A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Set in the late ‘90s, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood follows cynical magazine writer Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) as he’s given the task of writing a short profile of no less than Mr. Rogers (Tom Hanks) – with this simple assignment eventually forcing Lloyd to re-examine his entire worldview. Filmmaker Marielle Heller delivers a consistently compelling drama that is, perhaps unsurprisingly, at its best whenever Hanks’ true-life figure is on screen, as the actor delivers an absolutely mesmerizing performance that remains a highlight from start to finish. And although Rhys is quite good here as well, it’s difficult to work up a whole lot of excitement for the somewhat generic bent of his character’s storyline – with the less-than-engrossing nature of Lloyd’s arc ultimately irrelevant in the face of Hanks’ masterful turn. The note-perfect ending cements A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’s place as an above-average drama, and it does seem entirely possible that the whole thing justifies its existence with an absolutely riveting scene set within a Chinese-food restaurant.

***1/2 out of ****