# A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is a 2019 American biographical drama film on the TV presenter Fred Rogers, directed by Marielle Heller and written by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, inspired by the 1998 article "Can You Say ... Hero?" by Tom Junod, published in Esquire. It stars Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson, and Chris Cooper. It depicts Lloyd Vogel (Rhys), a troubled journalist for Esquire who is assigned to profile television icon Fred Rogers (Hanks).
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2019, and was theatrically released in the United States on November 22, 2019, by Sony Pictures Releasing. It grossed $68 million worldwide. Critics praised Hanks and Rhys's performances, Heller's direction, and its heart-warming messages. It was chosen by Time magazine as one of the ten best films of the year. For his performance, Hanks was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards, as well as the Golden Globes, Critics' Choice, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and BAFTA Awards, among others.

## Plot

Esquire magazine journalist Lloyd Vogel is known for his cynical writing. Lloyd is reluctant to attend his sister Lorraine's third wedding because his estranged father Jerry will be there. However, he attends with his wife, Andrea, and their newborn son, Gavin. When Jerry makes an inappropriate remark about Lloyd's deceased mother Lila—whom he cheated on and abandoned when she was dying of cancer twenty years earlier—Lloyd becomes enraged and punches his father, starting a chaotic brawl.
When Lloyd's editor, Ellen, assigns him to interview Fred Rogers for a 400-word article about heroes, Lloyd feels the assignment is beneath him. However, he is informed that none of the other heroes on the list were willing to be interviewed. At WQED studio in Pittsburgh, Rogers is dismissive of his own fame and shows concern for Lloyd's nose injury. With coaxing, Lloyd relates some issues he has with his father, including his father's apology and attempt at reconciliation, which Lloyd has rebuffed. Rogers tells Lloyd how he deals with anger, including striking the keys of a piano.
Lloyd believes that Fred Rogers' friendly persona is an act and is determined to expose it. Lloyd watches several episodes of Rogers' show but cannot find anything to support his theory. When Rogers visits New York, Lloyd interviews him again. Rogers seems to dodge Lloyd's questions and instead reminisces about raising his two sons. When Rogers asks about Lloyd's childhood stuffed rabbit and his father, Lloyd abruptly ends the interview. Meanwhile, Jerry and his wife Dorothy arrive at Lloyd's house while he is talking with Andrea. Jerry and Lloyd have a tense conversation about Jerry's absence during Lila's cancer progression and his self-development since then. As Lloyd relates how his mother suffered in her last moments with only him and his sister present, Jerry suffers a heart attack and is transported to the hospital. Lloyd decides to seek counsel from Rogers, ostensibly to work on a project for Andrea, though she objects him to him traveling to Pittsburgh. Lloyd is exhausted upon arriving at the hospital. He envisions himself as Mr. Rogers' guest and that Mr. Rogers is asking him about hospitals and Lloyd replies that he is exhausted. In a surreal dream, Lloyd Vogel is wearing rabbit ears and has shrunk to the size of Daniel Striped Tiger and King Friday XIII. Rogers and Andrea (as Lady Aberlin) tower over him. In another dream, Lloyd encounters Lila, who recognizes his anger at forgetting her. She assures him that she does not need him to remember her.
After Lloyd is injured in a fight with Jerry, Rogers and his wife, Joanne, take Lloyd to their home to recuperate. While there, Rogers encourages Lloyd to think about the people who loved him and to forgive Jerry. Rogers also tells Lloyd that he is not alone and that he is loved. Lloyd visits Jerry and Dorothy at their home, where he learns that Jerry is dying of cardiac stenosis. Lloyd realizes that Jerry's attempt to reconnect was because he knew he was dying. Lloyd forgives Jerry, promising to be a better father, and writes an article about Rogers' impact on his life. Dorothy believes that Jerry's illness may have contributed to his decision to reconnect with his family. Lorraine and her husband Todd visit Jerry with their friend Rogers. Before Rogers leaves, he asks Jerry to pray with him. Shortly after the visit, Jerry dies. Lloyd's 10,000-word article, "Can You Say... Hero?" is published as Esquire's cover story. The film ends with Mr. Rogers filming the post-show routine of his program, briefly flubbing a take. After production wraps for the day, Mr. Rogers begins playing the piano afterwards, stopping to strike keys in frustration, before playing again peacefully.

