A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: Marielle Heller’s biopic drama is less the story of Mister Rogers and more bout the unlikely friendship between a jaded, broken man and the personification of humanity and kindness. As such, it’s not unexpected that there’s not much insight given about Rogers, despite some tantalizing bits and pieces that could have helped in that regard. The film, however, centers its focus on the other character, which is more generic and less interesting. Acting is generally solid: Tom Hanks handles quite well the unusual speech cadence of his character, and has a rather caring way of looking at people; Matthew Rhys and Chris Cooper’s performances are less showy, but both convince as hurt men. The film does well in emulating the TV show, with its structure and miniatures working the transitions, among other things, which give the film some freshness. Nevertheless, the film’s positive message is well-deserving of getting some traction in present times.
