I was hoping to see the movie, Midway, yesterday, but it was not playing at a nearby theater. It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood and my wife didn’t want to get in the car. Naturally, she wanted to see It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, but I had little interest. I saw the previews and it looked silly, but so would have Forrest Gump, Castaway, or Big, all movies that I enjoyed. Somehow, Tom Hanks has a magical way of portraying lovable characters, so I agreed to go (as if I really had an option?). I thought it was great, showing how little I knew about Mister  Rogers. 

I was seventeen years old when the show was on TV. It was also on PBS that our family rarely watched. My parents weren’t really into movies and television, but were all in favor of something to entertain me and my sister. I don’t even remember my son watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, so I had little exposure to the program. For that reason of unfamiliarity, I was not interested in seeing the movie. I’m glad I listened to my wife, because it definitely struck a cord with both of us. 

It’s supposedly a true story with some Hollywood stretches, but this man was definitely special. He would ignore his own staff to attend to the needs of his guests, whether it be a troubled child or adult. If there was any criticism of his character, it would be that he did not respect the time of his crew, while focused on a specific individual. However, his skills and patience in interacting with others were remarkable. It did matter if they were young or old. Through swimming and banging on the piano he was able to release his frustrations rather than take them out on fellow humans. Despite his popularity he also remained humble. It made me think about my actions and ask WWMRD?   

What would Mister Rogers do? How would he deal with traffic, for example? He did have a driver and often took public transportation, so he was rarely behind the wheel. I’m sure he would not have been as impatient as I am with other drivers. As far as public transportation there was an improbable sing-along scene of his popular theme, but in reality he probably would have gotten mugged rather than serenaded by fellow passengers. Was he maybe the second coming?Is this movie perhaps the answer to world peace? It will definitely make you ask, WWMRD?