A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

An award-winning cynical journalist, Lloyd Vogel, begrudgingly accepts an assignment to write an Esquire profile piece on the beloved television icon Fred Rogers. After his encounter with Rogers, Vogel’s perspective on life is transformed.
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Credits: TheMovieDb.

Film Cast:

  • Lloyd Vogel: Matthew Rhys
  • Fred Rogers: Tom Hanks
  • Jerry Vogel: Chris Cooper
  • Andrea Vogel: Susan Kelechi Watson
  • Joanne Rogers: Maryann Plunkett
  • Bill Isler: Enrico Colantoni
  • Dorothy Vogel: Wendy Makkena
  • Lorraine Vogel: Tammy Blanchard
  • Todd: Noah Harpster
  • Margy Whitmer: Carmen Cusack
  • First AD: Kelley Davis
  • Ellen: Christine Lahti
  • Betty Aberlin: Maddie Corman
  • Mr. McFeely: Daniel Krell
  • Sound Technician: Jon L Peacock
  • Doctor: Gretchen Koerner
  • Young Boy: Gavin Borders
  • Young Boy’s Dad: Mark August
  • Young Boy’s Mom: Tressa Glover
  • Lila Vogel: Jessica Hecht
  • Waitress: Di Zhu
  • Uptown String Quartet: Diane Monroe
  • Uptown String Quartet: Maxine Roach
  • Uptown String Quartet: Lesa Terry
  • Uptown String Quartet: Tahirah Whittington
  • Subway Singer: Nigel Swinson
  • Subway Singer: Kayla Fan
  • Subway Singer: Alexander Ment
  • Subway Singer: Madeline Ment
  • Subway Singer: Olivia Irene Ruiz
  • Subway Singer: Kiesse Yengo-Passy
  • Subway Singer: Marcel Kottmann
  • Subway Singer: John Castagliola
  • Subway Singer: Preston Lopez
  • Subway Singer: Reginald Bannerman
  • Puppeteer: Spencer Lott
  • Puppeteer: Haley Jenkins
  • Puppeteer: Marc Petrosino
  • Puppeteer: Kathleen Kim
  • Phone Operator (uncredited): Kathleen Antonia
  • Nurse Miscellaneous Crew (uncredited): Saira Awan
  • Argentinian Girl (uncredited): Krizia Bajos
  • WQED Grip and Electric (uncredited): Tom Bonello
  • Awards Banquet Waiter (uncredited): Gregory Bromfield
  • Train Passenger (uncredited): Francesca Calo
  • Subway Punk (uncredited): Kitty Crystal
  • WQED Makeup Artist (uncredited): Amy Lyn Elliott
  • Journalist (uncredited): Joe Fishel
  • Wedding Band Lead Guitarist (uncredited): Nate Heller
  • Restaurant Patron (uncredited): Bill Isler
  • Darin Scharf (uncredited): Kevin L. Johnson
  • Esquire Employee (uncredited): Rosie Koster
  • Restaurant Patron (uncredited): Jim Kuhn
  • Richie (uncredited): Michael Masini
  • Gala Attendee (uncredited): Kirsten McCain
  • Rick (uncredited): Patrick McDade
  • Hospital Visitor (uncredited): Phil Nardozzi
  • Restaurant Patron (uncredited): David Newell
  • New Yorker (uncredited): Trevor Stevie Ray Ontiveros
  • Gala Attendee (uncredited): Keith Otto
  • Arthur Mendez – Telegraph Clerk (uncredited): Khary Payton
  • Parent (uncredited): Alex Perez
  • Mr. Rogers Superfan (uncredited): Katrina E. Perkins
  • Mr. Rogers’ Fan (uncredited): Jivan Xander Ramesh
  • Bartender (uncredited): Scott Rapp
  • Self (archive footage) (uncredited): Fred Rogers
  • Restaurant Patron (uncredited): Joanne Rogers
  • Gala Guest (uncredited): Edlyn Sabrina
  • Mother (uncredited): Erika Shrout
  • Julia Henderson – Fred’s Secretary (uncredited): Laura Faye Smith
  • Diana (uncredited): Rebecca Watson
  • Peter (uncredited): Stephen West-Rogers
  • WQED Electrician (uncredited): Ted Williams

