A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: The Feel-Good Movie We Need
Hollywood has a funny habit of indulging in its periodic obsessions. Examples which come to mind are the magic craze with The Prestige and Illusionist and recent Dunkirk fascination with Dunkirk, Their Finest, and The Darkest Hour. Now, the new obsession is Mr. Rogers and justifiably so.
Although I knew quite a bit about how interesting he was, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood was unexpectedly capturing. Not to prematurely oversell the movie before having time to sit with it, but rarely am I so captivated from start to finish. From the trailer, I expected something much more melodramatic and run of the mill. Instead, what I got was an extremely therapeutic story that explores Mr. Rogers’ fame and philosophy and how both can apply to our own lives.
Immediately, the way the movie is framed provides a unique perspective. The main character, Lloyd Vogel’s, story is essentially told through the lens of a typical episode of the show. Combined with the transition shots of toy prop cityscapes, cars, and planes, the film completely embodies the spirit of the Mr. Rogers iconography.
The length of the film was also fitting. More and more, it seems to me that movies are overstaying their welcome and it’s refreshing to see something that knows exactly what it needs to tell its narrative.
The acting is, just as expected, phenomenal. Tom Hanks seamlessly blends into his role as Mr. Rogers which is especially impressive considering his own fame. It’s tough for an actor with such clout to disappear into a role and he is still able to do that. Matthew Rhys is also great and after his long run in The Americans, I’ve always been a huge fan of his work.
It’s really the whole approach of film that makes it succeed. At its heart, it’s about this guy and his strained relationship with his father which he is able to reconcile with through his relationship to Fred Rogers. The narrative highlights Mr. Rogers’ philosophies and captures his unique and admirable approach to the really serious issues of life. He always presented them through a very palatable and unbiased, nonjudgemental viewpoint.
The only slight nitpick would be some of the surreal elements which happen towards the end of the movie. I think I was able to identify what was meant to be real versus imagination but I was never 100% positive. Overall, the sequence does add to the film, reflecting the discombobulated emotional state of Lloyd. It isn’t something that should’ve been cut but maybe could’ve been refined.
At the end of a Thanksgiving week filled with good food and family, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood was a great way to cap it off. I will say, the 2018 documentary, Won’t You Be My Neighbor, is definitely a recommended watch to better appreciate this movie. It helps you immediately hone in on Mr. Rogers’ thought process. The director, Marielle Heller, uses the complicated relationship of a man and his father as a tool to get you to think about your own issues and perspectives on life. It’s not a biopic by any means and is more about how we can use the philosophy of Mr. Rogers as a way to help us in our own lives. In that way, it is extremely resonant and universal. It combines to create one of the more memorable moviegoing experiences of 2019.