## Cast

* Matthew Rhys as Lloyd Vogel: A cynical journalist who is assigned to profile Fred Rogers for the magazine Esquire. Lloyd is based loosely on journalist Tom Junod, whose encounter with Rogers was adapted into the film. Director Marielle Heller described Lloyd as the viewer's "entry point into Fred's teachings" and expressed hope that Lloyd's character development and growth as a new father would compel viewers to reflect upon themselves.
* Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers: The creator and host of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. To prepare for his role, Hanks visited the Fred Rogers Center at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, for research in the Fred Rogers Archives and also watched Won't You Be My Neighbor?, a 2018 documentary film. At the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, Hanks recalled watching "hundreds of hours" of footage of Rogers on set and behind the scenes in order to get into character. Heller noted that Rogers "doesn't have the dynamic nature you need for a protagonist for a movie" and considered him "the antagonist [...] who comes into someone's life and flips it upside down through his philosophy and the way he lived his life".
* Susan Kelechi Watson as Andrea Vogel: A public attorney, Lloyd's wife, and a fan of Rogers' show. Watson, herself a fan of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, described her character as a "career woman" who faces unique challenges of patience and adaptation as the mother of a newborn.
* Chris Cooper as Jerry Vogel: Lloyd's estranged father and a philanderer who cheated on his dying wife Lila and abandoned Lloyd and Lorraine when they were children. In a press interview for the film, Cooper described his character as "multidimensional" and compared filming a scene with Hanks to seeing the "eyes of God".
* Maryann Plunkett as Joanne Rogers: Fred's wife. Plunkett met with Joanne Rogers to prepare for the role.
* Enrico Colantoni as Bill Isler: The President & CEO of Family Communications. In a radio interview, Colantoni said he became friends with the real Bill Isler while filming and described his character as having been "so important to Fred".
* Wendy Makkena as Dorothy Vogel: Jerry's second wife. Makkena described her character as part of Vogel's "dysfunctional, complicated family".
* Tammy Blanchard as Lorraine Vogel: Lloyd's sister and Todd's wife.
* Noah Harpster as Todd: Lorraine's husband and Lloyd's brother-in-law.
* Christine Lahti as Ellen: Lloyd's editor.
Additional cast members include Carmen Cusack as Margy, a producer of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood; Jessica Hecht as Lila Vogel, Lloyd's late mother and Jerry's ex-wife; Maddie Corman as Betty Aberlin, an actress starring as Lady Aberlin on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood; Daniel Krell as Mr. McFeely; and Jordan, Naomi, and Zoey Harsh as Gavin Vogel, Lloyd's son.
Notable cameos in the film include Rogers' wife Joanne, Mr. McFeely actor David Newell, Family Communications head Bill Isler, and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood producer Margy Whitmer who appear as customers in a restaurant that Rogers and Lloyd meet in. Arsenio Hall and Oprah Winfrey make uncredited appearances in archive footage of talk shows that Lloyd watches in the film, and Fred Rogers appears in archive footage of his show during the ending credits, singing the song "You've Got to Do It".

## Production
### Development

On January 29, 2018, it was announced that Sony's TriStar Pictures had bought the worldwide distribution rights to the film You Are My Friend, a biographical film based on a 1998 Esquire magazine article about television personality Fred Rogers, who would be played by Tom Hanks. The script by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster appeared on the 2013 Black List of best unproduced screenplays. It would be directed by Marielle Heller; its producers would be Big Beach's Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf along with Youree Henley.
In July 2018, Matthew Rhys signed to play journalist Lloyd Vogel, with production set to start in September 2018. Being Welsh, Rhys had never heard of Fred Rogers before he was offered the role. In August 2018, Chris Cooper was added to play Vogel's father; and in September, Susan Kelechi Watson was added. In October 2018, Enrico Colantoni, Maryann Plunkett, Tammy Blanchard, Wendy Makkena, Sakina Jaffrey, Carmen Cusack, Harpster and Maddie Corman joined the cast. In 2018, Nate Heller was chosen to score the film.

