Good point. 2002, rebroadcast in 2016.
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If this film were just a 2 hour screenshot of Daniel Tiger, I would still go see it.
And it would still be better than 95% of what Hollywood puts out.
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Hi, neighbor! Welcome to the neighborhood.
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Here, for your delight, one of Mister Rogers’ less well-known tunes:
(Incidentally, Johnny Costa, one of the best jazz pianists of his era, was also the musical director for the show and one of its performers for many of the episodes. He and Fred Rogers were in agreement that most kids’ shows had music that was too boppy and simplistic, and that kids could, in fact, understand and appreciate wonderful, complex music.)
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When I saw Fred Rogers toweling off Clemmons’ feet, I couldn’t help but see an intentional allusion to Christ washing the feet of his disciples.
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In case anybody’s wondering why somebody would be so pleasant and welcoming all the time, I think that clip from the trailer of a train car full of people serenading him with his own theme song about sums it up. Fred Rogers created a world for himself where he was everybody’s neighbor. As a child, I saw him once at some kind of live appearance. Later, as an adult living in Pittsburgh, I saw him a couple of times on the street, and each time he responded to my greeting like he was truly happy to see me again.
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There was a lot of fooferah about Fred Rogers “hindering a gay lifestyle” or some such thing, but I think anyone who sees the clip of François Clemmons talking about his love for Fred can see that there wasn’t any hint of bigotry going on there.
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Well, Fred Rogers was an ordained minister. I’m sure the allusion wasn’t accidental, or at least wasn’t unnoticed by him.
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I grew up with Fred Rogers. My three year old watches Fred Rogers. Fred Rogers was a good friend of mine. And Tom Hanks, sir, is no Fred Rogers.
It’s no secret that Tom Hanks’ range starts at Tom Hanks and ends at Tom Hanks. And don’t get me wrong - I love me some Tom Hanks, especially when he’s being a good Tom Hanksy guy.
Have you ever heard Mr. Rogers talk like Tom Hanks? It’s just wrong! An actor (maybe not a pudgy one) who can do the voice of Mr. Rogers would be a good start. I’m sure there are 50,000 of them somewhere in L.A.
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Fred Rogers was an excellent example of a dedicated Christian who actually paid attention to the “be nice to each other“ parts of the Bible instead of the “smite those who are different from you“ parts.
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As others have noted, he’s not even trying to do Mr. Rogers’ voice here – which is, honestly, a good thing, because there’s doing an impression and then there’s awkward imitation. He’s got that unique cadence going on to express the genuine kindness of Fred Rogers, but I’m glad he’s not doing a straight-up imitation.
If Tom Hanks looks “pudgy” to you, yikes. Okay.
So, again, if he’s such a terrible choice, what other actor in that age range would be good?
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Clemmons himself was troubled and confused during that period. He was married at the time and tried to “pray the gay away”. Rogers made it clear none of that mattered to him. Clemmons was a friend, he was troubled, he needed someone who loved him for who he was.
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I somehow find it funny that a lot of people remember him as old. I guess it’s just a generational thing. Grew up with him in the late 70s and early 80s. I remember tuning in randomly in his later years and thinking how weird it was that his eyebrows had turned gray. He had such dark eyebrows when I was a kid. I mean it’s not like he was in his 20s or something but I just thought of him as an adult and not a grandpa.
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Easy - Jimmy Stewart.
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So we’re all just ignoring the fact that the “reporter” is a known Russian operative?
I smell a hit job! You can destroy our democracy, but leave Mr. Rogers alone!!!
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Jim Carey? He’s great in Kidding.
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Bill Hader would probably nail it.
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“This film is not yet rated.”
Plot twist! It gets an “X.”
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Hey. As long as they don’t show him having crazy sex, I’m good with it.
