A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

I cannot talk about this without getting choked up about it.

This is in reference to Tom Hanks turn as Fred Rogers in “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.” It is a nice pleasant film sans any grandiose events that occur or take place. Not a single explosion occurs here. It is not that kind of movie.

“Beautiful Day” is just like a “Seinfeld” episode in that nothing happens. It is just a slice-of-life tale about the ongoing in the small Pittsburgh town in which he resides with wife Joanne (Maryann Plunkett).

As aforementioned, this tale finds reporter Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) essentially doing an expose on Mr. Rogers and how he has always put a smile on kids faces.

Vogel begins to see there is nothing dark and sinister hiding under the cloak that is Fred Rogers. He is just that relatable through and through.

Vogel wants to dislike this man, but he is just so polite and cordial as well as down-to-earth, he beams joy through his smile and brings forth pure genuine friendship. Fred Rogers was the real deal.

Directing chores on “Beautiful Day” were handled by Marielle Heller who worked on the Oscar nominated “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” in 2018. She never moves the camera beyond the down-to-earth wholesome that inhabits the set of Mr. Rogers neighborhood. She just glides the camera and sets the pieces at the right mark.

“A Beautiful Day” looks at how the life of everyday people can get affected by even the most mundane of things. Lloyd is upset by the fact that he has to write an entire article on the world’s nicest man. Sure, he would rather have something that involves intrigue with some form of action.

I hate to admit it, but this one is actually on my ten best list for the calendar year. It clocks in at number five.

Hanks is aces as Fred Rogers. He brings a certain charm and easiness to the role. One thinks of him as Fred Rogers through and through. He is the genuine article.

Sure he might have had problems, but that bit is never even mentioned here. He had his own brand and stamp on characters that resided in his own world. I like the fact that I grew up in a day and age where comic book style cartoons were not all the rage.

Hanks will probably be nominated come Oscar time this year. He really is that good in the role, since one thinks less of him as a performer, but the genuine real deal.

I was speaking with a colleague friend of mine and we figured out he is just the nicest, kindest person on this planet. He is just that and so much more.

As aforementioned, I feel a certain blondness with this gentleman. He always put a smile on my face and joy to my day, since the time I spent with him felt special and genuine.

Grade: A-
(Review by Ricky Miller)