By Felicia Webster
Let me start off by saying A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood is not a biopic of Fred Rogers but the story of his new found friendship with journalist Lloyd Vogel, played by Matthew Rhys. Lloyd was given an assignment for Esquire Magazine to interview child entertainer, Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
Judging by his material Lloyd is not much of a people person and and has had a difficult time establishing a good relationship with his father after the passing of his mother. When Lloyd first heard that he’ll be interviewing Mister Rogers, he wasn’t too thrilled. Being that Mister Rogers is known for his gentle and kind- heartedness, it didn’t take very long before he begin to grow on Lloyd.
Mr. Rogers had a gentleness about him that touched the hearts of many, myself included. I watched Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood faithfully as a child, never missed an episode. I used to fantasize being in the moment. Whether young or old he had a gift of making you feel apart of the journey through television.
This movie could put Tom Hanks on the highest level of performance as Mr. Rogers. His ability to characterize someone of his caliber speaks volumes. He didn’t necessarily have to mimic everything Fred Rogers but the spirit of him easily stood out in his performance.
Throughout the movie Mr. Rogers teaches Llyod how to forgive. It’s clear how broken he is and how it had taken a toll on his family. He taught Lloyd how to be patient, kind, open minded and how to forgive his father for abandoning him and his mother on her death bed. By the end of the movie Lloyd made peace with his father as they both expressed love for one another.
I highly recommend this movie as a must see. I really enjoyed it, It’s what the world needs more of. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more reviews!
I give this movie 5/5
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