Thursday, January 14, 2021

It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood - Personal Review

 At the beginning of September, as I was lying in my hospital bed after my surgery, I scanned the movie selections, looking for a light distraction.  

One of the options was ‘It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’.  I had seen the recent documentary on Fred Rogers, and thought this might be like that; a nice sentimental kid's-type movie, that would be just right for my vulnerable state; something that might be nostalgic, but not challenging.    

Holy Shit!!!  This movie is anything but fluff!  Fred Rogers plays a very important role in this movie, but it’s as much the story of a magazine feature-writer assigned to interview him as it is of him.  It’s about recovering from a betrayal so personal, so damaging, the effects endure for decades.  

It is a wonderful movie; possibly the best movie I saw in 2020.  I can’t recommend it highly enough ... but I wouldn’t recommend stumbling into it blindly, as I did.  It’s about healing, and sometimes the healing doesn’t start until you are willing to be touched where it hurts.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTWP0NwHuhc