreation of the show's sets - at the actual WQED studio! - was that flawless. Cinematographer Jody Lee Jipes's work makes the Mister Rogers segments look like pristine TV footage. It's easy to get used to the film switching aspect ratios as it goes from The Land of Make-Believe to Real Life.

Now for the star. Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers perfectly embodies the soft-spoken nice guy Fred Rogers was. The film, like the documentary, shows how nice he was both on-screen and off. He never raises his voice even when one thinks he will. He responds to others' frustrations with patience and understanding. Yes, I made similar points about Fred in the documentary, but Hanks' performance here was on point. The film is another reminder why Fred Rogers is beloved.

Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue's screenplay is another welcome neighbor. We're introduced to Vogel as a picture on Mister Rogers' wall. We're told Vogel is hurt inside, and we wonder why. The film tells us why in a slow but steady 107 minute runtime. During which, we get to see Vogel see Mister Rogers' impact on others - including a scene where subway riders serenade Fred with the show's theme. We see him struggle with his past in an eerie nightmare. We feel it when he finally reconciles with Jerry. 

What's more to say about A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood? Along with Won't You Be My Neightbor, this is another fine invitation to Mister Rogers Neighborhood. Its two leads welcome you into the movie with open arms. It's a quiet movie but it's heavily emotional. Its comforting morals are most welcome this year. It deserves whatever attention it gets (maybe more).