Can you picture any actor other than Tom Hanks playing Fred Rogers? Try. I really can’t. Even when I picture those with talent enough not to skewer the easily-ridiculed impression, there’s always a cynicism that comes with the territory. It is the actor’s job to convey the demeanor and level of emotion as required by any scene and yet I find it near impossible, even for professionals, to assume the level of kindness that went into being Fred Rogers.
Just so you understand, this is a movie about a snippet of time in the life of Fred Rogers. If you want the whole story, there already exists a fantastic documentary entitled Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Also, as this story is about Fred Rogers, it might not contain the type of entertainment you desire. If, say, you’re seeking the action or fantasy escape that often describes Thanksgiving releases, you might be sorely disappointed. While there are few fists thrown in this film and a fair amount of cosplay in the form of puppetry, there is a sad lack of guns and a great deal of talking about feelings. Hence, I strongly encourage the “f*** your feelings” crowd to stay home if you can’t keep an open mind about a beloved child whisperer.
Fred Rogers makes a piss-poor cinematic protagonist. You can see the wheels turning in the heads of producers, “Movies need conflict, controversy. How do you add to controversy to the life of a man who was all about love?” I suppose it would have been easier had Mr. Rogers been loathed or nailed to a cross, but we know these were not the case. Ultimately, the winning formula was hit upon: “We are going to make a movie about the love of Fred Rogers, but Fred Rogers is not going to be the protagonist. We’re going to leave that to a normal guy, one with all the faults normal guys have.” Bingo. The plot conception is not unlike that in Amadeus – except replace musical genius with kindness genius.
In 1998, Esquire magazine featured a cover story on Fred Rogers. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood tells us that the article by Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) was supposed to be 400 words, perhaps a throwaway “faces in the crowd” kind of piece. Instead Lloyd wrote a dynamic, feel-good exposé; the article went from p.88 side-bar to magazine theme. This film is the story of that article, presented as if an episode of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” replete with puppets and hand-made sets, hosted by Fred Rogers (Hanks) introducing us to his friend, Lloyd.
Fred’s wife Joanne (Maryann Plunkett) points out how Lloyd is exactly the kind of person Fred loves best: Lloyd is angry. A lot. It’s not the anger of a felon, well, except for the time he starts a fist fight at a wedding; it’s more the passive-aggressive anger of someone depressed about his life. The behavior comes off as petty and selfish; geez, dude, beautiful wife (Susan Kelechi Watson), new baby, cool job, just how bad is your life, really? Oh, I see, here’s the return of his estranged and unforgiven father (Chris Cooper). There comes a time when most every child on Earth realizes their parental relationships will never be exactly what they want them to be. You can be angry about it or you can accept and move on. Lloyd is still angry.
So how would you like to have one-on-one therapy sessions with Fred Rogers? Because that’s what a Fred interview becomes … and Fred is a therapist who never leaves you or gives up on you. The “Who’s interviewing whom?” tennis match reaches one critical point midway in the film in which we detect just the slightest of cracks in the Fred veneer of kindness. Is Mr. Rogers sensitive when answering questions about his own children?
Lloyd is, of course, us. He’s a decent guy, perhaps, but full of a flaws. Maybe he wants to be a better man and maybe he doesn’t. The magic of this Interview with the Scamp-phile is how much we relate to Lloyd. He will be off-putting from time-to-time, just as I am sometimes sheepish when I look in a mirror. This film is our own therapy session with Fred Rogers. My frustration with Lloyd exactly parallels my frustration with myself. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is not exactly fighting aliens with laser blasters, but in it’s way, this clever, unassuming tribute to Fred Rogers is as important as any other film in 2019.
As I approach the realm of old codgers
I don’t want to rank among (duty) dodgers
Once upon a sham
I honored the glam
From now on, my role model is Fred Rogers
Rated PG, 108 Minutes
Director: Marielle Heller
Writer: Micah Fitzerman-Blue, Noah Harpster
Genre: Passionate displays of unchained and raw … therapy
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: People with anger issues or parent issues
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: “F*** your feelings”
