It is fitting that the new movie about Fred Rogers and his friendship with a hard-bitten reporter is getting universal acclaim. At this time of bitter and wearying divisiveness, It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood reminds us that Fred Rogers, a beloved figure to children and adults, always emphasized kindness and acceptance, and that while anger is often understandable, it can and must be controlled.
Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers and Matthew Rhys as Lloyd Vogel are both superb in this film, based on true events. In 1998, reporter Tom Junod was assigned a 400-word profile of Rogers for a special issue of Esquire magazine devoted to America’s most inspirational people. In the movie, Junod’s character is Lloyd Vogel, a writer with an attitude who seems insulted at the assignment.
“You hired me as an investigative journalist,” Vogel complains to his boss. “I don’t do puff pieces.”
“Four hundred words. Play nice,” his editor answers tartly. In fact, Vogel’s cynical nature had become a liability in his career. As the film plays it, Fred Rogers was the only interview subject selected by the magazine who agreed to work with Vogel.
Rogers turns what others see as a deficiency into a strength.
Vogel is flummoxed right away upon meeting Mr. Rogers. Sitting together on the soundstage of his television program, he can barely hold Rogers’ gaze, one that conveys a deep and uncanny understanding. Rogers had done his homework, having read many of Vogel’s pieces. He understands that this man is in emotional pain. In fact, he carries an industrial-sized load of bottled-up anger from his father’s abandonment of the family at a time of crisis many years earlier.
Rogers begins asking Vogel about his own childhood during their meeting, and Vogel cuts him off: “I’m asking the questions here.” But Vogel quickly realizes that Fred Rogers is much more than a children’s entertainer who speaks a little slowly and who doesn’t bother to hide the fact that he is the voice behind his puppets. He is a man old enough to be Vogel’s own father, and watching Mr. Rogers relate to all children – both the ones he meets and the millions he doesn’t – with such authentic acceptance and affection touches him deeply.
Suddenly, 400 words seems completely inadequate to capture the essence of this inspirational man. Eventually, he turns in a 10,000-word feature titled, “Can You Say Hero?” Mr. Rogers graced the magazine cover.
For viewers like me who saw last year’s outstanding documentary about Mr. Rogers, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, this is a marvelous follow-up. It builds on our appreciation of Fred Rogers as a complex man of faith, whose personal sense of mission was to help children deal with and manage their own difficult feelings and to feel valued. On each show, he validated children for being who they are, in all their God-given precious individuality. In the movie, he does the same thing for a grown man.
Vogel chooses to spend more and more time with Rogers, who gently, persistently, prods to learn the source of the writer’s anger and pain. As a new father of an infant struggling in his role, Vogel does not want history to repeat itself. Slowly, he allows Mr. Rogers into that tender space in his wounded heart. Mr. Rogers often said that when feelings are mentionable, they become manageable. As Vogel opens up, Rogers shows him a path forward to greater emotional peace.
In one conversation, Vogel challenges Rogers, saying, “You love broken people like me.”
“I don’t think you are broken,” Rogers answers. He tells Vogel that where other people may see him as being unyielding and tough, he sees a man of conviction. And, he adds, without the pain of Vogel’s past, including his father’s wrongs, he would not have become the man of principle he became.
He turns what others see as a deficiency into a strength.
Fred Rogers never saw himself as a hero. His greatness stemmed from his humility, and he confides in Vogel that he, too, carries his own burdens from the past and must fight his nature. Becoming patient, accepting, and controlling anger were not miracle gifts. They were the work of consistent faith and self-actualization.
It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is a moving and memorable film about trying to repair broken relationships, managing overwhelming feelings, and learning to see with eyes that seek the good. At the end of the movie, the audience applauded. No one got up to leave until after the final credits had rolled. More than twenty years after that Esquire cover story and sixteen years after he passed away, Mr. Rogers continues to inspire with his focus on peace, not division; on kindness, not mocking cruelty.
Though Fred Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian minister, his animating values are core Jewish values. He had an ayin tov, a good eye that looked for the good in others. He knew that anger “took us out of this world,” as it says in Pirkei Avot, and for that reason needed to be controlled. He knew that daily acts of kindness, of chesed, were the responsibility of every person, to help make the world a better place.
There are three secrets to happiness: Be kind. Be kind. And be kind.”
