It really was a beautiful day in the neighborhood
It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood A beautiful day for a neighbor
Mr. Roger's Neighborhood premiered in the United States on February 19, 1968. It ran until August 2001. It ran until August 31, 2001. Doing the math, that's a thirty-three year run. That's a long time for a television program. There are only a few with longer runs. And yet, I never became one of Fred Rogers neighbors.
My childhood programming was Ding Dong School, Captain Kangaroo and Howdy Doody. My only memories of those are of the Captain walking in, jingling his keys and tossing them onto some hook which made his theme music stop. By the time Mr. Rogers wanted me to become one of his neighbors, I was fifteen years old. I was well past watching programs like that. Hence, no neighbors!
I had another chance to become a neighbor of Fred's. My children came of age towards the end of his television run. Yet, we were never a Mr. Rogers family. I remember seeing plenty of Sesame Street, and the cartoons Rugrats and Doug. Lots of Elmo and Cookie Monsters toys in our home. Mr. Rogers sweaters, not so much.
So when the Fred Rogers documentary "Won't You Be My Neighbor" was released in 2018, there was zero interest on my part. If I'm not watching the show for free, why would I pay to it?
However, there was something about this new film "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" that drew me in. The commercials and trailers made it seem like there was an edge. It wasn't only about the sweetness of Mr. Rogers, but more about the relationship of a reporter and his wife to Fred Rogers and the Mr. Rogers experience. Plus, it has Tom Hanks in the lead role, so how bad can it be. Tom doesn't make very many bad films, does he? The chances are you're going to be entertained. And I was correct about the last two sentences. This wasn't one of Tom's bad films...far from it....and you did leave feeling very entertainment.
If you are looking for a film that details the life and career of Mr. Rogers, this isn't what you'll get. Sure there's some of that, but it's not the main focus of the movie. I won't give too much away about the movie...no spoiler alerts needed here....but this is a movie about family, hope and redemption. It's supposed to be a feel good movie, and that's what you'll get. I left feeling I was now a one of Mr. Roger's neighbors. Nothing wrong with that at all!
Let's make the most of this beautiful day Since we're together, might as well say Would you be mine, could you be mine Won't you be my neighbor?