A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) TriStar/Drama RT: 108 minutes Rated PG (some strong thematic material, a brief fight, some mild language) Director: Marielle Heller Screenplay: Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster Music: Nate Heller Cinematography: Jody Lee Lipes Release date: November 22, 2019 (US) Cast: Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Cooper, Maryann Plunkett, Enrico Colantoni, Christine Lahti, Wendy Makkena, Tammy Blanchard, Noah Harpster, Carmen Cusack, Maddie Corman. Box Office: $61.7M (US)/$68.4M (World)
Rating: *** ½
I expect a great many people will be put off by A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood so perhaps I ought to tell you that it is NOT a biopic of Fred Rogers, the host of the beloved children’s show that ran on PBS for 33 years. If that’s what you’re looking for, allow me to direct you to the wonderful 2017 documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor. It beautifully examines the legacy of Mr. Rogers in a way a traditional biopic never could. Now that I think of it, it’s a brilliant companion piece to A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood starring Mr. Nice Guy himself Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers in a performance that deserves at least an Oscar nomination.
Okay, if A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood isn’t about Mr. Rogers, who is it about? It centers on Lloyd Vogel (Rhys, The Americans), a writer for Esquire magazine assigned to write an article about Mr. Rogers for a piece they’re doing on heroes. Vogel is damaged goods. Bitter, jaded and cynical, he can’t let go of the pain caused by his philandering father Jerry (Cooper, American Beauty) abandoning him and his sister while their mother was dying. His deep-seated anger not only affects his marriage to his tough but loving wife Andrea (Watson, This Is Us), it also prevents him from bonding with his newborn son Gavin. He’s afraid of what kind of father he’ll be.
Although Jerry wants to make peace, Lloyd refuses to reconcile. At his sister’s wedding (her third!), the two men get into a fist fight that leaves Lloyd with a noticeable nose injury. He goes to Pittsburgh to interview Mr. Rogers on the set of his show. It doesn’t take long for him to zero in on Lloyd’s injury and start asking questions. He genuinely wants to help Lloyd resolve his issues with his dad, but all Lloyd wants to do is prove that his whole nice guy persona is just an act. Never mind that his wife specifically asked him to not ruin her childhood.
I should warn you that if you grew up watching Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, and I know many of you did, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood will make you tear up. I know because I got misty at several points starting with Hanks’ spot-on recreation of the show’s opening with Rogers singing the theme while changing into his sweater and sneakers replete with zipper play and shoe toss. It took me back to when I was 7 and Mr. Rogers was the bridge between Sesame Street and The Electric Company. The scene that really got me was when a couple of kids start singing the theme song to Mr. Rogers on a New York subway and all the passengers join in. For a brief moment, all the usual NYC hostilities are forgotten as kids and grown people including two cops relive their childhoods. Naturally, Mr. Rogers thanks them and tells them how wonderful they all are. Just remembering it makes me misty all over again. That, my friends, is a testament to the power of cinema.
I truly believe Hanks deserves another Oscar for his portrayal of an American legend, a characterization I’m sure Mr. Rogers would dispute and dismiss. He may not be the spitting image of Mr. Rogers, but he perfectly captures his essence with his flawless imitation of his mannerisms- e.g. the slow, soothing cadence of his voice, the warm way he greets new “friends” and the way he carries himself that tells us he has pain of his own. Hanks plays him with a combination of sweetness, understanding, vulnerability and tenacity. He’s determined to break through the defensive wall Lloyd has built around himself. He resists all attempts by the reporter to make him angry, but you can tell it’s sometimes difficult for him not to lose his patience. It really is a brilliant performance, the downside to which is the viewer wanting more of Mr. Rogers.
That’s not to say the rest of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is inferior. While Lloyd’s story is a fairly standard one, it’s nonetheless affecting thanks to a solid performance by Rhys. He plays the part of a man hurt by his past extremely well. You can feel his pain as he struggles to contain emotions he shut off long ago or so he thought. He’s no match for Mr. Rogers and his limitless supply of kindness, understanding and patience. Even though he doesn’t want it, his association with Mr. Rogers puts him on a sometimes painful emotional journey shaped by the same philosophies he imparts to his young viewers. In a larger scene, Lloyd’s interactions with Mr. Rogers show that adults can also learn a thing or two from his teachings.
What makes A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood truly special is its execution. It’s structured just like an episode of the show with Mr. Rogers entering his on-set house and introducing his “neighbors” to his new friend Lloyd via a picture board. Director Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) periodically shifts back to Mr. Rogers still guiding us through Lloyd’s story. In a real stroke of creative genius, scene transitions are accomplished by way of miniature sets that recall the ones in the show. There’s also a powerful moment set in the Neighborhood of Make Believe. Fans will appreciate the many call-outs to the original show. Look for Mr. McFeely actor David Newell and Mrs. Rogers in the diner scene.
While it may not be the movie promised by the trailer, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is nonetheless terrific. It incorporates many elements from his show, like his alter-ego puppet Daniel Tiger, to great effect. There’s just so much to love about A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood that it’s easy to forgive its lapses into conventionality. And to think, I used to mock Mr. Rogers when I was a teen. Now I wish I could go back and watch the show again.