In an interview with CBS News about his role as Mr. Rogers, Tom Hanks dismissed the frequently floated idea that his personal reputation as an unfailingly nice guy made this an easy role for him to play. In fact, he said, as soon as he agreed to take the part, he began to have night sweats. “Everyone has an idea of what Fred was like. It was terrifying. You want to land in a place that people recognize is true human behavior.”
Joanne Rogers, Mr. Rogers’ widow, loaned Hanks some of her husband’s ties to help him feel he was in the role, and each day, the cast was presented with a “Fred quote.” Hanks said that his favorite was this:
“There are three secrets to happiness: Be kind. Be kind. And be kind.” Hanks noted, “It sounds namby-pamby, but it means that you give everybody a fair shake. It means being open to a possibility of making a simple choice of making the world a little bit better.”
(20) Christine Blasko, December 9, 2019 1:54 AM
This shows the true essence of Me Rogers and the values he instilled in me.
This was a wonderful and accurate expression of some of the depths of him and his influence on us all be kind be kind and be kind
(19) Paul D Landerman, BA, special education teacher, November 29, 2019 7:28 AM
A Beautiful Knight In The Neighborhood
"BAM! BAM!", on the piano! The rabbi asks, Who wouldn't want to help kids? I raise PEOPLE.
(18) Raymond, November 28, 2019 3:05 PM
Casting Pearls Before Swine
While it would be nice to ascribe to the idea that it is nice to be nice, I am not so sure about that. Yes, of course I prefer to be around nice people and try to avoid mean people whenever possible, but on the other hand, I myself have a very gentle, honest, vulnerable nature, and have consequently been taken advantage of and otherwise stepped on throughout my life. And so I have learned to put on a veneer of meanness and toughness as a way of protecting myself from those who would harm me. I have learned the hard way to not really trust people, until they somehow demonstrate to me that they are among the good, decent, human beings. Only then can I relax and be my true self. oh btw, not to embarrass her or anything, but I just happen to know that the author of the above article is most definitely among the truly good, decent human beings that I am speaking about here.
Harry Pearle, November 29, 2019 5:50 PM
Fred Rogers Used HUMOR. Maybe We Need more U more for Hostility?
Thank, you Raymond for sharing your honest frustration.
Yes,, I struggle with hostility, myself, but I am not so perfect, myself.
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Perhaps people like Mister Rogers offer us some HOPE to COPE.
But, as adults, not children, we need to keep learning and growing to cope.
Fortunately, we have a TORAH, to guide us and encourage us ever onward.
We can keep learning and we can try to be HUMBLE, as we struggle each day.
Yes, perhaps we should not expect too much from Fred Roger's ideas,
but keep learning and experimenting, day x day.
As Rogers suggests, if we keep CARING, constantly, instead of RACING,
we may make some real progress (CARING and RACING have the same letters)
THANKS MUCH www.SavingSchools.org
Raymond, November 29, 2019 10:42 PM
Would You Be My Neighbor?
Hey, if everybody were as nice as Mr Rogers, then it would be easy to always be nice because then the whole world would be a Heaven on Earth. Unfortunately, however, such an idyllic world is just a pleasant fantasy, and not reality.
(17) b. zalman rosenthal, November 27, 2019 3:52 PM
Help me Editor!!
A few days ago I sent you my comments. They were never printed. Did you not get them? Were they not usable for some reason? I'd be curious to know and since I didn't keep a copy for myself, I would appreciate it if you did get them could you please e-mail me a copy of the text. Thanks.
B. Zalman Rosenthal
(16) Jolie Greiff, November 26, 2019 8:42 PM
Beautiful
Beautiful article. Thanks for printing. Hope the movie comes to Israel soon.
(15) Harry Pearle, November 26, 2019 3:09 PM
KINDNESS May Help to Sustain INTEREST and MOTIVATION (Rogers Lesson)
We may wonder how Mister Rogers maintained TV ratings, over the years, in the face of competition. His show was so simple, are repetitive.
Perhaps part of the reason is that acts of KINDNESS can add interest.
Fred Rogers tried to focus his interest on lessons of kindness, all the time.
