Reviewed by Victor Rebikoff.
Director: Marielle Heller, Sony and TriStar Pictures, PG 109 Minutes.
Over the years Tom Hanks has provided many magnificent performances – one of his most recent being ‘The Post’ – but this is not the case with his portrayal of Fred Rogers the host of America’s long-running children’s TV program.
As the movie opens, Rogers – wearing a red cardigan – welcomes his audience of younger viewers by presenting pictures of his friends and puppets singling out a picture of Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys of ‘The Post’) with a bruised face.
Once Rogers finishes talking about compassion and forgiveness, the story turns to Lloyd, a cynical investigative journalist with Esquire magazine annoyed at being assigned by his editor Ellen (Christine Lahti of ‘The Steps’) to profile the celebrated Mr Rogers.
On meeting Rogers for the first time, Lloyd finds himself disclosing his recent spat with his father Jerry (Chris Cooper of ‘Demolition’), whom he has not seen for years and revealing how he received his injuries.
Lloyd approaches the interview with a great deal of skepticism – being especially sensitive to Rogers’ criticism of his way in dealing with his personal problems, and seeing this as a serious distraction that could prevent him from completing his profile.
Rogers’ suggestion that he should forgive his father for past failures compels Lloyd to leave immediately, only to find Jerry and long-time girlfriend Dorothy (Wendy Makkena of ‘Wanderland’) preparing dinner for his wife Andrea (Susan Watson of TVs ‘Divorce’) at his home.
Following a shouting match with Jerry, his father suffers a heart attack and is rushed to hospital where he is first visited by Rogers, then by Lloyd, who agrees to move into his house to care for his dying father.
Having reconciled his long-standing differences with his father, Lloyd finishes his profile on Rogers – making the main cover of the magazine – and acknowledging Mr Rogers as a nice guy with a genuine humanitarian nature.
This supposedly feel-good melancholy movie, from ‘Can You Forgive Me’ director Marielle Heller, is based on a factual friendship between the personable Fred Rogers and the jaded journalist, Tom Junod (renamed in the film as Lloyd Vogel).
Regrettably, it is Hanks’ performance that lacks the sincerity required in portraying his character – coming over in many scenes as cheesy compared to Rhys.
Furthermore, considerable doubt is cast on such a person consistently displaying a genial approach despite being constantly goaded by a problematical person confronting his own demons.
Vic’s Verdict: 3 Stars
