Christian Faith Is the Missing Ingredient
in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
National Review,
by
Armond White
Original Article
Posted By: M2,
11/29/2019 6:59:15 AM
In Polar Express (2004), Tom Hanks kept urging “Believe!” without specifying what to believe in. Some of that same damnable over-secularization threatens to ruin Hanks’s new film, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Hanks plays Fred Rogers, creator and host of the TV series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (aired 1966–2001 on public broadcasting), which taught life lessons to children. The movie re-creates those homilies by artificially re-creating scenes of the show’s videotape and alternating them with the real-life story of optimistic Rogers (Hanks) being interviewed by cynical journalist Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys).
Director Marielle Heller attempts a sensitive, almost spiritual evocation.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
udanja99 11/29/2019 7:26:16 AM (No. 248240)
Hanks is on my no-see list. I don’t understand how a man can make a movie like Saving Private Ryan and still be an America hating leftist.
24 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
Rumblehog 11/29/2019 8:42:00 AM (No. 248314)
Humanists always try to co-opt the good fruits of Christianity without any mention of Christ. You can fake it, but you'll never make it without Jesus Christ.
22 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
rikkitikki 11/29/2019 8:57:10 AM (No. 248333)
Jesus said, "I am God". (Jn 10:30, Jn 8:58): the Jews certainly thought so (Jn 10:33).
There are only three possible explanations for that claim: He was either lying, or crazy, or...telling the truth.
In view of the universal acclaim given His teaching on love, benevolence, forgiveness, the meaning of life, etc...only one of these explanations could be true.
And if you accept that Jesus is God, then you are obligated to learn His teaching, and to act on it. (cf. Jn 3:3).
12 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
rikkitikki 11/29/2019 9:06:24 AM (No. 248344)
Great article.
The same anti-Christian bias is readily apparent in Disney productions, too...in which pagan faith is promoted while not once demonstrating a main character praying to the Christian God. Characters in Disney productions put their spiritual faith in fairies, volcanic deities, magic spells, and even wish upon a star...while never mentioning the name of Jesus Christ.
Satan, of course, has gained great tactical advantage by brainwashing children in most Western cultures at their most vulnerable stage in life...such that the writers, producers, directors, and actors in such movies as "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood", having grown up in the spiritual desert of Walt Disney, have absolutely no way to explain the benefits of Christianity on our culture.
10 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
rusino 11/29/2019 9:09:12 AM (No. 248349)
Mr. Rogers was a fine man. Although I found his Show boring!
6 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
bigfatslob 11/29/2019 9:54:59 AM (No. 248410)
I know nothing about Mr. Rogers Neighborhood in was during my children's growing period. I only viewed it as simplistic but better than cartoons being constantly watched. I'm not a fan of Hanks who has slipped tremendously probably suffers from a severe case of TDS affliction. I hope it's another Hollywood failure and flop.
3 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
Lawsy0 11/29/2019 10:06:20 AM (No. 248423)
I need more information. Dr. Rogers was an ordained, active Presbyterian minister, so if that fact is ''overlooked'' in the movie, there's no way I'll watch some fantasy-biography about a man we all came to love. And yes, I mocked him when I was a teen, but my son loved him in real time as did my grandsons. Both of us were able to see the homage paid him on SNL: it wasn't quite the sneer they had intended.
4 people like this.
I have not heard any objections being expressed from Fred Rogers' family regarding the lack of emphasis on his "faith" in the movie; were they consulted for the film? It would be instructive to hear what his wife and sons might have to say about this.
According to Wikipedia, Fred Rogers was a graduate of Dartmouth College, Rollins College (BA), Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (MDiv), and the University of Pittsburgh. He was a Presbyterian minister, not a "fundamentalist" Baptist preacher. Did he ever actually preach a sermon? And although his messages were "inspired by the core tenets of Christianity", again according to Wikipedia, "Rogers rarely spoke about his faith on air; he believed that teaching through example was as powerful as preaching. He said, "You don't need to speak overtly about religion in order to get a message across."
Well, what message would that be? What "message" came across to children with regard to "faith"?
I did not grow up on Mr. Rogers. But his message and philosophy was obviously acceptable to the liberal PBS, or he wouldn't have landed a program. His program was not "Focus on the Family" or "Family Life Today". If Rogers was acceptable to the liberal segment of our population, then there is a reason for that, IMO: no overt expressions of the Christian faith, which is acceptable to large segments of our culture, so why would there be an emphasis on it in the film?
For the true Christian, the Gospel must be preached. It isn't enough to silently "lead by example". I guess I don't see a valid complaint here.
3 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
marbles 11/29/2019 10:49:23 AM (No. 248476)
#1 Because movies are just that , movies. NOT reality. It's people playing a part. I's a job. For ( big ) money. It's called acting.
2 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
zephyrgirl 11/29/2019 11:27:35 AM (No. 248509)
The last movie where Tom Hanks was correctly cast was "You've Got Mail." He's no more a Presbyterian minister than he is an alpha male soldier, an astronaut, or commercial airline pilot (and amateur glider pilot).
3 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
Luke21 11/29/2019 11:51:27 AM (No. 248529)
He was a gentleman's gentleman and a man of faith. Any movie that ignores such a large part of his life is a sham.
2 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
TexaTucky 11/29/2019 12:37:43 PM (No. 248566)
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood never talked about Jesus or God or church or Christianity, so it seems a bit affected and disingenuous to get your nuggets all twisted up just because the movie doesn't either.
7 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
kono 11/29/2019 2:12:58 PM (No. 248630)
Is the movie supposed to be about the man's life or just about his show? If the latter, then #12 is probably right. If the former, though, then his Christian faith should part of it (at least overtly present, maybe even prominent).
2 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
NYbob 11/29/2019 3:28:36 PM (No. 248665)
Why do so many adults watch a show intended for kids around age 5 and then complain it wasn't entertaining for THEM??? Really? I guess in the ultimate age of ego it makes sense.
I enjoyed the documentary 'Won't You Be My Neighbor,' but I am going to take a wide pass on a movie about a depressed reporter who is shocked to find some people outside the media are just nice people. That and the fact that Hanks is doing a bad impression. He has all the superficial aspects down, but he can't incorporate the core of Fred. Too much time in Hollywood and worse, he has the mean, nasty, sharp edge of a snob progressive. Mention President Trump to Hanks and see what kind of nice guy he is.
4 people like this.
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Hollywood liberals: scrubbing the culture of Christianity once again. This will not stand.