A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood attempts to fill the Paddington 2 sized hole in the heart of “nicecore” cinema, and while seeing the ever-lovable Tom Hanks as the forever lovable Fred Rogers is certainly a treat that’ll warm even the coldest of cynics, it never really comes together in a way that feels like more than an exercise in kindness. 

The story follows hardened Esquire journalist Lloyd Vogel who, after a violent encounter with his estranged father, is sent to interview children’s TV show legend Fred Rogers for a puff piece. The entire film is presented as an episode of Mr Roger’s Neighborhood, a premise that is interesting at first, but is really only used as a beginning and a bookend to the story, and to serve as a creative way to use the familiar dollhouse setpieces to transition between scenes. Despite what the advertising may have suggested, this is Lloyd’s story, and Rogers just acts as a seldom-seen fatherly force, bridging emotional gaps between the broken people that litter the story.

Despite being tertiary, Hanks manages to capture Rogers with such genuine warmth and kindness, that his presence is felt even when he isn’t in a scene. This is less a story about Rogers himself, but a story about the kindness he stood for. It’s this more philosophical approach to these themes that makes me wonder why Rogers needed to be in it at all. I’d be front and center waving the flag for the march against unnecessary biopics (a genre that Hanks himself is almost single-handedly keeping alive) but I can’t help but wish that a more conventional approach was taken here. In the end, it just feels like a family drama that decided to add Mr. Rogers as a last-ditch effort to make it stand out from the Waves of other similar films. 

Still, even at its worst, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is cinematic comfort food that feels genuine in its attempt to cast a light on these dark times. The playful wonder of the original television series is felt throughout, from the twinkling piano score to the wonderful miniature scene transitions. I don’t doubt the film was sincere, I just doubt it knew what it was doing. If you’re in desperate need of a pick me up or are just trying to fill out your “Tom Hanks Plays Fatherly Figures From My Childhood” Bingo Card, then you won’t be disappointed. But if you’re looking for a genuine cinematic experience full of tear inducing happiness and comfort, you’d be better off watching Paddington 2.