Get your tissues ready, because another trailer for the Mister Rogers biopic “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” has dropped. In perhaps what may be a perfectly cast role, America’s dad Tom Hanks will don the iconic red cardigan as he steps into the role of the beloved children’s TV show host Fred Rogers. This story goes beyond the classic TV show to discuss who Fred Rogers was outside of his TV persona and the impact he had on those around him.
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Matthew Rhys plays Lloyd Vogel, a journalist who takes on the assignment to profile Rogers himself. Vogel is based on Tom Junod, the real-life journalist who profiled Rogers for Esquire in 1998. The film, directed by Marielle Heller (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”), follows the story behind Junod’s profile, covering moments that truly happened in Rogers’ life, such as the time he was serenaded with his signature song, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor.”
Junod and Rogers remained friends for the remainder of Rogers’ life. In a eulogy following Rogers’ death in 2003, Junod wrote that he stayed in touch with Rogers over the years through multiple phone calls and emails. In that eulogy, Junod discusses the positive impact Rogers had on his life, clearly demonstrated through the “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” trailer.
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The cast for “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” also includes Chris Cooper, Enrico Colantoni (“Veronica Mars”), Susan Kelechi Watson (“This Is Us”), Tammy Blanchard (“Into the Woods”) and Wendy Makkena (“Sister Act”). The film drops for U.S. audiences on November 22.
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Here’s the official synopsis for “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”:
A journalist’s life is enriched by friendship when he takes on an assignment profiling Fred Rogers. Based on the real-life friendship between journalist Tom Junod and television star Fred Rogers.