A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD on Blu-ray/DVD 2/18!
BRING A LITTLE KINDNESS HOME ON DIGITAL FEBRUARY 4 AND 4K ULTRA HD™, BLU-RAY™ AND DVD FEBRUARY 18
WITH OVER 15 MINUTES OF ADDITIONAL SCENES, BLOOPER REEL, AN ALL-NEWDANIEL TIGER VIGNETTE AND MUCH MORE
I had the chance to interview Marielle Heller the director of A BEAUTIFUL DAY in the NEIGHBORHOOD and she is remarkable!
BelAirMommie: Why is this story important to you?
Marielle Heller: Like many parents, I'm raising a young person in this current world that often feels like a scary place with few role models. Fred Rogers' wisdom has felt relevant in my parenting journey and learning more about his life's mission was very appealing.
BelAirMommie: How is it working with Tom Hanks?
Marielle Heller: Tom is as nice as everyone says. The bigger surprise was what a collaborative and humble person he is. He values the director/actor relationship and savors being directed. He is always happy to do another take and make a scene even more right.
BelAirMommie: Did you meet any of Fred Rogers’ family members to give you guidance?
Marielle Heller: Joanne, Fred's wife, has been an invaluable resource, as well as Bill Isler who worked with Fred for decades. We called on everyone who knew Fred to share what they could about him. We were so lucky to be welcomed into their world with open arms.
BelAirMommie: Where was the film shot and how long did it take to film?
Marielle Heller: We filmed in Pittsburgh over 33 days (with a few days filmed in NYC) and then did a miniature shoot (meaning where we filmed miniatures) for another week.
BelAirMommie: What would you like audience goers to take away from the movie?
Marielle Heller: I hope audiences view the movie as an opportunity to examine their own childhoods and to connect with the wisdom of Fred Rogers in the here and now. In many ways the movie is an episode of Mister Rogers for adults.
BelAirMommie: What’s your fondest memory from shooting A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood?
Marielle Heller: So many but one that stands out was the first day we filmed in WQED- the studio where the original Mister Rogers was filmed. We walked in and saw the set recreated so lovingly and Tom in his sweater. We all felt it was a day we would never forget. The running theme when speaking to Heller, Watson and Vogel, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is about family, love, acceptance and forgiveness. Just as Mr. Rogers would have wanted. Be ready to cry, laugh and long for your childhood. A spectacular movie, not to be missed!
Thank you Sony for the amazing experience, it was extraordinary and what I took away, we all need to be kind to everyone we meet, because we don't know what they are battling.
Put on your comfiest cardigan and spend some quality time with Academy Award®-winner Tom Hanks when he takes on the role of a life time as childhood icon and broadcast legend Fred Rogers in A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, coming to digital February 4 and 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ and DVD February 18 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and digital releases are loaded with bonus features sure to please both longtime fans of Mister Rogers and newcomers to the Land of Make-Believe, including over 15 minutes of additional scenes, an adorable blooper reel, an all-new featurette starring Daniel Tiger, filmmaker commentary and a behind-the-scenes look at the work that went into bringing this heartwarming and inspiring story to life.
Tom Hanks portrays Mister Rogers in A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, a timely story of kindness triumphing over cynicism, based on the true story of a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod. After a jaded magazine writer (Primetime Emmy® Award-winner Matthew Rhys) is assigned a profile of Fred Rogers, he overcomes his skepticism, learning about kindness, love and forgiveness from America’s most beloved neighbor.“Hanks is amazing” in the role that has earned him an Oscar®nomination for Actor in a Supporting Role—his sixth career Academy Award Nomination. He stars along side Rhys, Screen Actors Guild Award®-winner Susan Kelechi Watson and Oscar®-winner Chris Cooper under the direction of acclaimed filmmaker Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?, The Diary of a Teenage Girl).The film has achieved nearly universal praise, earning the designation of “Certified Fresh” from RottenTomatoes.com and receiving raves from critics, including Rolling Stone’s Pete Travers, who calls A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD “irresistible,” Pete Hammond of Deadline who says it’s“the movie we need right now” and FOX-TV’s Jake Hamilton who calls it “the most heartfelt and uplifting film of the year.”A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD has a run time of approximately 109 minutes and is rated PG for some strong thematic material, a brief fight and some mild language.