Mr. Rogers had a temper.
Surprised? Very few people saw it, save perhaps his family. It’s easy to think Mr. Rogers was some sort of saint. His wife Joanne would laugh and say he simply worked on ways to deal with it. He would swim, play piano, pray, or focus on activities that didn’t involve, much less hurt others.
Such is the theme of “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”, the feature film starring Tom Hanks as the late Fred Rogers. Emotions are real, they’re okay and should be accepted and dealt with, not suppressed.
Similarly, Rogers addressed real life emotions on his long running children’s show “Mister Rogers Neighborhood”. He broached difficult issues like death, divorce, racism and abuse and walked kids through their feelings about them. But he always approached these sensitive issues with grace and a gentle spirit.
The new movie tackles these themes and applies them to adults, with childlike simplicity. What a refreshing and touching way to show there are some truths appropriate for any age.
“It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” is a film from which everybody can benefit as a reminder that we all struggle, we all fall short, and a little kindness really does go a long way.