Tom Hanks has been Golden Globe nominated for his moving performance as Fred Rogers in A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood. And Cineworld Unlimited members got to see it in advance earlier this week.
Rogers was revered as America's moral conscience because of his long-running TV show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. The programme ran for over 40 years, encouraging creativity and compassion in its young viewers.
And director Marielle Heller's new drama follows suit, exploring how Rogers is profiled by journalist Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys), whose puff piece editorial soon becomes a revealing piece of self-examination. Via his interactions with Rogers, Vogel learns to come to terms with himself, and his relationship with his father.
So what did Unlimited members make of it? Fran Orford says the movie has a powerful message.
Absolutely adored it, still thinking about it now. I wish we'd grown up with Mr Rogers in the UK. Such a moving and thought provoking film and great performances from Tom Hanks and the wonderful Matthew Rhys. A must see.
— Fran Orford (@Frannybobs) December 10, 2019
Anjum Khan agrees, praising the movie's sense of decency.
Absolute amazing Tom Hanks. The movie is not for everyone. It brings out certain emotions you would not want. It is more like a tutorial on how to deal with negativity in life. #cineworldunlimited
— Anjum Khan (@absolutelykhan) December 10, 2019
Kyle Snape lauds the movie for embodying Rogers' spirit.
It was an absolute delight. It’s a very quiet film that truly displays the power of acceptance and understanding through Mr Rogers’ teachings.
— Kyle Snape (@kylemsnape) December 10, 2019
It has a great childlike tone but also doesn’t feel afraid to talk about serious issues in a mature way. One of the best of 2019.
Sue Ginda says it's another winning performance from Hanks.
Not what I expected but I was totally drawn in by the story. At first it seemed quite a gentle film but it tackled some serious issues and To Hank's performance as Mr Rogers was mesmerising and the resemblance uncanny.
— Sue Ginda (@SueGinda) December 10, 2019
JuliaLovesRain89 says the movie defines the term 'heartwarming'.
Honestly, I was tearing up at points. Such an amazing film, Hanks was perfect as Mr. Rogers and Rhys was a real revelation in how great he was! Add on fantastic and creative visuals and you have one of the most heartwarming films of the year.
— JuliaLovesRain89 (@MuddyWelliesGal) December 10, 2019
Nevertheless, some viewers say the film's message gets lost in translation – after all, we in the UK didn't grow up with Rogers on the TV.
Decent performances by Tom Hanks & Matthew Rhys, but as someone who hadn't really heard of Fred Rogers, it didn't really hook me in to see why he was so loved Stateside, which was needed to make its point. Not the worst film in the world, but didn't reach its potential for me.
— Dave Billingsley (@dab051176) December 10, 2019
If you were at the screening, tweet us your reactions @Cineworld and using #CineworldUnlimited.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is released in Cineworld cinemas on the 31st of January 2020.
Your next Cineworld Unlimited screening is Taika Waititi's wacky World War II satire Jojo Rabbit. The movie screens in advance on the 16th of December.