Monday 3 February 2020

Film: 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighbo(u)rhood'.

If this film was trying to replicate the amiability of the American TV personality it features, one Mr Rogers (played by Mr Nice-Guy himself, Tom Hanks - perfect casting!) then there's little doubt that by and large it succeeds. However, I'll be one of the overwhelming majority of non-Americans who've never even heard of the person or his half-hour children's TV programme (broadcast 1968-2001) in which he explains life and its problems (and solutions) in easy, non-preachy, laid-back style to children towards younger ages, with the aid of models of a miniature town and glove puppets. However, I can't help feeling that being familiar with the original personality would be a marked advantage in appreciating this film. 

Cardiff born Matthew Rhys plays an investigative reporter working for 'Esquire' magazine. with troubles in his own life, particularly with his hovering, loutish father (Chris Cooper) from whom he seems to have inherited some violent traits. He's only recently become a father himself and his fractious relationship with his parent (mother deceased) threatens to disrupt the loving and mutually respectful situation between him and his wife (Susan Kelechi Watson).  It's at such a turbulent point in his life that he's given the assignment of writing a profile of Mister Rogers, a task he's reluctant to take on, entailing, as it must, meeting the said TV personality on several occasions, meetings which turn out to be more about the ultra-clean Rogers questioning him about his, the reporter's, own life rather than him finding anything of interest (no 'dirt' found) to write about the famous man.
It'll come as no surprise to learn that Mister Rogers helps Rhys' reporter character to learn about himself, strengthening his marriage bond which threatens at times to become argumentative, and bringing him closer to his ailing father. 
Given the tensions which need resolving (the story is 'inspired' by actual events) there's a fair helping of sentiment to be displayed, though I was relieved to find that it just managed to keep on the right side of being too cloying. This is helped by not having one's emotions directed by too much background music - though there is one point where an unnecessary song appears, a ploy I just cannot abide!
Hanks' portrayal is very much a one-note depiction, the man is the same both on the television set when acting and in his own personal life (wife played by Maryann Punkett) which, I take it is what the original Mister Rogers was like. I found there was just a suggestion that the whole proceedings might start to drag a little, though it really doesn't to any serious extent. But there is one shortish, noteworthy scene in a restaurant between Hanks and Rhys which I found quite magical, almost hypnotic, in fact.

The film was shot in Pittsburgh (standing in for New York) and is rather good to look at.

Marielle Heller, in this her third cinema feature as director, executes this unusual, quirky tale most satisfactorily. Difficult to say how it could have been improved. I liked it...............6.5.




(IMDb...........7.6 - Rott.Toms............4.5/5 )




15 comments:

  1. RTG and I saw this film and LOVED it! of course, we grew up with mister rogers, so we knew what to expect.

    here is a typical mister rogers tv episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRETmA4qr4k

    pittsburgh used to be a dark dirty city from all the steel mills that used to operate down along the river. since the steel mills closed, it's now home to healthcare and academics and is SO clean!

    the restaurant scene contains 4 other people that are associated with fred: his real life wife, his producer, mister mcfeely, and his right-hand man. cameo appearances all.

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    1. PS - I'm currently reading fred's bio "the good neighbor" by maxwell king.

      the sweaters fred would pull from his tv show closet were hand-knitted by his mom; the red one now lives in the smithsonian museum of american history, along with dorothy's ruby slippers.

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    2. Thanks for the link to 'Beautiful Day', W.Q. I'll certainly search it out, probably later today.

      Never having heard of the man until last week I'm now highly curious - and I see the questions raised about his sexuality, though not in any BAD way! They sere probably swept under the carpet at the time.
      I wonder why he and his programme have been virtually unknown territory for anyone outside U.S.A. borders when they seemed to be such an integral part of so many Americans' lives. Has there been an effort made to expunge the memory of him for some reactionary reason or whatever? Maybe his talking of and to children in person doesn't sit very easily with today's awarenesses and sensibilities. But aside from that, the whole subject makes me question what else is there about your country we don't know!

      The restaurant scene, though barely five minutes long, is sure to be what I'll recall most readily about this film. Very interesting details you give about the participants. Obviously created with care and great deliberation - and I'm glad they did it as they did.

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    3. I've watched the linked programme, W.Q. I can see the appeal it would have for youngsters of the required early year range - non-threatening, informative and appropriate for their age, and cosily entertaining. The film with Tom Hanks caught the essential nature of the programme and the man very well indeed. The question remains, though, how so many of us outside the States had no notion that this man ans his TV show ever existed. I'm better informed now. Thanks very much for filling in that gap.

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    4. SMOOCHES! we need more people like mister rogers in the world and fewer donald dumps/boris johnsons/vladimir putins.

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  2. Pittsburgh is my favourite American city I
    Worked there

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    1. Goodness, JayGee - with such a candid and wide-ranging blog as your own, we've still yet discover so much about you that we're not aware of. Hidden depths. Do tell more when you can, but only if you wish to.

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  3. We saw it and liked it, too, though i was never a Mister Rogers kid, and Carlos, being from mexico, never heard of him!

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    1. One might have expected that Mister Rogers, in today's sensibilities, might have come over as a guy more than a little creepy, though the TV programmes at the time they were first broadcast seemed totally innocent, something I think this film managed to bring out very well. I didn't feel in the least bit uncomfortable with this affable, avuncular figure.

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  4. I was too old for the show, but watched often with my brother. I hated it and found it so cloyingly sweet (and Mr. Rogers himself hard to believe). In later years I learned he was a truly kind, good, and exceptional person. Still... I didn’t have much patience for the show. Then again, I was NOT in the target audience. Still, I would like to see the film.

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    1. As I had to fight past my ignorance of the man to enjoy this film, Mitch, perhaps if you can get past your negative memories of him and his programme (a tougher call, I know) you'll share my experience of it.

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  5. Saw this today - I had heard of Mr Rogers but knew next to nothing about him, and I feel as if I still know next to nothing about him. Perhaps the film makers assumed a level of knowledge in people that only Americans would have. Having said that, like Raybeard, I did enjoy the film

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    1. Yes, I think the film-makers took it for granted that the target audience would be familiar with who the man was, that target audience in this case being 100% American. For that reason I'm not sure it will do that well outside the U.S.A., though I may (I hope) be wrong. Still a nice film, though.

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  6. I didn't watch Mr. Rogers; I thought him cloying. I think in hindsight I should have listened past the voice.

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