A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

MOVIE TITLE: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

DIRECTOR: Marielle Heller

YEAR: 2019

GENRE: Drama

RATING: PG for violence

GRADE: Extra Credit

After watching this movie and having sore eyeballs as a result, I can say with a hundred percent conviction that the story is completely devoid of Mary-Sues and Gary-Stus. On the contrary, imperfections can be found among every character, including Mr. Fred Rogers himself. He may be a kind and gentle soul in public as well as on TV, but even he admits that he makes mistakes every now and then. He too gets angry. He too feels sad. He too had a tumultuous childhood and married life. The only difference is, he’d rather use positivity and creative therapy as a conduit for his emotions, not violence and rage. It takes work to achieve this kind of attitude towards life. And yes, there are many bumps in the road. Tom Hanks, the actor who played Mr. Rogers, openly admitted to being terrified to play his role. He doesn’t have to be anymore, because he knocked it out of the park. He made me believe in the kindness of Mr. Rogers all over again, imperfections and all.

Lloyd Vogel, the journalist who is assigned to interview Mr. Rogers, has his own share of imperfections. He hates his father, he’s questioning himself as a parent, he’s wrapped up in his work and can’t be there for his family, and he’s stubborn about not wanting to interview a “hokey children’s show host”. To put it mildly, he’s got a lot of anger in his heart and won’t let anybody in. After many interviews with Mr. Rogers, his transformation into a loving and forgiving person becomes the basis for his character development. It’s a slow, distrustful, and heartbreaking transformation. He even shows glimpses of the father he hates so much. If you’re a big fan of character development, you’ll easily get behind Lloyd Vogel. When he cries, you cry. When he’s angry, you’re angry. When he triumphs, you’ll cheer for him. He makes awful decisions, but that doesn’t detract from him being a relatable protagonist.

You know who else has a lot of growing up to do? Jerry Vogel, Lloyd’s aforementioned jerk of a father. He mocks his son at the beginning of the movie and the two get physical over it (hence the PG rating for violence). Jerry slept around while the mother of the family was dying. He abandoned the family when they needed him the most. But it’s easy to tell that he’s a sleazebag from the minute he first appears on the screen. The rest of these revelations come naturally. But is he a redeemable character? Can he too go through a transformation and mend fences with his son? Yes, he’s a sleazebag, but if he was perfect and gallant all the time, there’d be no story and there’d be nothing to cheer for as the movie progresses. You like character development, right? You like slow transformations? You like redemption stories? Keep an eye on Jerry Vogel. Will your patience pay off? Watch the movie and find out.

As I mentioned before, my eyes got sore during the more emotional moments of this movie. None of it came across as cheesy. This was genuine emotion and nobody knew more about how to deal with our emotions than Fred Rogers himself. It takes time. It takes patience. But it’s worth it in the end. That’s what this movie means to me. That’s why this movie gets a solid five out of five stars. A perfect grade for a movie about imperfect people. It truly is a beautiful day in the neighborhood. There better be some award victories for this movie.

Cloud Atlas

MOVIE TITLE: Cloud Atlas

DIRECTORS: Lana & Lily Wachowski and Tom Tykwer

YEAR: 2012

GENRE: Epic Science Fiction

RATING: R for violence, language, and sexual content

GRADE: Pass

In 1849, American lawyer Adam Ewing thinks he’s being treated for an intestinal worm, but he’s actually being poisoned by his doctor so that the latter can steal his riches. In 1936, English composer Robert Frobisher helps Vyvyan Ayers write a piano piece called The Cloud Atlas. In 1973, journalist Luisa Rey hopes to uncover a plot involving corrupt nuclear energy advocates. In 2012, Scottish publisher Tim Cavendish is committed to a retirement home and subjected to abuse during his stay. In 2144, South Korea has become a dystopian autocracy that robotic waitress Somni must find individuality in. In post-apocalyptic Hawaii, a tribal society struggles for survival when they’re constantly attacked by cannibalistic barbarians. Every one of these separate stories comes together to create themes of reincarnation and juxtaposition. The trick to watching this movie is finding that common thread.

As much as I loved the creative way in which these stories were connected, it does lend itself to confusing storytelling at times. While forcing an audience to think deeply is what all good movies should aspire to do, sometimes piecing together those puzzles right in the middle of viewing can take away from the overall experience. Perhaps this movie was always meant to be watched multiple times. All you have to do is consider the directors and what their legacies bring to the table. The Wachowskis are champions of Gnosticism, which makes the themes of interconnection and reincarnation that much more apparent. But at the same time, I can see how the chaos and confusion might force a watcher to turn away. I stayed throughout the whole thing and enjoyed it to pieces, so this is only a minor complaint on my part.

One of my favorite mini-stories in this movie is the dystopian tale in South Korea. With our current politics all across the globe, themes of dystopia are more important now than they ever were. Through Somni’s individuality and sacrifices, we as an audience are taught to question everything around us and never submit to brainwashing no matter how much violence is piled on against us. Our minds are the last safe haven we have when it comes to being ourselves. When we lose that, we lose everything. I’d rather live dangerously and be myself than live safely and be a clone. Or to put it in the words of a famous metal band from the 2000’s, “I choose death before dishonor. I’d rather die than live down on my knees.” Is it any wonder that Somni was worshiped so much in the Hawaiian apocalypse story?

The other favorite story of mine was Tim Cavendish’s nursing home fiasco. Tim can be described as an eccentric old man with more creativity in one of his farts than most people have in their whole bodies. That’s why it’s important for him to escape that dreadful nursing home so that he can become the imaginative author he was always meant to be. Of all the characters in this movie, Tim is easily my favorite to root for. He’s foul-mouthed, he’s delightfully Scottish, and he’s not afraid to express himself despite the conformist nature of his environment. In many ways, the nursing home is a lot like dystopian South Korea, and no, that’s not hyperbole. If Tim can stand up to that oppressive place, who’s to say others can’t learn something from his individuality?

The lessons in individuality and the craftily connected timeline are what make Cloud Atlas a modern day classic. It’s not perfect and probably does need to be watched more than once, but it’s still enjoyable and it’ll still blow your mind. Another notch in the Wachowski’s belts, another excellent decision when they partnered with the legendary Tom Tykwer. Just like the timeline of events, the stars aligned perfectly to bring the audience a movie they can love. How does a passing grade sound to everybody?