A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood

As a UK viewer I was unaware of Fred Rogers or his effect on American popular culture, however if it is what this film portrays then the world needs more Fred’s.

This wasn’t the film I imagined, a dramatised look at his life based on the article written by Tom Kunod. What you actually get is a fictional story built on the idea that Rogers was once interviewed! Beautiful day is an often charming, often dark, often quirky story of heartache and anger caused by loss of a loved one and centres around Matthew Ryhs’ Lloyd Vogel an embittered investigative journalist given the task of writing a light pen profile of Rogers.

This introduces us to Hanks’ Rogers a character who appears too good to be true, a children’s TV presenter teaching children how to deal with life’s realities, loved by all, inspiring everyone to be a little better and this is where the film is at it’s strongest.

One of the things with Tom Hanks is he can’t help being Tom Hanks, he is so distinct it’s hard not to see him, but that’s his genius, he pulls you completely into his creation. His portrayal of Rogers is wonderful, drawing you completely in to this human sponge absorbing the hardest problems from those he influences and replacing them with something more positive, what Rogers does with what he absorbs is more difficult, the burden is hinted at but not fully examined, but then that’s not this film and doesn’t try to be.

Rogers loves people and wants to see them live their lives to their best he treats everyone as the most important person at any given moment and sees Vogel as a project, someone he can help.

Hanks is the standout part of the film delivering a performance only he really could. The film around him is sometimes formulaic but does have the odd surprise and a lovely payoff. It’s has and engaging emotional core and Hanks’s performance is joyous and there is enough quirky charm that makes you happy to be carried along.

It’s not perfect, but Hanks pretty much is and at his very best he is something to wholeheartedly enjoy.