In A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, a cynical journalist named Lloyd Vogel is assigned to write a 400-word article on Fred Rogers for the magazine Esquire, but he is so impressed by Rogers’ genuineness that it ends up being a 10,000-word article instead. Vogel is estranged from his father, in large part because his father cheated on his mother when she was dying of cancer, then abandoned the family. While he starts out being skeptical of Mr. Rogers and his devotion to everything good, Vogel eventually learns that Mr. Rogers is the same in real life as he is on his television show.
While visiting Mr. Rogers, he takes an immediate personal interest in Vogel because he notices a cut on his face and is concerned. Eventually, Vogel admits that he was in a fight with his father when he attended his sister’s wedding. The fight began when Lloyd brought up his father’s infidelity and the conversation turned heated. Mr. Rogers eventually learns that Lloyd’s father Jerry has asked for Lloyd’s forgiveness, but Lloyd has not forgiven him. Rogers talks to Lloyd about forgiveness but Lloyd is uninterested in any type of reconciliation with his father.
When Lloyd’s father has a heart attack and goes to the hospital, Lloyd does not stay overnight like the other family members do because of his anger toward Jerry. He visits Mr. Rogers several times and during one visit, he collapses on the set. Rogers and his wife Joanne bring him home to recuperate. During this time, Lloyd learns a lot about Rogers and his family life and begins to have brand-new respect for the man. He learns that Rogers is very genuine and is who he’s always claimed to be. Though it takes several visits, Rogers eventually helps Lloyd forgive his father so he can move on with his life.
In the end, Jerry ends up dying, but not until his son Lloyd agrees to forgive him so that their relationship can improve. He credits Fred Rogers for his willingness to let go of his anger toward his father, and his 10,000-word article entitled “Can You Say … Hero?” ends up being the lead article in Esquire magazine that month. This is a truly heart-warming movie about a man who starts out as a cynic yet ends up being like millions of children around the world – a big fan of Mr. Rogers.
Here are some of the main characters in the movie:
Tom Hanks (Mr. Rogers)
Fred Rogers was a children’s television icon that had a long-running television show made especially for preschoolers. Throughout his career, the show touched on numerous subjects that were important to children. Rogers was born in 1928 and had a degree in music and another one in theology, eventually becoming an ordained Presbyterian minister. His love for and devotion to children shined through in each of his programs, and in real life he was as genuinely interested in children as he seemed to be in his shows. And children – and their parents – reacted positively.
For 50 years, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood touched the lives of children and made them feel like they weren’t alone, regardless of what they were going through. The way he talked to the children on the air resonated with them, and they responded in a very positive and affectionate way. While Fred Rogers’ childhood was a bit lonely, it greatly improved when he entered high school, in part because he learned many of the skills he would later rely on to develop his career. In addition to being the host of his own television show and a minister, Mr. Rogers was also an actor, composer, and author. He married his wife Joanne in 1952 and together they raised two sons. He died in 2003 at the age of 74.
Matthew Rhys (Lloyd Vogel)
The character of Lloyd Vogel is loosely based on real-life journalist Tom Junod, whose encounter with Mr. Rogers affected his life deeply. He is assigned to do a short article on an American hero but ends up devoting much more time to this American icon. In the movie, Rogers helps Vogel forgive his father and improve their relationship, as well as teaches him how to deal with his anger and forgiveness in general. Vogel changes from a skeptic into a believer about everything Rogers has shown to him about his life because of his encounter with Rogers.
Although it is difficult to know for sure if the real-life character was as influenced by Mr. Rogers as the character in the movie, it must have had at least a small impact because if it hadn’t, the movie would’ve likely never been made in the first place. Vogel had to be extremely impressed by Fred Rogers to turn from a skeptic to a fan in just a short period of time.
Susan Kelechi Watson (Andrea Vogel)
Andrea is Lloyd’s wife, an attorney, and the mother of a newborn named Gavin. Andrea is also a fan of Mr. Rogers, so when her husband is assigned to interview him, she is overjoyed, especially when the encounter results in such a life-changing event for Lloyd. In the end, because of Mr. Rogers’ influence on Lloyd, he becomes a much better husband and father to his family. Interestingly, the actress herself is also a big fan of Mr. Rogers.
Before his encounter with Mr. Rogers, Andrea’s husband is not always as devoted to his family as he should be, but that changes by the time he finishes his article on the icon.
Chris Cooper (Jerry Vogel)
Jerry Vogel is Lloyd’s father, who cheated on his wife Lila and abandoned Lloyd and his sister Lorraine when they were kids. Jerry has since remarried and has begged Lloyd for his forgiveness, but at the beginning of the movie, he has yet to get it. When Jerry suffers a heart attack, his son Lloyd is the only family member not to stay overnight at the hospital. Eventually, Lloyd decides to forgive Jerry and their relationship improves. Toward the end of the movie, Jerry dies from heart problems, but by that time he has reconciled with his son and the two enjoy a bit of time together.
Maryann Plunkett (Joanne Rogers)
Joanne Rogers is Fred’s wife and the mother of his two sons. Plunkett actually met with Joanne Rogers to prepare for the role.
Enrico Colantoni (Bill Isler)
Bill Isler is the president and CEO of Family Communications. He was an early influence in Mr. Rogers’ life because he believed so strongly in the TV show and how it would influence the lives of children.
Wendy Makkena (Dorothy Vogel)
Dorothy Vogel is Jerry’s second wife and wants Lloyd to forgive Jerry as much as Jerry does. She is definitely a part of a very complicated and somewhat dysfunctional family.
Tammy Blanchard (Lorraine Vogel)
Lorraine Vogel is Lloyd’s sister and Todd’s wife.
Noah Harpster (Todd)
Todd is Lorraine’s husband and Lloyd’s brother-in-law. It is at their wedding that Lloyd gets into a fist fight with his father Jerry, resulting in injuries to his face.
Other characters in the movie include:
Christine Lahti (Ellen, Lloyd’s editor)
