Tom Hanks Wants You To Be His Neighbor, And You’ll Need All The Tissues

Image: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Pretty sure that you’re not going to be able to watch the trailer for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood without tearing up, and as far as watching the movie in November? Forget about it. Sony released the official trailer of the movie about the iconic and beloved Fred Rogers (aka Mr. Rogers) and Tom Hanks slipping on those loafers and Mr. Rogers’s red cardigan literally brought a lump to our throats. Instantly memories of the nicest man we know sharing his world of make-believe with all of us came right back to us.

Won’t You Watch My Movie?

The movie is based on a true story, and is about the unexpected friendship between Mr. Rogers and a journalist who was assigned to profile Mr. Rogers for an Esquire article. The journalist–Lloyd Vogel–is played by Matthew Rhys, and is a bit of a jaded new dad. The relationship he forges with Mr. Rogers, who is portrayed by none other than Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks. Sony couldn’t have picked someone better to be Fred Rogers if they tried, and throughout the movie, Vogel finds the wisdom of Mr. Rogers’s words and view on life. Vogel comes to learn through Mr. Rogers that a little kindness makes the world go around.

Mr. Rogers Lives Forever In His Neighborhood And Ours

I’m not going to lie. As Hanks’s voice sounded out Mr. Rogers’s words in the clip, I couldn’t help but be transported to kindergarten watching the original Fred Rogers say the very same thing about everyone needing to ask for a little help sometimes.

Marielle Heller is the director for the movie, which is set to be released right before Thanksgiving on November 22, 2019. She said that she knows why Mr. Rogers, who passed away at the age of 74 in 2003, is so beloved.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Heller said that Mr. Rogers is a perfect guide for helping you connect with what’s true in your heart–your patience, kindness and goodness. She says that having his words in her head for the last couple of years that she’s been directing has made her a better parent.

Tom Hanks Channels Mr. Rogers Like It’s His Job

And while it is his job, it’s obvious why he’s perfect for it. You can’t help but be transported back to your childhood when you see Hanks smile with the kindest, most gentle smile. Heller says that when she was making decisions about the movie, she wondered what Fred would do, and Hanks would then do it with skill and precision that makes you believe he really is Mr. Rogers.

Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood was on the air from 1968 to 2001 and now, with Hanks so vividly reminding us of how amazing Mr. Rogers was, we’ll all be taken back to the days when life was simpler and it really was as easy as treating every neighbor with kindness and every person like your neighbor.

Go ahead and get a few boxes of tissues. If we’re already verklempt about the trailer, imagine how we’ll be with the real deal in November?!

Similar Posts