"A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood" - being Christ for others

A while back I watched the Tom Hanks film “A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood”, based on real-life encounter between US children's TV legend Mr Rogers and a hard-bitten journalist.

 

I discovered Mr Rogers for myself as an 11 yr. old visiting my sister in New Orleans with my mum in 1980 but he didn’t really click with me at that point. Thanks to this film I have now very much warmed to both the TV persona of Mr Rogers and the man behind that persona, Fred Rogers. In fact, I think the two are pretty much one and the same. One thing I like about him (as portrayed by Tom Hanks) is that what you saw was what you got, whether it was on the tv show or in real life. After a bit of research, it would seem that this is a true reflection of how he was. 

 

Given recent events in the aftermath of George Floyd's death, the below scene says so much. Apparently it did really happen. For me, it's is a taste of heaven. With the current climate surrounding abuse, the request in his signature song “Would you be my neighbour?” could seem a little creepy. But in this case it does seem to be a genuinely innocent invitation into the kind of fraternal community that is truly evangelical in the best sense of the word, one that is founded on Jesus’ desire that we “May all be One, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (Jn 17:21). The fact that Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian minister adds to the feeling that there was far more to his gentle bonhomie than meets the eye.

 

 

 

It would seem that he took very seriously what he saw as a TV ministry to children, helping them address and deal with dark, real-world issues. But he rarely spoke directly about God or faith on his shows. The film shows, however, that his faith imbued everything he did. We do hear him mention it/God at key moments in the film.

 

All in all, I found the film a delight, though I have to own up to crying rather a lot! What a fascinating character he was, Fred Rogers. Hanks is perfectly cast, as is Matthew Rhys as the journalist. The restaurant scene, in particular, had me in pieces and is a brave piece of film-making. 

 

We all need a Mr Rogers in our lives and sometimes we will meet someone for whom we are called to be that Mr Rogers. He was striving to be Christ for others, especially children, and in particular reached out to those in need of a friendly “neighbour”. In our own daily striving to be Christ for others Fred Rogers shows it is possible even though we may be carrying our own burdens and dealing with our own weaknesses. This latter point is discretely but effectively touched upon in the film, particularly in the final scene which illustrates it quite beautifully.

 

If you want to reaffirm your faith in humanity, watch this film.

 

It can be found on all major pay per view streaming platforms and is available on DVD and Bluray.