A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is Beautiful Indeed

Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers.

Documentaries being turned into movies is nothing new, though it has been popping up more frequently from The Walk, Snowden, Our Brand is Crisis, and Welcome to Marwen. The results have been mixed to say the least as the impact of what was caught on camera in real-life is tricky to recreate for a feature film. Which brings us to the latest in this trend. The story behind on the most beloved TV icon Fred Rogers was beautifully told in Morgan Neville's documentary Won't you Be my Neighbor? and one of my favorite movies of 2018. It will be a tough act to follow but if director Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) can earn Melissa McCarthy an Oscar nod, then there's hope yet.

Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) looking at the neighborhood. 

Known for writing edgy articles for Esquire magazine, journalist Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) is tasked to write a 400-word piece on Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks). Upon meeting the neighborly neighbor, Lloyd has his doubts as he sees firsthand a taping of the show and how nice Mr. Rogers is behind-the-camera. As Lloyd spends time with Mr. Rogers, he has a rough reunion with his estranged father Jerry (Chris Cooper) and isn't willing to forgive him despite Jerry showing signs that he is a changed man. What follows is an emotional tug-of-war with Loyd, a broken and cynical man trying to come to terms with the pain he feels in his heart.

Meeting Fred Rogers.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood takes many creative liberties that like Good-Bye Christopher Robin felt at times manipulative in its narrative but at the same time include many surprising true facts from the subway passengers singing "Won't you be my Neighbor?" to Mr. Rogers, the friendship that the journalist formed with him and of course Mr. Rogers himself.  Who else but the nicest man in Hollywood is fit to portray the nicest man on television. Brought to life by Tom Hanks who despite not looking or sounding like the real Fred Rogers, Hanks captures the mannerisms to a tease. It brought to mind his role of Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks, which like Beautiful Day, features:  Hanks in role that he pulls off despite not looking like person he is portraying, a true narrative with many creative liberties but is elevated by the performances and a sentimental execution that made me cry in the movie theater.

Watching Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.

Extra credit for the production team on how they present the story in the style of the opening from Mr. Rogers Neighborhood serving as that connection between adulthood and childhood.

While I still prefer the documentary, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood still delivers Fred Rogers' philosophy of kindness that will resonate with children and more strongly with adults.

Final Verdict: A-