The true story of the friendship that blossomed between beloved children's show host Fred Rogers and a jaded journalist sent to profile him.
BIOPIC/DRAMA
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A Beautiful Day in
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Mr. Rogers touched the hearts of several generations, all of whom grew up watching his PBS show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Mr. Rogers inspired all of us to embrace our feelings and treat one another with kindness. He was a genuine good soul who was too precious for this world. This film, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, tells the story of a friendship that blossomed between Mr. Rogers and journalist Tom Junod (Lloyd Vogel, in the movie), who was sent to profile him for an Esquire article about heroes. In the film, Vogel has lost all faith in humanity and has a rocky relationship with his father, and his meeting with Rogers helped him heal at a time when he needed it most.
The film is such a heartwarming affair, with Tom Hanks delivering a fantastic performance as the kindhearted and warm Fred Rogers. Matthew Rhys did a great job as Vogel, and the two of them have great chemistry. My favorite thing about this film is how the people around Rogers treated him like a celebrity, but he always treated them like they were special to him, because they were. People loved him because he truly loved them back. I was sobbing by the film's end, as I remember watching Mr. Rogers as a kid. The film uses the show as a framing device for the main story, which I thought was brilliant. It's hard not to feel something for this movie. It's just so comforting to be part of the audience. You feel like a neighbor again. Tom Hanks was the only person who could've played Mr. Rogers the right way, and his performance is delightful. This film is such a great way to open the winter movie season. Check it out and you won't be disappointed. |