What do Santa and Mr. Rogers have in common? – Thoughts on A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Film
A packed movie theater anticipates the curtain to be pulled back and reveal the real life of Mr. Fred Rogers. Some gather hoping to hear the story of a great faith. Others, pointer fingers at the ready, come to discover what person shaped his remarkable character. And the cynics arrive cringing, expecting the Mr. Rogers’ monument to topple over.
True to everyone’s favorite neighbor, at the start of the fil featuring the national icon, Mr. Rogers redirects the spotlight away from himself. Instead, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is a story about the person we need to reflect on, ourselves. This movie becomes a two hour opportunity to think about you, me, the funky person sitting in the next seat over, and even a cynical journalist with a broken heart.
While the script is intentionally written in a way many people impacted by Fred Rogers could have been interchanged, one person is named, Lloyd Vogel. And Lloyd is the best candidate because he is every person with pain, anger, hurt, cynicism, callous, expectations, and value.
Walking into the movie I felt embarrassed imagining I was the only one who remembered Mr. Rogers’ awkwardness, his creepy hand puppets, and the unrhyming songs. At some point in the hype over this new release I wondered if I ever really liked the television show about a fantastical neighborhood. Reading Rainbow and Arthur stand out in my memory more poignantly.
The hours after my first viewing of the film, I thought a lot about why a movie full of awkward camera angles, slow songs, and grainy pictures did not feel lengthy or boring; rather I wished it had been a bit longer. I wanted to watch more stories from The Neighborhood.
And that is just it, Mr. Rogers was known to create time for people. We refer to long pauses as awkward silences. Mr. Rogers stated with his silent actions, “You are worth waiting on.” We say hurry up. Mr. Rogers told people, “I want to come along with you during your day.”
Which brings me to Santa. Maybe their commonalities stood out because I saw a picture of red coated Mr. Claus next to a red cardigan dressed Mr. Rogers at the theater. They are two very special people, that give us warm fuzzies and smiles. But I believe their commonality is something more meaningful. These two unique individuals are intentional in the way they make time for people.
Santa delights in bending time for every boy and girl all year long. In one night, he stops by every house for presents, milk, and cookies. Children come to sit on his lap where he waits to hear their Christmas wishes. His job is to think about kids around the world even on his days off.
Of course children flock to Santa and Mr. Rogers. To a young person time is not measurable and concrete. They live bedtime to bedtime and the night before Christmas can stretch into an eternity in a child’s mind. They are not rushing anyone through a story or peering at a smart phone on the table’s edge during play time. Time pauses for their encounters with the world around them.
Mr. Roger’s wife, Joanne, brought it all together in the movie when she said about Fred, “I don’t approve of the word ‘saint’. It makes what he does unattainable.”
To think of others like it is your best job, is something rare but also attainable. I thought about this question the rest of the week: when was the last day you made time for someone? I am talking like stopped the clock, no where to be, refrained from checking the hour on your phone, kind of time. In my memory, the way that person responded was worth the effort. But could I live that way every day?
While Santa Claus might live forever, Mr. Rogers had a finite life the same as you and I. And still he made time last by choice. He stared into the TV screen because he could reach more children that way. He brought everyone around him on group lunch dates so more people could be fed, physically and emotionally. He listened to people who needed it, knowing one day they would learn to be that listener for someone else. And just like Santa, he stretched time for what mattered most.
If there is one thing every audience member can walk away with it is that you, I, he, and she can attain the level of love and commitment to others by following Mr. Rogers’ example. He never complicated his lessons, and everything he taught was designed for understanding by the smallest of children. We too can turn minutes into miracles for the people around us if we choose to be intentional with the clock.
When you go see A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood enjoy your time with Mr. Rogers. Allow the magnificently unseen Tom Hanks to stare into your heart through the screen. Bop your head to the little song about what to do when you are so mad you could bite. Pause to let your thoughts settle during the end credits before joining the seasonal bustle outside the theater. You deserve time too.
To watch the movie and more, just follow the links attached.
