Tom Hanks portrays Mister Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, a timely story of kindness triumphing over cynicism, based on the true story of a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod. After a jaded magazine writer (Emmy® winner Matthew Rhys, 2018 Best Actor in a Drama Series, The Americans) is assigned a profile of Fred Rogers, he overcomes his skepticism, learning about kindness, love and forgiveness from America’s most beloved neighbor.

The film starts out like any other Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood episode, his jovial changing of formal jacket to cardigan, the removing of shoes to sneakers, the whole process is a lesson in getting comfortable and settling in, to soak up new knowledge you may have never known before.

To quote a line from the film “It’s not really about Mister Rogers. It is but…” The movie is a story inspired by real life – about a jaded journalist and his journey towards acceptance of his past and his future. Inspired by the Esquire Magazine article, “Can You Say…Hero?” by journalist Tom Junod, the movie follows Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Ryhs) as he learns a timely lesson about compassion and letting go.

Vogel has to face with his future with his wife Andrea (Susan Kelechi Watson) and their newborn, while wrestling with his past and learning to forgive his father (Chris Cooper).

Mister Rogers takes a back seat to Lloyd’s family trauma but just as in real life, his wake is mighty. His stillness, his listening, his genuine inquires. These actions seem meaningless, almost comical at times, but they are a means to an end. The movie relays the message that Mister Rogers is not a saint, but rather works hard on his actions every day, something any of us can do.

Director Mariele Hunter masterfully juggles reality and make-believe—just like on the show—showing Lloyd’s struggles as surreal figments of his imagination to help deal with his problems.

It’s not until the end of the movie that you realize you’ve just been witness to an entire Mister Rogers-type episode on forgiveness. It’s hard to know whether to feel for journalist Lloyd or for Fred Rogers himself, who has taken on the burden of being a positivity beacon for everyone in the world. Mister Rogers also has his bad days, but he works through it. And we can all appreciate his love and support for humankind, something that still resonates to this day.

“Some days, doing ‘the best we can’ may still fall short of what we would like to be able to do, but life isn’t perfect on any front—and doing what we can with what we have is the most we should expect of ourselves or anyone else.” – Mister Rogers

It’s not until the end of the movie that you realize you’ve just been 

Many would say that Mr. Rogers and his neighborhood were a singularity whose essence may never be reproduced. However, "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" demonstrates that this notion could not be further from the truth.

The film is captivating for people who grew up with the show and for those just getting to know the American icon. Based on the true story of friendship between Fred Rogers and Tom Junod, it is proof that Mr. Rogers used his influence not to show that he was special, but to show his viewers that they were special and that they also had the power to perform the same actions that they admired him for doing.

In a delightful throwback to the television show, classic miniaturized city models are used as a transition between locations. For instance, at one point, Vogel gets on a plane, and a toy plane is shown racing from one city model to another. Especially because Hollywood has heavily relied on CGI in recent years, the throwback to practical effects is a powerfully nostalgic gesture.

Another interesting creative touch is a dream sequence where the main character's internal conflict is shown through the aesthetics, sets and characters from the show. It is a moment that reflects upon the fact that the characters Rogers created in his program represented aspects of his own personality. In this sequence, Vogel uses coping strategies that Rogers created in order to confront his struggles more easily. As the story unfolds, Vogel learns to handle these emotions and heal those around him through talking about his feelings and healing the fractured relationships which caused his turmoil.

Just as Vogel learned from Mr. Rogers, so should we all. "It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" is a powerful reminder for a divided United States at war with the truth about the importance of authenticity. People can fix the world around them if they are open, share kindness and reconcile when needed. As Mr. Rogers once said, "anything mentionable is manageable."

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