It's a beautiful day...
Thursday, March 21, 2019 at 11:39AM Well, not really. It's raining at the moment. But here's an official image from A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) to grace your screen.
The film is inspired by this article and involves a journalist having their perspective on life changed when they meet Fred Rogers (aka Mr Rogers). The film opens on November 22nd, 2019 (Thanksgiving is on the 28th). Tom Hanks is of course playing the iconic TV host...
The cast also includes Matthew Rhys as the journalist profiling him, the great but undersung actress Maryann Plunkett as Fred Rogers' wife Joanne, as well as Tammy Blanchard, Susan Kelechi Watson, and Chris Cooper. Good cast!
Given that a) Tom Hanks has been a near miss for an Oscar nomination a few times since his last nominations a million years ago b) director Marielle Heller is coasting on a lot of goodwill after her terrific work on Can You Ever Forgive Me? and c) the documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor? was a huge hit last year, this film has a LOT going for it on paper when it comes to both mass appeal and Oscar dreams.
We shall see.
P.S. Here's another image from the film, with the reporter meeting Mr Rogers on set. I smell a supporting actor Oscar nomination for Matthew Rhys to follow up his Emmy win...
Reader Comments (18)
Wouldn't the reporter be the protagonist and, hence, Tom Hanks will go in supporting (as per the plot summary)?
This is normally the kind of movie I'm inclined to hate on principle - baity-bait, Hanks saccharin. But Rogers truly was one of the great humans of the 20th century and how can I root against Marielle Heller?
Echoing Pedro's point, I've read that Matthew Rhys is actually the lead, and Tom Hanks is supporting (or at most co-lead) in this film. I imagine though that this could be like The Devil Wears Prada where the titular character looms so large that a lead Oscar campaign is inevitable. We shall see.
P.S. Keri Russell so deserved to win an Emmy for The Americans, even more so than her also-terrific co-star (see also: Connie Britton-Kyle Chandler in Friday Night Lights).
So, this is an interesting point @Mareko.
You obviously wouldn't put Anne Hathaway in the Supporting Actress category, she's in almost every scene. But, would you put Streep as supporting, or was she rightfully in the Lead Actress category?
Go Marielle go!
I hope the goodwill does spill over for Heller and hasn't Hanks been underappreciated this last few years,One of the last great Film Stars.
Both Hanks *and* Mr. Rogers have been weirdly snubbed by the Oscars the past few years. So if this movie is even just fine, I think they might want to course correct slightly. Plus that cast really seems great and I love Heller and Rhys. Hoping for the best!
Susan Kelechi Watson is fantastic-- the best thing about This is Us. (What? I was watching it with my mom...)
As I posted on Twitter, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep are in a race to see who can portray the most "real-life people" onscreen. I think she's ahead 10 to 8, but I may have counted wrong. It does not include their voice narrations (like Streep's Eleanor Roosevelt for the Burns doc.)
My Oscar fantasy is that Marielle Heller, Greta Gerwig, and Dee Rees are all nominated for Best Director next year!
(Yes, I know it won't happen, but a girl can dream!)
Pam,
If counting actors portraying real people, Depp's count is 8.
W Eugene Smith, Russell Poole, Whitey Bulger, John Dillinger, John Wilmott, James Barrie, George Jung, Joe Pistone.
(Not counting Donald Trump (Funny or Die), Frank Abberline (fiction using real person's name), Raoul Duke (Hunter S Thompson impression)).
Hanks has spent the last six or so years heavily baiting the Academy with the help of some of Hollywood's heaviest hitters to no avail, so I'm not confident this will be his ticket to that elusive sixth nomination -- especially considering how Won't You Be My Neighbor? didn't even score a documentary nod.
Leo has played 9 real-life characters. If Killers of the Flower Moon and Devil in the White City happen, there will be two more.
I want Hanks to win again so much!
Suzanne -- is Dee Rees even getting a mini theatrical release this time? Netflix has so many movies it's tough to say which they'll give theatrical attention to.
Nathaniel - Oh right. But as the champions of diversity and cinema I'm sure they won't let The Irishman overshadow their awards campaign for Rees and The Last Thing He Wanted (eyeroll).
Nathaniel, there is a real possibility that there could be three black actresses nominated in Lead : Lupita N'yongo, Alfre Woodard, and Cynthia Erivo. Something tells me it's gonna happen!