(This reminds me of our daily prayers. When davening, sometimes hear someone sneeze. So, I try to say, BLESS YOU to them, immediately. I think that when we pray in a minyan, we do not just pray for ourselves, but for others. By praying for others we may sustain our interest, in praying)
(14) Nancy, November 26, 2019 12:54 PM
Appealing to "children" of all ages
I have always believed that we can learn something from people in all different age brackets. Mr. Rogers was the very model of kindness and compassion toward others, and I hope I can act that way in my own life.
(13) Miriam G, November 25, 2019 3:15 PM
The Good Neighbor
I'm so excited to see the movie, especially after recently reading the only biography of Fred Rogers in which he participated in the book's development, "the Good Neighbor" by Maxwell King. I highly recommend it.
(12) Anonymous, November 25, 2019 11:25 AM
Toughing Story from the heart
How I would love to see the movie and take my grandson. My kids and I grew up with Mr.Rogers and I know of his tenderness and kindness he always displayed. May the movie touch many many lives, and help change our lives for the better.
(11) Anonymous, November 25, 2019 6:15 AM
Great article. Deserving tribute to Mr. Rogers, beloved by all. He was loved, as he gave love.
(10) Chaiah Schwab, November 24, 2019 10:51 PM
Beautiful! So important!
I'm fortunate to have a manager at work who frequently inspires me with his ability to relate with kindness to some of the challenging personalities, both employees and customers, whom we encounter in our business dealings.
I see I have a way to go to reach a good level of patience and kindness!
I hope I can get to see the movie.
Thanks for writing this article.
(9) Jane, November 24, 2019 10:44 PM
Review of Mr. Rogers movie
I am also looking forward to seeing this special movie that is definitely in this time of everyone’s lives. We all need to see the positive and potential in all of us and others. Me and my boys were raised with this great program.
When Mr. Rogers would take off this sweater and shoes, it is like Chazal wants the husband to put on his “other” coat to come in with to great his wife; we all need a few minutes to get ready to meet our beloved spouses.
Jane
(8) Anonymous, November 24, 2019 7:48 PM
Kindness . . . Kindness . . . Kindness . . . Etc. Etc. Etc.
Beautiful!!! I am looking forward to seeing Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood this week. Via of the N Y Times, and other links in the article, I have read extensively about Mr. Rogers, Loyd Vogel. I also saw the documentary of Mr. Rogers. The Light of Mr. Rogers is in synch with our times. I and many others want to hear about kindness in the midst of chaos. The U.S. Is becoming like many other countries that have daily violence and killing. I hope we can recover from our current terror, and live lives of kindness and I understanding of each other. Sheila Finley
(7) Rachel, November 24, 2019 7:28 PM
Just saw it
I loved the film. I don’t understand why the writer said “Though he was an ordained Presbyterian minister”. In ethical terms, there’s unsurprising overlap between Jewish values and those of the other faith. When Christianity became a political force, it acted the way states often do, trying to make all under its control conform to its culture. However, stripped of its function as an organ of state, it includes values such as “love your neighbor” and charity , assisting widows and orphans, care for the sick, etc. My father-in-law and his brother survived in occupied France because they were sheltered in a convent. While they had to pretend to be Catholic to fit in, they were returned to their mother with no question when France was liberated. Kudos to the film, including the wonderful supporting cast.
Judy Gruen, November 25, 2019 5:15 PM
shared values
Rachel, of course our correct about the overlap in ethical values between Judaism and Christianity. And you are also right that righteous gentiles risked their lives to save Jews during WWII. The Yad V'Shem museum in Jerusalem, dedicated to preseve and honor the memory of those murdered in the Holocaust, has a well known program honoring The Righteous Among the Gentiles, where they, too, are honored. My phrase, "Though he was an ordained Presbyterian minister" was simply a standard way of stating that while he was of a different faith, he believed and expressed many of the same ethical and moral values first expressed as moral imperatives through the Torah. Thank you for commenting.
(6) Beverly, November 24, 2019 7:12 PM
Lovely article about the new Tom Hanks movie
Judy,
A lovely article. I will actually be quoting 2 sections (Mr. Roger's core Jewish values and the 3 secrets to happiness) in my short sermon at an Interfaith Thanksgiving program this Wednesday evening (erev Thanksgiving? lol). The best part was that we had already built Mr. Roger's theme song into the service. Thank you, Beverly
Anonymous, November 25, 2019 5:17 PM
honored!
Beverly, I am honored that you will be sharing something from this article at your Thanksgiving program. This is another way that Mr. Rogers continues to spread the good long after he has passed on.
