Written by Eve Katz, Photos by Mallory Chain
Mr. Rogers changed countless lives and continues to be one of the most memorable TV personalities in American history. Tom Junod, a journalist known for his work with Esquire and ESPN, is someone whose life was changed by the infamous Mr. Rogers. Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue discovered the story of Junod and Rogers’ relationship through the hundreds of letters sent between the two men and decided to write a movie on it. This movie is “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”, and will be released in theaters November 22, 2019.
On November 2, 2019, Junod, Harpster and Fitzerman-Blue all sat before an eager audience as they prepared to tell the story of how the movie came to be.
Harpster and Fitzerman-Blue met and became friends all because of their shared interest in a book titled “Under Heaven’s Banner.” They shared an interest in adapting their favorite books into screenplays, and eventually came to work together as screenwriters for the Amazon series “Transparent.”
Before “Transparent,” Harpster and Fitzerman-Blue decided they wanted to make a movie about American icon Mr. Rogers. According to Harpster, this idea came about after finally getting his stubborn toddler to sit quietly while he put on Mr. Rogers for her to watch. He immediately contacted his colleague about this “warlock who speaks toddler,” insisting they make a movie about it.
They needed an angle for the narrative, some sort of tension to add to the sunny life of a lovable man who seldom spoke about himself. Fitzerman-Blue stated that they needed a “backdoor or a side window into the story.” This is how they found Tom Junod.
“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” character Lloyd Vogel is based off Junod. “I met Superman and I became like Jimmy Olson,” Junod said about the experience. He agreed to be involved with the film because he wanted to keep Rogers’ message alive.
The process of writing the movie was not an easy one. Harpster recalled that the table read of their first script before anyone was cast was brutal. The feedback they received may have been hard to hear at times, but it was helpful.
Harpster explained that a huge part of screenwriting is finding people that will give you pushback and challenge your ideas in a loving way. He shocked the audience by informing them that writing is only a small part of being a writer, it’s mainly about making relationships, collaborating with others and learning while you work. They also described screenwriting as telling the story as a painting, by making sure the whole narrative can be visualized and then going back and adding dialogue.
Fitzerman-Blue stated that the biggest obstacle he encountered while building his career was getting out of his head and getting more in touch with his feelings, for emotions truly are the center that strengthens every story. “He taught me brains and I taught him feeling,” Harpster joked on the subject.
Fitzerman-Blue, Harpster and Junod all made it abundantly clear to the SCAD students listening intently to their every word to never stop writing, to never stop creating and putting things out there. That’s how you find your voice.