### Filming

Principal photography began on September 10, 2018, in Pittsburgh, with several sets converted into New York City. Filming also took place in the Fred Rogers Studio at WQED (TV) where the late television host recorded Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and at the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill. The crew consulted with original crew members from Rogers' television series, and brought in the same cameras and monitors used in the original production. The film received tax credits of approximately $9.5 million against a production budget of $45 million for filming in Pittsburgh. Production wrapped on November 9, 2018.
On October 12, 2018, sound mixer James Emswiller had a heart attack and fell from a second-story balcony. He was taken to University of Pittsburgh Medical Center-Mercy, where he was pronounced dead.

## Release

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2019. It was originally going to be released on October 18, 2019, by Sony Pictures Releasing, but in May 2018, it was announced that the release would be pushed back a month to November 22, 2019. It was released in China on September 18, 2020, after the country reopened theaters following COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.

### Marketing

The film's title was announced on December 27, 2018. The trailer was released on July 22, 2019.

### Home media

The film was released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on Digital HD on February 4, 2020, and on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD on February 18.

## Reception
### Box office

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood grossed $61.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $6.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $68.4 million, against a production budget of $25 million.
In the United States and Canada, it was released alongside Frozen II and 21 Bridges, and was projected to gross around $15 million from 3,231 theaters in its opening weekend. It made $4.5 million on its first day, including $900,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $13.3 million, finishing third at the box office. It fell just 11% in its second weekend, making $11.8 million and finishing fifth, and remained in fifth place the following weekend with $5.2 million.

### Critical response

On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 95% based on 372 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Much like the beloved TV personality that inspired it, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood offers a powerfully affecting message about acceptance and understanding." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 50 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an average four out of five stars, with 66% saying they would definitely recommend it.
Steve Pond of TheWrap wrote: "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood finds a gentle state of grace and shows the courage and smarts to stay in that zone, never rushing things or playing for drama ... But just as Mr. Rogers used his show to talk about big issues with children in a tone that was softer and more halting than you'd expect given the subject matter, so does Heller stick to understatement in a way that threatens to become dull or sappy but never does." Benjamin Lee of The Guardian wrote: "It's a given that Hanks will nab at least a best supporting actor nomination but it would be all too easy to forget his co-star. The cynic-becomes-a-believer arc is age old but it unfolds here without cliche thanks to an emotionally intelligent script from Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue, but mainly because of a marvelous, prickly turn from Rhys."
Armond White of the National Review was more critical: "Heller and screenwriters Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster don't show enough faith in Rogers' remedies—and not enough interest in their religious origins. In short, the movie seems wary of faith (it briefly mentions that Rogers was an ordained minister) and settles for secular sentimentality to account for his sensibility and behavior. This not only weakens the film, but it also hobbles Hanks's characterization."