(5) Barry Mandel, November 24, 2019 5:07 PM
Critics’ values
Why did this movie only receive 2 1/2 stars? Because the critics have no clue as to what mainstream America wants. Instead of focusing on the positive values that the movie and Fred Rogers exemplified, critics focused on its “corniness” and lack of “excitement” that sells movies. The America we knew in the fifties and for a part of the Sixties is long gone. Traditional personal values are long gone as well. This film should be heralded for the message it is trying to send to everyone, instead of being put onto the fast track towards DVDs
Nancy, November 24, 2019 6:01 PM
To commenter #5 Barry Mandel
I prefer not to listen to the critics when it comes to movie going. In addition to being such a brilliant actor, Tom Hanks has box office power. Perhaps this means it will make a lot of money at the box office. However, even if it doesn't make huge amounts of money, we can appreciate the film and the man himself. That will never change.
Rachel, November 25, 2019 5:09 AM
That’s quite a leap
Why does everything have to be an exercise in media bashing and hand-wringing? The America of the 1950’s still had all sorts of racist policies such as segregated schools and lunch counters, and women were limited in what careers they could pursue. Those were not Mr Rodgers values, and not Jewish values either. I disagree with the review I read, but I also know my sci-fi loving husband would be bored to death. Good neighbors respect each other’s differences.
Anonymous, November 25, 2019 5:21 PM
most critics love it
Barry, nearly every review I have seen from the largest mainstream media outlets, from the New York Times to the LA Times to the Wall Street Journal, has praised this movie to the skies. There will always be some naysayers, but in fairness, this film is also capturing the hearts even of what we might call somewhat jaded reviewers.
(4) Chanit Roston, November 24, 2019 4:10 PM
The only TV show my (now grown children) watched.
A man who truly loved children and in his inimitable way was able to convey good values to them.
(3) Harry Pearle, November 24, 2019 3:26 PM
Beyond KINDNESS, I would add OPENNESS to the PUBLIC for Mister Rogers
Thanks so much, for this inspiring movie review. I just saw it, the first day it was out. I wondered why we needed to have two Mister Rogers movies.
In addition to kindness, I would add that Fred Rogers encouraged children and adults to go PUBLIC and to be TRANSPARENT, to people, in public and in private.
The opening scene, with Rogers changing clothes suggests the idea, that although he changed clothes, he was the SAME person, inside and out.
If we can work at staying TRUE to OURSELVES, we might find the courage to connect with others, and ACCOMPLISH more in life.
If you can, go see the movie, which is rated PG, for brief violence.
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Harry Pearle, November 24, 2019 4:57 PM
Mister Rogers'Memorable Childhood ICON May Impact EDUCATION (Torah?)
Let me add, that Mister Rogers became an ICON on TV, you could not forget. This is very important, because it is easy to forget what happens to us in CHILDHOOD. Childhood and all of life has IMPACT on our future life, for good and for bad.
If we have been harmed in early life, this may shape our future life. But if we can recall past events, we may be able to change our ATTITUDES and HABITS.
This is a basic lesson of Torah, I think.
Finally, I am wrestling with my own writing on education, and perhaps if I refer to Mister Rogers, my advice may have more IMPACT on educators and parents.
(As Rabbi Weinberg reminds us from the 48 Ways (Avos 6.6), one should say a thing in the name of the person who said it).
(2) Chaya, November 24, 2019 11:58 AM
So deserving !
I also saw and loved "Won't you be my Neighbor" and am thrilled there is this follow-up. A beautiful tribute to a beautiful Soul.
(1) Nancy, November 24, 2019 11:44 AM
I can't wait to see the movie!
Shavau Tov Judy--
I clicked on the article without checking who the writer was. Guess what?! I KNEW the credit belonged to you! Tom Hanks is such a brilliant actor and I bet he knocks this portrayal right out of the park. I recently learned of the quote about anger taking us out of this world, and that certainly has been my experience. On a completely different topic, I recently returned from my very first trip to Israel. Iy"H it will not be the last one! Thank you for writing this piece.
Anonymous, November 25, 2019 5:23 PM
much appreciated
Thank you, Nancy. I am so glad you liked this story, and flattered that you recognized my "voice" before seeing the byline. And how wonderful that you just enjoyed your first trip to Israel!