For anyone who watched my video review, I don’t have much to add on this movie but I’ll elaborate on what I said.
Mr. Rogers is pretty much synonymous with wholesomeness and virtue in our society but when our main character, journalist Lloyd Vogel, refers to him as a saint Mrs. Rogers makes clear her husband would not want that. She says he’s a human being with a temper like all of us and he wants people to realize that they too can be like him if they put in the effort he does.
Lloyd carries around a lot of anger that affects his relationship with his family and everyone else around him, to the point where his bad reputation keeps anyone besides Mr. Rogers from being a willing interview subject of his. It’s beautiful watching him evolve into a loving person harboring a healthy relationship with his own emotions thanks to Mr. Rogers’s mentorship.
The journey never seems forced, cliched, or schmaltzy at all; it feels completely organic and genuine. One reason is the really intelligent, heartfelt script. Another is Tom Hanks’s bravura performance. Much like no one other than Gary Cooper could have played Lou Gehrig in 1942 (leading to ALL SORTS of clever tricks to get footage of him batting left-handed in Pride of the Yankees), nobody other than Tom Hanks could have played Mr. Rogers in 2019. After getting five Academy Award nominations by his mid-40s, Hanks has gotten none in nearly 20 years but I hope this film breaks the drought. He infuses the character with such utter heart without ever once making him seem like a caricature. He’s also not the box office star he was 20 year ago, as this movie’s underwhelming financial performance shows, but it’s done okay and ought to make a nice profit once television/streaming revenue is added. It sure deserves it!
My favorite thing about the movie is that it’s actually framed like an episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, with Hanks acting out the introduction and conclusion, the credits looking like the credits of the show, and scenes transitions done utilizing the miniature sets from the show with things like the train set indicating how someone’s traveling. So beautiful and charming!
I highly recommend the film!
Bottom Line: A must for fans of Fred Rogers (or any fans of feeling warm inside!)
Up Next: Last year’s Mr. Rogers movie.
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