Mister Rogers
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Review by Ross Anthony

Wow! There's a beautiful film in your neighborhood and you should see it - especially if you're stressed, or frustrated, or unhappy, or angry at someone you're pretending not to love.

As a kid, I was not a Fred Rogers fan. His big heart and caring educational thoughts were sadly wasted on me. I much preferred Rita Moreno screaming "Hey You Guys!" to Fred's diminutive "Hello, Neighbor." And for a few years after I'd grown out of my early TV BFFs (Burt and Ernie), there was a kid show called "Zoom" that completely held my attention. Still, however there were times (it seems impossible to even say this now) when literally nothing else for kids graced the screen (only had one then – in the whole house). So, on occasion, I suffered through Mr. Rogers' long pauses, silent smiles and changing of shoes – because I very much enjoyed the trolley.

To my surprise, this film is not a typical biopic. It doesn't tell the story of Fred Rogers. It uses Fred to tell a beautiful and universal story, a story that Fred did his best to tell. It's a story of self love, self acceptance, and perhaps the hardest lesson of all – forgiveness. If that word intimidates you, then you are exactly the person for whom this film was made. What a shame it would be if you purposely avoided the film simply because talk of forgiveness makes you feel vulnerable.

With this film, Tom Hanks brings to adults the lessons Fred Rogers had offered to children all those years ago. With so much anger in the world, it's a pleasure to see a film with such a good heart.

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  • A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Copyright © 2019.
  • Starring Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Cooper. Directed by Marielle Heller. TriStar.

Grade..........................A (3.5/4)


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Copyright © 1998-2023 Ross Anthony, Author - Speaker - Solo World Circumnavigator In addition to reviewing films and interviewing celebs at HollywoodReportCard.com, traveling the world, composing great music, motivational speaking, Mr. Anthony also runs his own publishing company in the Los Angeles area. While traversing the circumference of the planet writing books and shooting documentaries, Mr. Anthony has taught, presented for, worked &/or played with locals in over 30 countries & 100 cities (Nairobi to Nagasaki). He's bungee-jumped from a bridge near Victoria Falls, wrestled with lions in Zimbabwe, crashed a Vespa off a high mountain road in Taiwan, and ridden a dirt bike across the States (Washington State to Washington DC). To get signed books ("Rodney Appleseed" to "Jinshirou") or schedule Ross to speak check out: www.RossAnthony.com or call 1-800-767-7186. Go into the world and inspire the people you meet with your love, kindness, and whatever it is you're really good at. Check out books by Ross Anthony. Rand() functions, Pho chicken soup, rollerblading, and frozen yogurt (w/ blueberries) also rock! (Btw, rand is short for random. It can also stand for "Really Awkward Nutty Dinosaurs" -- which is quite rand, isn't it?) Being alive is the miracle. Special thanks to Ken Kocanda, HAL, Jodie Keszek, Don Haderlein, Mom and Pops, my family, R. Foss, and many others by Ross Anthony. Galati-FE also deserves a shout out. And thanks to all of you for your interest and optimism. Enjoy great films, read stirring novels, grow.


Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Jun-2020 19:07:24 PDT