A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
3/4
Starring: Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Chris Cooper, Susan Kelechi Watson
Rated PG for Some Strong Thematic Material, A Brief Fight, and Some Mild Language
I suppose it's no wonder that there has been a resurge of interest in Fred Rogers of late. With the surge of scandals, violence and increasingly bitter politicization of every facet of our culture, the gentleness and compassion of Mr. Rogers seems like a light in the dark. Although Rogers died in 2003, people still fondly remember his message of understanding and love.
Actually, "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" isn't really about Fred Rogers (Hanks). He's just a supporting character. The film's center is a journalist named Lloyd Vogel (Rhys), who is assigned to write a puff piece on Rogers. Vogel, who usually does the hard-hitting stuff, is almost insulted, but his editor (Christine Lahti in a cameo) won't take no for an answer. So he resolves to get a few quotes and be done with it. At least that's his plan...
Ultimately, this is a story of redemption and forgiveness. Lloyd has a tremendous amount of pain and anger directed at his father Jerry (Cooper), who walked out on Lloyd's mother while she was dying of cancer. But through his friendship with Fred, he learns the power of forgiving and letting go.
Stories like this are difficult to get right, and director Marielle Heller does a solid job. The line between too much and not enough is a thin one, and she creates a nice balance. Lloyd's transformation into a cynical, emotionally closed off jerk to a man with the capacity to forgive a lifetime of hurt isn't easy, but he responds to the warmth and optimism of Fred. Fred doesn't do the work for him, but he's there as moral support of a fashion.
The two lead performances help tremendously. Matthew Rhys, a Welsh actor famous for his performance alongside Keri Russell in "The Americans," finds the right note to play Lloyd. The traditional route to play a character of this sort would be to a man who desperately avoids dealing with the skeleton in his closet or a complete monster. Rhys doesn't take the easy road. He wears Lloyd's wounds on his sleeve, which allows us to understand where he is coming from. The lack of cliches in his performance makes it easier to empathize with him.
Then there is Tom Hanks, who is probably the only living person who could possibly play the tricky role of Fred Rogers. Alternately called the "modern day Jimmy Stewart" and "America's dad," it's immediately obvious why he was the viewed as the perfect choice by Joanne Rogers (Fred's widow). Physically, Hanks looks a lot different than the real Fred, but the filmmakers wisely don't try to transfigure Hanks via makeup or CGI. Rather, Hanks channels Fred's tremendous capacity for love and empathy. Really, this is what transforms Lloyd rather than any sort of prodding or instructions from Fred. Rogers had a deep desire to connect with people (to the point where he was almost impossible to interview) and that ability and willingness to do so comes off the screen. He's not some sort of colorful saint who shows the damaged man the error of his ways. That's an impressive accomplishment for Hanks.
Rhys and Hanks are so good that it almost becomes a problem. Both of them create such specific people that it makes Lloyd's character arc seem a little superficial. They seem like they are on the precipice of going deeper into Lloyd's inner turmoil, but Heller seems unwilling to go there. Perhaps she was cognizant of the children in the audience or wanting to fulfill the expectations of the audience. But there is a sense that the actors hit a wall of sorts, and it limits the film's effectiveness.
Such complaints are small for this heartfelt drama. It may play it safe or be unwilling to go as far as the actors are willing, but it's a solid way to spend two hours. Especially in today's world.
Starring: Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Chris Cooper, Susan Kelechi Watson
Rated PG for Some Strong Thematic Material, A Brief Fight, and Some Mild Language
I suppose it's no wonder that there has been a resurge of interest in Fred Rogers of late. With the surge of scandals, violence and increasingly bitter politicization of every facet of our culture, the gentleness and compassion of Mr. Rogers seems like a light in the dark. Although Rogers died in 2003, people still fondly remember his message of understanding and love.
Actually, "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" isn't really about Fred Rogers (Hanks). He's just a supporting character. The film's center is a journalist named Lloyd Vogel (Rhys), who is assigned to write a puff piece on Rogers. Vogel, who usually does the hard-hitting stuff, is almost insulted, but his editor (Christine Lahti in a cameo) won't take no for an answer. So he resolves to get a few quotes and be done with it. At least that's his plan...
Ultimately, this is a story of redemption and forgiveness. Lloyd has a tremendous amount of pain and anger directed at his father Jerry (Cooper), who walked out on Lloyd's mother while she was dying of cancer. But through his friendship with Fred, he learns the power of forgiving and letting go.
Stories like this are difficult to get right, and director Marielle Heller does a solid job. The line between too much and not enough is a thin one, and she creates a nice balance. Lloyd's transformation into a cynical, emotionally closed off jerk to a man with the capacity to forgive a lifetime of hurt isn't easy, but he responds to the warmth and optimism of Fred. Fred doesn't do the work for him, but he's there as moral support of a fashion.
The two lead performances help tremendously. Matthew Rhys, a Welsh actor famous for his performance alongside Keri Russell in "The Americans," finds the right note to play Lloyd. The traditional route to play a character of this sort would be to a man who desperately avoids dealing with the skeleton in his closet or a complete monster. Rhys doesn't take the easy road. He wears Lloyd's wounds on his sleeve, which allows us to understand where he is coming from. The lack of cliches in his performance makes it easier to empathize with him.
Then there is Tom Hanks, who is probably the only living person who could possibly play the tricky role of Fred Rogers. Alternately called the "modern day Jimmy Stewart" and "America's dad," it's immediately obvious why he was the viewed as the perfect choice by Joanne Rogers (Fred's widow). Physically, Hanks looks a lot different than the real Fred, but the filmmakers wisely don't try to transfigure Hanks via makeup or CGI. Rather, Hanks channels Fred's tremendous capacity for love and empathy. Really, this is what transforms Lloyd rather than any sort of prodding or instructions from Fred. Rogers had a deep desire to connect with people (to the point where he was almost impossible to interview) and that ability and willingness to do so comes off the screen. He's not some sort of colorful saint who shows the damaged man the error of his ways. That's an impressive accomplishment for Hanks.
Rhys and Hanks are so good that it almost becomes a problem. Both of them create such specific people that it makes Lloyd's character arc seem a little superficial. They seem like they are on the precipice of going deeper into Lloyd's inner turmoil, but Heller seems unwilling to go there. Perhaps she was cognizant of the children in the audience or wanting to fulfill the expectations of the audience. But there is a sense that the actors hit a wall of sorts, and it limits the film's effectiveness.
Such complaints are small for this heartfelt drama. It may play it safe or be unwilling to go as far as the actors are willing, but it's a solid way to spend two hours. Especially in today's world.
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