It is a reward that we all have Tom Hanks in our lives as the greatest American actor to ever live in this great Earth.

“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” is an absolutely strong contender for the best film of 2019 for many, many, MANY reasons. This film is a requirement for all places of education to show their students to handle their feelings in the greatest shape of form.

Marielle Heller’s film tells the story of a man named Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys), an Esquire newspaper writer who is broken inside because he lived through a tough experience with his mother passing away. What adds more infection to Vogel’s life is his abusive father played by Chris Cooper when at a wedding, he makes a huge insult towards his family and harms him.

His face then looks red and raggedy on his forehead after the fight.

Vogel then gets asked by her editor Ellen to interview Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks), the host of the titular show “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”. This makes him really picky about the choice of Rogers because Vogel thinks that he is a “hokey children’s host” where he is really not.

Arriving to the WQED studio in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Vogel experiences the studio magic of the television show. When encountering Fred Rogers, Lloyd interviews him until Fred notices that awful-looking forehead of his. Fred then wants to find out what caused Lloyd that abominable pain.

Lloyd comes back from Pittsburgh to tell his editor at Esquire that Mr. Rogers is a fake and his positivity can be more so of an act than the real thing.

That makes Lloyd Vogel rethink of Fred Rogers and there truly might be positive outcomes to ease the pain of what the intrusive, devilish times he is going through.

Heller makes this film not just the best of her entire career, but also a tremendous work of art that is a requirement for everyone to see immediately.

It is a shame that this film is not getting the Oscar consideration it deserves because this holds as a moving, emotional tribute to the legend himself. It will be an awful crime if Tom Hanks gets snubbed for Best Supporting Actor more so personally than the documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” getting snubbed last year.

Speaking of Tom Hanks, he is perfect in any performance he does. He transforms into the friendly and shy Fred Rogers and has the attitudes of helping someone handle their feelings like a school counselor would. This is maybe his best mature and out-of-character performance since “Captain Phillips” in 2013.

Matthew Rhys is flawless as Lloyd Vogel and an acting newcomer to look for through the next decade of film. His character is a broken human being whom needs to believe a man can deliver positivity. You feel the movie magic there where you care for him the entire duration that it becomes a spiritual character study. You have faith and courage for this man throughout.

Chris Cooper should get a lot more recognition for perfectly characterizing his supporting role as his contemptuous father, Jerry. His scenes with Lloyd without giving anything away are just both heartfelt and moving.

Heller makes a strong commentary on the power of forgiveness and how it can assist one another to believe in it. It is a message that is going to relate and stay with many audiences and hopefully the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The way “Beautiful Day” is filmed is imaginatively unique with portions of it respecting and honoring the original television show’s aspect ratio format including how the cities are shot so minimal. Nate Heller’s musical score also sounds very reminiscent to Johnny Costa’s piano work in the original show. There are even cameos from the show as well as Daniel Tiger and King Friday XIII references fans of the show will leave very satisfied.

Not to lie, I can see audiences being confused with Tom Hanks misled as a supporting role rather than being the poster boy as a lead role. Another issue that audiences might not understand is that it is not quite a biopic about Mr. Rogers. It is set up like a one-on-one interview biopic like Ron Howard’s “Frost/Nixon” from 2008.

An argument can be made that this might be an improvement over last year’s “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” documentary. “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” is an achievement in cinema in every sense of the word that brings such a timely reminder that Fred Rogers is truly the greatest celebrity ever lived. It is deserving for anyone to make a list of the best films of 2019 and maybe the best.

Go see it now.

Grade: 10/10