### Accolades

| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| AARP Movies for Grownups Awards | January 19, 2020 | Best Movie for Grownups | A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood | Nominated |
| AARP Movies for Grownups Awards | January 19, 2020 | Best Supporting Actor | Tom Hanks | Won |
| AARP Movies for Grownups Awards | January 19, 2020 | Best Buddy Picture | A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood | Nominated |
| AARP Movies for Grownups Awards | January 19, 2020 | Best Intergenerational Movie | A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood | Nominated |
| AARP Movies for Grownups Awards | January 19, 2020 | Readers' Choice | A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood | Won |
| Academy Awards | February 9, 2020 | Best Supporting Actor | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 10, 2020 | Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay | Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster | Nominated |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 10, 2020 | Best Supporting Actor | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 10, 2020 | Best Woman Director | Marielle Heller | Nominated |
| Austin Film Critics Association | January 22, 2020 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster | Nominated |
| Art Directors Guild Awards | February 1, 2020 | Excellence in Production Design for a Contemporary Film | Jade Healy | Nominated |
| British Academy Film Awards | February 2, 2020 | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Central Ohio Film Critics Association | January 2, 2020 | Best Supporting Actor | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Central Ohio Film Critics Association | January 2, 2020 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | December 14, 2019 | Best Supporting Actor | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | December 14, 2019 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster | Nominated |
| Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle Awards | January 4, 2020 | Best Supporting Actor | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Costume Designers Guild Awards | January 28, 2020 | Excellence in Contemporary Film | Arjun Bhasin | Nominated |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 12, 2020 | Best Supporting Actor | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 12, 2020 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster | Nominated |
| Denver Film Critics Society | January 6, 2020 | Best Supporting Actor | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Denver Film Critics Society | January 6, 2020 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster | Nominated |
| Detroit Film Critics Society Awards | December 6, 2019 | Best Supporting Actor | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Florida Film Critics Circle Awards | December 23, 2019 | Best Supporting Actor | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Florida Film Critics Circle Awards | December 23, 2019 | Best Screenplay | Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster | Nominated |
| Georgia Film Critics Association | January 10, 2020 | Best Supporting Actor | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 5, 2020 | Best Supporting Actor—Motion Picture | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Golden Schmoes Awards | 2019 | Best Supporting Actor of the Year | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Grammy Awards | March 14, 2021 | Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media | A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood – Various Artists | Nominated |
| Greater Western New York Film Critics Association Awards | November 10, 2019 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster | Nominated |
| Hawaii Film Critics Society | January 13, 2020 | Best Supporting Actor | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Hawaii Film Critics Society | January 13, 2020 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster | Nominated |
| Hollywood Critics Association | January 9, 2020 | Best Supporting Actor | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| IGN Summer Movie Awards | 2019 | Best Supporting Performer in a Movie | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Indiana Film Journalists Association | August 16, 2019 | Best Picture | A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood | Nominated |
| Indiana Film Journalists Association | August 16, 2019 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster | Nominated |
| Iowa Film Critics Awards | January 12, 2020 | Best Supporting Actor | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards | December 13, 2019 | Best Picture | A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood | Nominated |
| London Film Critics Circle Awards 2019 | January 30, 2020 | Supporting Actor of the Year | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Movieguide Awards | January 24, 2020 | Best Movie for Mature Audiences | Tom Hanks | Won |
| Movieguide Awards | January 24, 2020 | Most Inspiring Movie | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Movieguide Awards | January 24, 2020 | Most Inspiring Performance in Movies | A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood | Nominated |
| North Carolina Film Critics Association | January 3, 2020 | Best Supporting Actor | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| North Carolina Film Critics Association | January 3, 2020 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster | Nominated |
| North Texas Film Critics Association | December 16, 2019 | Best Picture | A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood | Won |
| North Texas Film Critics Association | December 16, 2019 | Best Supporting Actor | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Online Film & Television Association | February 2, 2020 | Best Supporting Actor | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Online Film & Television Association | February 2, 2020 | Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium | Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster | Nominated |
| Online Film & Television Association | February 2, 2020 | Most Cinematic Moment | A Moment of Silence | Nominated |
| Online Film & Television Association | February 2, 2020 | Best Titles Sequence | | Nominated |
| Online Film Critics Society Awards | January 6, 2020 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster | Nominated |
| Phoenix Critics Circle | December 14, 2019 | Best Supporting Actor | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| San Francisco Film Critics Circle | December 16, 2019 | Best Screenplay Adapted | Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | December 19, 2019 | Best Supporting Actor—Motion Picture | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | January 19, 2020 | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Seattle Film Critics Awards | December 16, 2019 | Actor | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Society of Camera Operators | 2020 | Feature Film | Sam Ellison | Nominated |
| Vancouver Film Critics Circle | January 6, 2020 | Best Supporting Actor | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | December 8, 2019 | Best Supporting Actor | Tom Hanks | Nominated |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | December 8, 2019 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster | Nominated |
| Writers Guild of America Awards | February 1, 2020 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster | Nominated |