Based on a true story.

Set in the 90s, Mr Rogers aka Fred Rogers (played by Tom Hanks) is the host of his own TV show titled “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”. Through his show, Fred Rogers had desires to share positive messages, particularly with young children. Some of these messages included dealing with challenging worldly topics such as divorce, racism and bullying. The techniques he used on television were unlike anything else for its time. Some of these techniques included the use of puppetry and inviting well-known celebrities to come on the show and have discussions.

On the flip side of this story, we have a man named Lloyd Vogel. Lloyd is a professional journalist who receives an assignment to write about the well known Mr Rogers and conduct personal interviews. While Mr Rogers is known as a heartwarming man to many, Lloyd suspects that perhaps Mr Rogers is just a good actor who fakes his passion for others. Soon Lloyd begins to meet with Mr Rogers and instead he encounters something very unexpected and life-changing.

Growing up, I never saw a single episode of “Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood” but I am very aware of Mr Rogers and the major impact he had on many lives through television. Previously I have also reviewed “Won’t You Be My Neighbour”, a fantastic documentary about Mr Rogers that I rated 9.5/10.

I personally loved the concept of this film and the story that is shared about Mr Rogers. Here, Mr Rogers isn’t the leading man on screen but more so a supporting character. This could be disappointing for some fans, but I personally didn’t feel saddened by this concept. If anything, I found this surprising and all the more enjoyable.

Performances here are outstanding, particularly from Tom Hanks who plays Mr Rogers. Tom Hanks once again proves he is one of the greatest on-screen actors of our time. I’m surprised just how good of a job he does playing this lovable man. There are so many heartfelt moments in this film, again a simple testimony to the performances.

As a plot, sure, it’s deep and challenging for our angry reporter, but I also felt challenged watching this film myself. The film isn’t preaching at me, but it does send a positive message which is welcomed considering the current status of Planet Earth today.

The film’s music, set designs and costumes are all top marks on my scoreboard for this film. Match all of these with Tom Hanks’ performance and the results are evident. The film just feels so real to me on multiple levels.

Overall, this is truly a wonderfully made film. It tells a true story that’s a must-watch and at its core is a positive message that will impact and challenge many. Tom Hanks delivers yet again another outstanding performance as he brings to life one of the greatest celebrities who impacted the world. I also highly recommend the documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”, 2018, which also impacted me in a major way.

9.0/10

Thank you for visiting!

Walkden Entertainment is also available multiple platforms!

For more information, click here: https://linktr.ee/walkdenentertainment

Review Written by Peter Walkden