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Saturday, February 1, 2020

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)

I really liked this movie, which is not so much about the life of Fred Rogers and more about the profoundly healing quality that he shared with those less fortunate than himself.  Tom Hanks is preternaturally calm in this role, almost channeling the children's television hero himself.
The movie isn't so much a biopic as it is a way to look why Mr. Rogers affected generations of children, young and grown. If his character seems too simple, it's because that's how many people saw him, uncomplicated.  If his presence seems too good to be true, often the scene can be traced back to the article or an old episode.
What is new is what Mr. Rogers can do for adults.  He picks a man he sees as damaged to interview him, and while that man sees himself as running the conversation, he clearly is not, and over time, it becomes clear to everyone.  Mr. Rogers is a healer and he chooses people to help.  It is such a heart warming story that is totally unexpected and yet entirely predictable.

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