Film Crew:

  • Casting: Avy Kaufman
  • Producer: Peter Saraf
  • Producer: Marc Turtletaub
  • Editor: Anne McCabe
  • Costume Design: Arjun Bhasin
  • Art Direction: Gary Kosko
  • Director of Photography: Jody Lee Lipes
  • Production Design: Jade Healy
  • Director: Marielle Heller
  • Executive Producer: Noah Harpster
  • Executive Producer: Bergen Swanson
  • Original Concept: Tom Junod
  • Producer: Youree Henley
  • Makeup Artist: Christopher Patrick
  • Set Decoration: Merissa Lombardo
  • Executive Producer: Micah Fitzerman-Blue
  • Art Direction: Gregory A. Weimerskirch
  • Makeup Department Head: Ma Kalaadevi Ananda
  • Key Hair Stylist: Donita Miller
  • Makeup Artist: Darylin Nagy
  • Hair Department Head: Tony Ward
  • Producer: Leah Holzer
  • Original Music Composer: Nate Heller
  • Hairstylist: Candace Orlandi
  • Hairstylist: Jason Renner
  • Compositor: Josh Child
  • Digital Compositor: Tonya Smay
  • Digital Compositor: Amy Christensen
  • Visual Effects Coordinator: Shannen Walsh
  • Hairstylist: Alta Marie Bialon
  • Visual Effects Producer: Steven Weigle
  • Executive Producer: Howard Chen
  • Executive Producer: Edward Cheng
  • Visual Effects: Grant Anderson
  • Makeup Artist: Eve Negley
  • Visual Effects Coordinator: David Entin

Movie Reviews:

  • SWITCH.: Quirky, unique, beautiful, even dark yet moving, ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood’ shatters all expectations and leaves you with a sense of peace and understanding. Featuring performances by the incomparable Tom Hanks who does a better Mr Rogers than Mr Rogers himself and the always transfixing Matthew Rhys, this will be a fitting and satisfactorily addition to the legacy of this adored American hero.
    – Jess Fenton

    Read Jess’ full article…
    https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighbourhood-mr-rogers-healing-the-world-one-lost-soul-at-a-time

  • Gimly: Not what I was expecting. Better than I was expecting. What a genuinely interesting film, I felt I was given real insight. I have no way of knowing if that’s true or not of course, but I felt it, and that arguably matters more when it comes to filmmaking.

    _Final rating:★★★½ – I really liked it. Would strongly recommend you give it your time._

  • Peter McGinn: I have expectations when watching a Tom Hanks movie. He is one of the great actors, obviously, and he inhabits his roles. So when he plays an actual person, especially a familiar character like Mr. Rogers, there is a second level beyond nailing the character where he needs to give a nuanced performance, beyond just mimicking the traits. This is a tough role and he handles it well, I believe.

    I am sure I knew at some point in the past that Mr. Rogers was a minister, but I had forgotten, so the religious aspects didn’t do much for me. But I guess it is as good an explanation as any as to why he was such a relentlessly nice person. I am not a believer, but if all believers were like Mr. Rogers, I would have no issues with religion.

    As a side note, and please indulge me here, our daughter is obsessive compulsive and when Queen Sara wasn’t featured in an episode, she would throw a fit worthy of the Rain Man, so this was an important program in our house. (We learned to have an episode with the Queen on a vhs tape for those days when she didn’t appear on the scheduled show.) so it was interesting for me to get a behind the scenes glimpse of the history and making of the show. But it doesn’t overwhelm the plot either.

    So I heartily recommend this movie. I also recommend the article this movie is based on. It is available online if you do a duck duck go search for it.

  • tbartoldus: A lovely movie, especially for those of us who grew up watching Mister Rogers. It inspires compassion and reminded me, and I hope other viewers, that individual actions can and do make the world kinder and more peaceful. I found it a little slow in a few parts but is an overall engaging and clever film and not overly sentimental. Highly recommend.

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