‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’ Review

Nicholas Scoggins, Staff Reporter

I recently watched the film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood starring Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers.  I never grew up watching Mr. Rogers, but the film was very good.  

Despite me having never having watched any of his work, my mom said that Tom Hanks did an excellent job of portraying Fred Rogers (whom he is actually related to) as she grew up watching him. The film mainly centers around a journalist who is sent to interview Fred Rogers in 1998, however it is revealed that the journalist has severe mental problems, upon noticing this, Rogers comes to his aid in an effort to fix a broken man.

One of the first things I liked about the film was when they did a recreation of his show on screen, they did not show it in HD, giving the recreated show an almost vintage appearance.  This really helped with immersion as it felt like you were actually watching the show through the movie.  

Fred Rogers has never had an impact on my life, as the year his show went off the air was the year I was born (2003). He had a major impact on kids who grew up watching his show. The film moved both my mom and her friend, who went with us to watch the film. Both loved Fred Rogers while they grew up and said that Tom Hank’s portrayal was spot-on. Everything from how Hanks conducted himself to how he impacted other people was accurate, according to them.

Despite never seeing him on television, watching him go out of his way to help others in need proved to me that he was a great person. When people needed help, he stopped what he was doing and would listen to their issues and offer advice on how to fix them. This forms the central plot of the movie as Rogers helps out a journalist struggling with family issues. Thanks to his social abilities, Rogers is able to help a broken man be happy with himself.

Overall, I would recommend the film. It was enjoyable and is suitable for all audiences. People who are struggling with certain issues might feel happier after seeing this film as the whole plot revolves around helping people with these issues.