The Mr. Rogers movie isn't about Mr. Rogers.
It's a story about a man named Lloyd. It's story of how Lloyd met Mr. Rogers, became his friend, and how Mr. Rogers saved Lloyd's life.
Lloyd's life wasn't in danger in the literal sense. Lloyd didn't have a terminal illness for Mr. Rogers to cure. Lloyd didn't have suicidal thoughts for Mr. Rogers to quell. Lloyd's life was in danger in a different sense. He was in danger of losing himself and the things he cared about most.
"A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" tells the story of how Mr. Rogers helped Lloyd mend his psychological fractures and face the demons that had haunted him since his childhood. Through their relationship, we get a peek behind the curtain of the impact that Mr. Rogers had on the lives of the people he met on a daily basis. He helped many children, of course, but he also helped adults too.
Some viewers may fret over Mr. Rogers' limited screen time in the film and the focus on Lloyd. I disagree. The time we spend with Mr. Rogers is plenty revealing and impactful. Lloyd is a sensible character on which to build a story, because he has glaring flaws and a development arc. The great legacy of Mr. Rogers is all the lives he touched and the good he gave the world. Lloyd's story provides a wonderful example.
Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers is every bit as perfect as anyone would have guessed. He doesn't try to overplay it by doing an impression, mocking Rogers' body language and the like. What he does is find a way to capture the essence of Mr. Rogers, the beacon of positivity he became. The teacher. The friend. The nicest man in the world.
That doesn't mean Mr. Rogers is perfect. He's not an angel born to be kind. He works on being kind every day. Only through consistent effort and intentionality of goodness does Mr. Rogers achieve his rightfully earned reputation. He serves as an example to all of us that we too can be kind, and we too can live the lives we want to live.
It's perhaps the most inspirational and most important message we'll see at the movies all year.
