When you are one Catholic reviewer, sometimes you have to make difficult decisions regarding which film you will watch in the theater.  The weekend of November 22^nd, 2019, proved particularly tricky in this regard.  Though this may shock some of you, my readership is not that high.  Hence, I tend to base my picks on what I think will draw the largest number of eyeballs.  At that time, Frozen II (2019) debuted.  It made nearly $1.5 billion at the box office.  Predicting such success was not hard, and this is why I chose it.  What I could have seen instead was something that spoke to my childhood, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019).  I have since corrected that error on my part, but having done so, it feels wrong to be so snarky.  The film has as its backdrop Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood (1968-2001), the popular children’s television show hosted by Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks).  A Beautiful Day in the Neighbor more than doubled its modest budget, but produced something that was an honor to watch for this Catholic critic.

The production on display in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is like an episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, beginning with the classic miniatures before we get to the familiar entrance of Mr. Rogers himself.  Once he had completed the song and dance that typify his openings, he draws the viewers’ attention to a picture board.  On it are a number of stalwarts on the show, but he introduces his new friend, an investigative journalist for Esquire magazine named Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys).  It looks like Lloyd has been in a fight, which Mr. Rogers describes in a number of ways involving how a person could get hurt.  How that happens is the subject of the next few minutes.  We see Lloyd living in New York with his lawyer wife, Andrea Vogel (Susan Kelechi Watson) and their newborn son.  Lloyd has just accepted an award for his work, but he is less eager to attend the third wedding of his sister, Lorraine (Tammy Blanchard).  Lloyd’s trepidation stems from Andrea’s revelation that his father, Jerry Vogel (Chris Cooper), will be attending the ceremony.  Lloyd spends most of the ceremony avoiding Jerry, whom Lloyd refers to by first name, because of the fact that Jerry left his dying wife, Lloyd’s mother, along with the rest of the family when Lloyd was young.  The grudge that Lloyd still holds from that time boils over when Jerry makes some impolitic remarks, exploding in a fist fight that sees the father and son battered and bruised.  Now that we know how Lloyd sustained the injury, Mr. Rogers shifts to how magazines are made.  In this, we witness Lloyd be called into the office of his editor, Ellen (Christine Lahti), who gives him a short assignment to pen on the famous children’s entertainer.  At first, Lloyd rebels against the idea, seeing it as beneath his dignity as an investigative journalist.  Ellen remains firm that he completes the piece, adding that Mr. Rogers is the only one who will agree to be interviewed by Lloyd.  With that, Lloyd travels to Pittsburgh where Mr. Rogers tapes the show.  Among the first people to greet Lloyd on set is Bill Isler (Enrico Colantoni), Mr. Rogers’ producer.  It is Bill that tells Lloyd that Mr. Rogers has read all of the writer’s work and has been eager to talk.  Once Mr. Rogers finishes part of his shoot, he sits down with Lloyd, but their conversation turns more on the interviewer than the interviewee.  Their encounter is brief, leaving Lloyd wanting more.  However, Christine remains firm about the brevity of the piece.  Instead, Lloyd follows Mr. Rogers through various interviews and gets some further insight into the television personality.  Lloyd is finding out that “personality” is not the correct word.  Meeting again in New York City, Lloyd witnesses a subway full of people sing to Mr. Rogers, much to the latter’s delight.  They travel back to his New York apartment where, once again, the conversation gets personal for Lloyd, talking about his father.  Angered, Lloyd departs and returns to New York.  Upon entering his apartment, he is surprised to find Andrea entertaining Jerry and his father’s wife, Dorothy (Wendy Makkena).  Jerry is trying to make amends with his son, but Lloyd wants no part of it.  The stress of the situation puts Jerry in the hospital where we learn that he has a terminal disease.  To Andrea’s horror, instead of staying with his father, Lloyd claims to need to go to Pittsburgh because of work.  Not long after getting to the studio, he collapses.  Following a set of strange dreams, he awakens in the Rogers’ home, with Mr. Rogers and his wife, Joanne Rogers (Maryann Plunkett), playing the piano together downstairs.  Mr. Rogers then takes Lloyd out for lunch where the former leads the latter on an exercise in being grateful for the people who allowed them to be in this moment.  Upor returning to New York and talking to Andrea, Lloyd realizes he must make amends with Jerry.  Lloyd is soon joined by Andrea and their son.  Sitting next to Jerry’s hospital bed set up in the living room, father and son finally forgive one another.  Not long thereafter, Mr. Rogers stops in for a visit, asking Jerry to pray for him.  Lloyd and Mr. Rogers part company outside, thankful for their friendship.  Jerry passes away soon thereafter, with Lloyd telling Andrea that he wants to stay home more with their child.  The final scene if of Mr. Rogers closing down the set of his show, saying goodbye to the crew.

It was difficult to say goodbye to Mr. Rogers back then, and in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.  I say that because there is so much to talk about the movie from a Catholic perspective, not to mention my sadness when the real life one passed away in 2003.  The world, especially right now, needs more people like him.  Arguably, his best Christian attitude is reflected in the film is when he discusses how every person is precious.  That is how God sees everyone, and what the Church has taught from the beginning.  However, my favorite thing about him as seen in the movie is related to that idea.  Along with how he perceived everyone in a Christ-like way, he also tried to be present to them.  This is a skill that needs to be taught because modern society gives us nothing but distractions.  I have a feeling that had Mr. Rogers witnessed what technology has done with our attention spans, even he would be exasperated.  Then again, probably not.  That, too, is key to being fully present to someone else.  This is something that I learned as a spiritual director.  Given Mr. Rogers avowed Christian beliefs, I think he would have been excellent in this role.  At any rate, being there for someone does not mean that we get wrapped up in their emotions.  If we allow ourselves to become as angry or as sad as the person to whom we are listening, then what good does that do anyone?  At the same time, paying attention to their emotional state is key.  Noticing when someone feels these things is not the same as allowing ourselves to become overwhelmed by them.  There is some precedent for this in the proceedings when Mr. Rogers talks about how we have a choice as to how we react to things.  Above all else, what people in need require is someone just to listen and reflect back what they are hearing.  This can become a prayer, and it is what happens in spiritual direction.  That this is what goes on between Lloyd and Mr. Rogers and it makes the story that much more enjoyable.

It is easy to say that I enjoyed A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.  It has everything one would want from a movie about Mr. Rogers, including some fun reproductions of his miniatures.  It may not be Frozen II, but I will take A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood any time.