Sony has released the first trailer for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Directed by Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) the film will be a fictionalized depiction of an interview between a jaded journalist Tom Junod (Matthew Rhys) and Mr. Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks). So while the world around Junod may feel like its crumbling, the ever-so optimistic Mr. Rogers will be there to remind that joy can be found anywhere. Even in hitting all of the low keys of the piano.
One can’t help but feel a little teary-eyed when watching this trailer, especially for those who grew up watching the long-running children’s educational program. Mr. Rogers was the person who welcomed everyone with a warm smile and a heartfelt smile. And that empathy warmth and optimism continues to resonate with all of us, and his legacy lives on forever in those episodes.
While Hanks isn’t trying to be Fred Rogers, he still has that neighborly charm that helps him bring that spirit into the film itself. And you can see and hear that in his movements and tone of voice. Furthermore, there is nothing more reassuring now than to know that there is always someone there for you if you ever feel broken. And Mr. Rogers is there to remind us of that, even in the trailer’s closing line: “Sometimes we have to ask for help, and that’s okay,”
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood opens on November 22, 2019.
