A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

One wholesome, unassuming icon plays another in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Tom Hanks or rather his persona is the embodiment of the All-American hero of his generation. Wholesome, unassuming, with little of the repression, anger or smugness of Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford or Kevin Costner. I recall Life magazine, in its death throes in the 80s, pairing old and new Hollywood stars of like temperament for dual portraits. Bette Davis was a good match with James Woods. Hanks was posed with Jimmy Stewart and that seemed to cement his American icon status. When Hanks has gone counter to this image, the results have been disastrous commercially, and often, artistically: The Ladykillers, The Road to Perdition, The Terminal, The Bonfire of the Vanities. All deservedly forgotten.

Happily, Marielle Heller's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood gives him a role that allows him to inhabit that persona, but also allows him to play with it as Fred Rogers did with his persona. Heller opens the film in a more square aspect ratio, mimicking watching the image on television. She, like Fred Rogers, utilizes miniatures. In Heller's case, as settings for establishing shots in her tale of a New York journalist's life changing interviews with the oracle from Latrobe. The action shifts back and forth between Pittsburgh and New York, each identified by a Lego like simulation. As the relationship between the two deepens and the journalist reconciles with his father and becomes a more empathic partner to his wife, the mise en scene reflects this by portraying the journalist's life in miniature as if it has merged with Mr. Rogers fantasy world. This reflects the philosophical effect Mr. Rogers has had on the journalist with his message of healing and love.

That Ms. Heller conveys this without me feeling I've fallen into a tub of goo is a singular achievement. This is her most accomplished and effective film, thus far. Hers tracking shots and pans not only convey emotional states, but provide comprehensible transitions. In the movie business, it is always on to the next scene or show.

The film's major flaw is the one note characterizations handed to the actors playing the journalist and his wife. Matthew Rhys gets to be emotionally constipated for ninety minutes and Susan Kelechi Watson gets to look concerned. Chris Cooper is good as the reprobate Dad, but the film is only aloft when Hanks is onscreen. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood shows off his vocal and physical dexterity better than any film since Cast Away.

When I was young, I wondered why Mr. Rogers kept his tie on after he had entered his house and "changed". Not even my principal did that! The answer was that Fred Rogers knew he was in the business of show.