A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

US, 2019, 109 minutes, Colour.
Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Chris Cooper, Susan Kelechi Watson, Maryann Plunkett, Enrico Colantoni, Wendy Makkena, Tammy Blanchard, Noah Harpster, Christine Lahti, Maddie Corman.
Directed by Marielle Heller.

Do you know Mr Rogers? Mr Fred Rogers? If you asked that question of Americans who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, they would be able to tell you immediately. He was that genial man who appeared on television, talking about all kinds of things, happy, serious, singing his songs, playing with his puppets, welcoming everyone to his neighbourhood.

It is a pity that in these days, given the bad reputation on a number of television personalities in the United States, in Britain, in Australia, celebrities in jail, that an automatic reaction to the story of Mr Rogers is to be wary, wondering, even suspicious. When the documentary about him was released in 2018, Welcome to My Neighbourhood, and we didn’t know who Mr Rogers was, audiences may have been wondering whether this was an expose.

It was definitely not. It was a portrait of Mr Rogers. A tribute to him.

For those who have not seen the documentary, they may be bringing this kind of suspicion to what is a very nice and very humane film. After all, here is Tom Hanks and who is nicer on screen? His performance was nominated for awards. No suspicions, rather a welcome to Mr Rogers’ neighbourhood.

However, there is a surprise for the audience. While Mr Rogers is central to the story, he is not the central character. This is a journalist, a critical writer who is asked to do a pleasant piece about Mr Rogers as an American hero. The journalist, Lloyd (played rather intensely by Matthew Rhys) is unwilling to meet Mr Rogers. However, conscientious, he does his job, goes to see Mr Rogers, discovers his niceness, watching him in the studio doing his television shows, having a series of interviews with him. Which don’t quite turn out the way that Lloyd expected. Rather, Mr Rogers has the pleasant knack of turning back the interview, Mr Rogers interviewing the interviewer, alert to problems, asking gently probing questions.

Mr Rogers is able to do rather effective counselling, quietly challenging, on air as he talks so personally and intently to his audience, in his ability to interact with people. And this is important for Lloyd, married to a supportive wife (Susan Kelechi Watson), with a baby boy, but with a lifelong anger against the father who deserted the family when his wife was terminally ill. In fact, the key theme of the film is Lloyd and his hostility towards his father, the outbursts of anger, the gradual coming to terms with his anger, his father dying.

A lot of the power of this drama comes from the performance by Chris Cooper as the father who acknowledges his past and wants some kind of reconciliation.

One of the key sequences in the film is a silent minute. Mr Rogers challenges Lloyd to be quiet for a minute – and, the soundtrack goes silent, we sit watching the two men. And the challenge for us is what we ourselves are doing in the silence of that minute, what are we thinking, whom are we thinking of?

As has been said, this is a nice film in the best sense. It does make us realise that, somehow or other, we are prone to be suspicious of niceness. A pity, because we need to recognise and acknowledge it.

1. The title? Mr Rogers? His television program? The welcome to the neighbourhood? Nice?

2. The writer, his article, Mr Rogers as a hero? The journalist writing about his own experience? Being wary, the encounters with Mr Rogers, his personal problems, his father and anger, the reconciliation and the effect? Mr Rogers transforming him and his family?

3. The Pittsburgh background, the visuals, the use of the models throughout the film for scenes in Pittsburgh? The reality, the studio, homes, hospital?

4. The musical score? The use of Mr Rogers songs?

5. The focus on Mr Rogers, on Lloyd, the interactions, healing and reconciliation?

6. Tom Hanks as Mr Rogers? His appearance, style? The show popular over the years? His relationship with his wife, seeing her at home, Lloyd meeting her, their playing the
piano? The story about his son’s and difficulties in their growing up? A nice man, talking to the children, his arrival at the studio, talking, changing his clothes, direct to camera, his invitation to people to listen, these songs, the puppets, the voices? (Later explaining each of the puppets to Lloyd?) His counselling and the serious themes? Seeing him in action, the variety of shops, the cuts, his watching the television replay, the range of people in the staff and working with them?

7. The device of the windows, opening on people, telling Lloyd’s story?

8. Lloyd’s story, his marriage, relationship with his wife, eight years, their son? His bitterness and anger? His age, his job? The invitation to his sister’s third wedding? The comments? Going, his father being present? Talking, clash, the memories, throwing punches, his scar?

9. His work, the interviews, tough? The interview with his boss, the demands? His going to visit at the studio, his suspicions, watching the filming, the impact of Mr Rogers, talking, the bonds, the interview, Mr Rogers turning the tables, getting Lloyd to talk about himself? The effect? The questions about his anger, his father, his continuing to return?

10. The significance of the silent minute, the focus on Mr Rogers and Lloyd, silence, the audience supplying their own thoughts and feelings?

11. Lloyd’s father, coming for the apology, sitting in his car, Lloyd and his rejection? His coming into the house, with Lloyd’s wife, with Dorothy, the relationship between them, and her not knowing about the feud with his children? His being hurt, trying to reach out? His collapse, hospital, the staff? Lloyd present, his wife? His decision to continue the interview? His wife’s comment?

12. The recuperation, the continued talks with Mr Rogers, their impact, his kindness, his sister visiting, Dorothy, change of attitude?

13. The ultimate reconciliation, sharing the drink, talking of love, death, the funeral?

14. Mr Rogers himself, his God language, sense of mission, his prayer?

15. The final image of the actual Mr Rogers?