"A Beautiful Day" takes place in 1996 and tells the inspired-by-true-events story of Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys), a jaded, award-winning journalist of Esquire magazine, who is sent to Pittsburgh to write a feature article about the famous children's television host, Mr. Fred Rogers, as portrayed by Tom Hanks.

Lloyd, as well as having major issues with his father, is generally a person who is very cynical about humanity. While Rogers, obviously, is a shining beacon of optimism and friendliness that causes Llyod to reevaluate his attitude and outlook on life and on Mr. Rogers himself.

The movie aims to be a feel-good family movie and it accomplishes that, and in a realistic way. You buy each interaction between these two foil characters; it never comes off as forced for the sake of the message.

Tom Hanks has a spectacular performance as Mr. Rogers, stealing every scene that he's in. After viewing the film, as someone who did not grow up watching his program and who was four years old when he passed, I watched a video clip of real-life Mr. Rogers on his show performing his introductory song, with which the film shares its name. Hanks's portrayal of Fred Rogers is almost eerily accurate. Everything from his physical mannerisms to his vocal pattern was matched exactly by Hanks, and by the end of the movie, you will have forgotten you are watching Tom Hanks playing Fred Rogers.

All that being said, Matthew Rhys as Lloyd is the true protagonist of the film, and he also has a great performance and carries the story well. I never found him boring or uninteresting, and his issues felt genuine and relatable. The film would often do things like insert a slight high pitched ringing in the background whenever Lloyd would become angry or anxious, helping us to align with his character.

"A Beautiful Day" is a great coming together film, and is right at home releasing during the holiday season. Whether you are familiar with the "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" program or not, the film is still enjoyable. And if you happened to be experiencing some family drama over the Thanksgiving table, this movie may change your outlook on it to a more optimistic one.