“Must Streams” of 2020 (Vol. 1) - A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

in #film5 years ago (edited)

If you were lucky enough to grow up in the 70’s or 80’s, few things evoke such a feeling of unconditional acceptance and security as the voice of Fred Rogers.

Watching his show, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, was one of my favorite childhood memories. I was a bookish, anxious, and introverted child in what, then to me, seemed like a world of extroverts. I didn’t always feel like I fit in but Fred made me feel that I was fine exactly as I was.

Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood ran on PBS for a staggering 31 seasons from 1968 until 2001, with only a gap of a few years in between. Fred Rogers taught many generations of children lessons in patience, understanding their feelings, and self-acceptance (just to name a few). Tom Hanks does an uncanny job of capturing the essence of the amazingly rare person Fred was, in all his nuances.

I’ve been in somewhat of a funk these past few weeks. It seems like bad news, feelings of cynicism, doom and gloom, and stress are descending on me from every conceivable angle. After watching A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood last night I felt all of that weight immediately lifted. Like magic, I was instantly reminded of the good still left in the world. I laughed when I realized that, all these years later, at nearly fifty years old, Mr. Rogers’ lessons are still impacting me in a positive way. This is a testament to the timelessness of his message.


"How many times have you noticed that it's the little quiet moments in the midst of life that seem to give the rest extra-special meaning?" - Fred Rogers


The film isn't exactly what I expected. The concept for it was based on an interaction that Esquire magazine columnist, Tom Junod, had with Fred back in the mid-nineties (click here to read the article). I don’t want to reveal any of the finer details of the plot but I will only say Fred had a profound impact on the life of Tom and his entire family.

If you need a similar break from the arguing and cynicism as well as a reminder of the good still left in the world, I highly suggest watching this film.

Rent The Film Here on Amazon


"Some days, doing 'the best we can' may still fall short of what we would like to be able to do, but life isn't perfect on any front-and doing what we can with what we have is the most we should expect of ourselves or anyone else." ~ Fred Rogers


Here’s a list of my Must Stream picks for last year:

  1. The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons Learned From a Mythical Man ;
  2. Heal;
  3. The Kindness Diaries: Season Two;
  4. Ramen Heads;
  5. Anthony Bourdain's Raw Craft.; and
  6. Peaky Blinders.

Happy Streaming,

Eric


I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.

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Alarm Clock Dawn, one of the first full length novels published on the blockchain, and the book that started it all for me can be found HERE. Or Click Here to read it for free on the Steemit blockchain

My book on meditation, The Perfect Pause, is priced at $12.99 (paperback) and $4.99 (eBook). Buy the paperback and receive the eBook for free!

Let’s Keep In Touch

www.ericvancewalton.net

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I loved the train. That was my favorite part of the whole show! I remember watching it very well. Oh yeah, the neighborhood of make believe was one of my favorites as well. Great stuff. I am going to have to check this one out.

Me too @bozz! That entire "land of make believe" that the trolly went to just lit up my imagination as a child. There's also a podcast called "Finding Fred" highlighting lessons he taught for an adult audience...good stuff.

Oh yeah, it was a trolley wasn't it! I will have to check that out.

He was very relaxing. Glad that seeing the movie gave you a boost. I’ll put it on my must see list.

Yeah, he sure was. Thanks @kus-knee! Let me know what you think if you have a chance to check it out.

The world really is in need of more feel good stories; living here in SA I never got to see Mr Rogers' Neighbourhood but I will look out for this movie as well as some of your other suggestions!
The value of good entertainment is way underestimated, and this program having such a positive effect on you is a prime example!

I agree, @lizelle. We need his message much more than ever. Another thing I recommend is a podcast called "Finding Fred", they focus on some of the lessons Fred taught to children only they reframe them for adults. I hope you're having a great week!

Hi Eric, how are you doing? I haven't seen your post in a week. Are you busy ? Memories in childhood are indeed very imprint in us. TV shows make it often our favorite. I'm sure when you were little there was a boy who was very cute and smart. When I was little, I lived a very simple life. We only had a TV with a black and white screen at that time. Moreover, my country's economy was still underdeveloped. i hope you enjoy your happy day.

All is well @elianaelisma! I'm just spending less time on Steemit lately, focusing more on my writing and other areas of my life. I hope to be able to release a couple new books before the end of the year. We only had a black and white TV too until I was around twelve years old. I remember how happy we were when we got the color television! My family didn't have much money when I was a child. I hope all is good for you and you're having a good week. What's new with you?