Review: "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" Gives Its Audience a Nice, Warm Hug

Scene from A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Over the past few years, it has been argued that public access TV icon Fred Rogers was a radical. Despite being a homely man known for his kindness and sweaters, he presented complex ideas to a young audience that others may consider too mature or even inappropriate. These themes included war, death, and divorce among others and presented a discourse that helped to prove that what the world needed wasn't to shield children from problems but help them understand and accept their emotions in healthy ways. It was the stem of an idea that inspired director Marielle Heller to tackle the power of Rogers' words in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, cast impeccably with the nicest man in Hollywood himself, Tom Hanks, playing a man perceived to have no reason to despise. The results get to the heart of why audiences love Mr. Rogers, but it's nothing revelatory. It's a decent film that shows the power of understanding with warmth, but it lacks anything regarding any further depth of character that could make it a satisfying character piece.

The First Trailer for "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" Welcomes Tom Hanks with a Good Feeling

Sene from A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

It's that time again. It's the point where Tom Hanks returns to play a noble cultural icon whose intentions are pure of heart. In recent years, this has included Walt Disney (Saving Mr. Banks) and Captain Sullenberger (Sully) among others and reflects what the actor is best at. Hanks is someone who appears genuine in every performance, and once again with Fred Rogers, it appears like he's stuck his name in the ring for Best Actor yet again. Director Marielle Heller's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is a biopic on the famous PBS host that is looking to cheer everyone up in the first trailer. While it's not quite as heartwarming as the real thing, it does seem like another time to be reminded of Hanks' gifts for sweetness. 

Review: "Demolition" is a Great, Endearing Depiction of Grief

Scene from Demolition

Over the past three years, director Jean-Marc Vallee has pretty much made a career out of being presumable "Oscar bait." This is most prevalent in his problematic debut Dallas Buyers Club, which earned Matthew McConaughey a Best Actor award as well as a Best Picture nomination. While he hasn't quite hit that high since, his work definitely continues to veer off into far more interesting directions. His mixture of humanity and familiar yet earnest themes may not make for the most captivating dramas, but what he does so well is make dramas full of personality and life that compensate for their familiarity. While not his best, Demolition feels like the perfect embodiment of what he does so well, thanks in part to a great lead performance by the reliable Jake Gyllenhaal.

Review: "August: Osage County" Has a Lot of Great Performances... and Meryl Streep

Left to right: Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, and Julianne Nicholson

The appeal of director John Wells' August: Osage County is that it pits many talented actresses against each other in a fight over family dysfunction through varying generations. Lead by Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep, this adaptation of the Tracey Letts' play is an effective slice of drama that lets characters shine and even tear into each other with a vibrant, hostile script that makes one hot weekend in Osage County into a pivotal point in the Weston family's life. It may at times suffer from overacting, but at its core, it is an engrossing family case study.

Is "August: Osage County" Capable of Being a Last Minute Best Picture Contender?

Left to right: Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts

*Note: Due to unforeseen circumstances, I was unable to write up a piece on director John Wells' August: Osage County during its premiere week.

With the Oscar nominations exactly one week away, it is an exciting time at The Oscar Buzz to look at all of the nominees. While I have covered majority of the big contenders over the past few months, the one that I forgot to write a piece on is August: Osage County, which looks to be a haven for potential actor nominations, specifically for that of Meryl Streep in the Best Actress race. The truth is that as the literal last film of 2013 to come out that had any awards potential, it does seem strange that it hasn't quite caught any buzz yet.