User blog:TehPlaneFreak/Pure Good Proposal: Mister Rogers (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood)

What's The Work
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is a drama film directed by Marielle Heller and starring Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers and Matthew Rhys as Lloyd Vogel. In the film, Rogers, a kindly children's television show host, strikes a friendship with Vogel, an embittered Esquire journalist who is assigned to interview him.

Who is He/What Has He Done?
Rogers is a famous children's television show host who serves as the purehearted antagonist of the film. In addition to working with young children and helping them understand their preciousness, Rogers helps Lloyd acknowledge his repressed emotional trauma and forgive his father Jerry for abandoning him, his sister, and his mother for another woman.

Corrupting Factors
None that I know of. Rogers serves as the paragon of morality, wisdom, and kindness in the film and consistently stands above pride and revenge, much like his real-life counterpart.

Admirable Standard
Rogers crosses the Goodness Zone multiple times in the film.
 * 1) From the moment he meets Vogel in his WQED studio in Pittsburgh, Rogers sees through Vogel's callousness and into the goodness in Lloyd's heart. He immediately displays concern for Vogel's nose injury and considers him a friend; while he knows that Lloyd intends to destroy his reputation, Rogers chooses to see Lloyd as a friend in need instead of allowing this reality to inform his behavior.
 * 2) Rogers exhibits a deep humility that nobody else seems to match in the film.
 * 3) He is dismissive of the idea that he could be a hero, particularly in his first interview with Lloyd.
 * 4) While he is beloved nationwide, he not only chooses to use his fame as a force for good, but also doesn't even value it to begin with. He values his connections with the people he meets much more.
 * 5) He talks openly about his struggles as a father to two sons (and all of his mistakes have been made in good faith) -- unlike Lloyd, who is prideful and unwilling to be emotionally vulnerable until his encounter with Rogers.
 * 6) Rogers sees goodness in everyone he meets in the movie -- even Jerry, whom Rogers personally asks to pray for him.

Final Verdict
This version of Mister Rogers, I believe, counts as Pure Good as much as the real-life counterpart does.