India, Jan. 18 -- This is the story of a true saint, though Fred Rogers would disapprove of that description. It suggests a certain unattainability, which goes against his philosophy. The children's TV host wanted to give his viewers - millions across several decades - ideals they could strive towards. While taping an episode in which he attempted to pitch a tent, for instance, Rogers tried for several minutes before realising he couldn't do it by himself, and insisted on keeping the footage, refusing to rig the tent in advance. His saw his failure as a valuable lesson: "When adults make plans, sometimes they don't turn out the way they'd hoped." Tom Hanks is perhaps the only actor alive who could have played Mr Rogers without making him seem unrealistic. Partly because he's just such a likable man himself. But characters like this don't typically make for thrilling protagonists. So director Marielle Heller, of 2019's terrific Can You Ever Forgive Me?, makes Rogers a supporting character in the story; a catalyst for change in the life of another man. This man is our surrogate in the film, representative of the cynical outside world. Played by Matthew Rhys, Lloyd Vogel is a fictionalised version of the journalist Tom Junod, who in the late '90s was assigned to write a profile of Mr Rogers for Esquire. He was insulted at first; an award-winning journalist said. But Rogers's sheer niceness converts Lloyd, in more ways than one. A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood reminded me of the recent Disney movie, Christopher Robin. There too, a world-weary man reconnects with the innocence of his youth. It also reminded me of Joker, a film that explores a world at the other end of the spectrum, one devoid of empathy and compassion. Much like Rogers, A Beautiful Day. might be too good for this world. It's old-fashioned, earnest, and utterly positive in its outlook. But that's precisely what makes it so precious....