Visits

Monday, November 25, 2019

It's a Beautiful Day in Our Neighborhood

I must admit that until I was about 40 years old, I thought Mr. Rogers was some kind of a lunatic. Which I guess says something about my attitude at 40. Then everything changed, my eyes were opened. I understood what he was saying, and where he was coming from, and why it was simply wonderful. Mr. Rogers truly believed the things that most of us only want to believe, or only pretend to believe. 

Therefore, I eagerly looked forward to the new movie, 'It's a Beautiful Day in Our Neighborhood', starring Tom Hanks. 

Sadly, the movie, for me anyway, falls short of showing us what made Fred Rogers tick--which, if one does not already know, is Christ. Moreover, Hanks somehow casts a rather cranky shade on his portrayal of Rogers, missing entirely, I think, the mannerisms, the speech pattern, the simple heart of the man. Rogers himself came across as an incomparably kind-hearted man, almost a simpleton, although of course he was really a very deeply thoughtful, deeply perceptive individual, whereas Hanks in his portrayal comes across as either strangely sour or emotionally distant. Rogers was a man who, rather like Mark Twain, drew instant recognition and easy affection wherever he went--on the street, in a restaurant, on the commuter train. Everyone liked him because he liked everyone--"just the way they are". 

Much, much better than this movie is the recent documentary, by the same name I think. This brings us a much more meaningful, a much more intimate look at Mr. Rogers--who he was, why he was that way, what he stood for, the things he was passionate about. It provides a much fuller, much more satisfying encounter with this unusual, incomparable American legend.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are one of a very few critics and audience who have not been touched by this movie. That’s ok as we can agree that those who believe Trump is ordained by God need to savor the power of one who truly was. I would expect this movie to have Oscar nominations for picture, actor, director, screenplay and more. It’s a breath of fresh air amongst the usual slop of violence, idolatry, corruption, and fantasy that infects the airwaves.

R.W. Boughton said...

Anonymous--Oh, please don't get me wrong. I did not think it was a bad movie, I merely felt that it fell short of my expectations. Yes, compared to the lion's share of the garbage that is out there, it was excellent. Maybe I was disappointed because I had hoped to see a movie more about Mr. Rogers himself than about a journalist. I should watch it again and reevaluate it more on the basis of what it was intended to be. As I mentioned, to me Hanks seemed cranky. Maybe that is just because Hanks is older now and most older people (like me) look cranky, no matter how they try not to. Lol. Frankly, I don't think the Trumpers would savor the good character of Rogers. Rather, they would probably dislike him, given that he believed all people--including immigrants, including people of color, including women, including refugees, including Moslems and people from "shit-hole" countries--are precious just the way they are.