A fair comparison to make with "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" is "Saving Mr. Banks" - a film that has a very different goal in mind than what the audience came for. Both films feature Tom Hanks in a supporting role that steals the show in every scene he's in, and when he's not on screen both films are bizarrely melodramatic and poorly acted. Despite the title of both films, Hanks' characters are not the primary focus, in this films case its about a vaunted journalist (Matthew Rhys) whose having troubles with his father and interviews Mr. Rogers (Hanks) who wants nothing more than to help the young man. And while Hanks' scenes are whimsically charming and perfectly capture the love that Mr. Rogers had for everyone, the scenes without him are so strange in their discomfort and awkwardness that it does detract from Hanks' scenes, much like it did in "Saving Mr. Banks."
The intent was there - present a man who hates humanity to the most kind-hearted man who ever lived and see what happens, but there's so much focus on the hate that even the love doesn't quite feel rewarding in the end. This is still a movie worth seeing, if only because of Tom Hanks doing what he does best, but beyond that there's nothing going on with "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood."
Final Grade: C+
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