So while I was sick, I managed to watch a couple movies, both of which I loved, and neither of which I expected to like at all.

The first was Lilo & Stitch, which I managed to not-watch for eighteen straight years. And holy shit, how did no one get across to me that this was more than just Moana with an angry alien instead of an adorable pig?

I mean, what the hell? Tia Carrere —whose greatest previous cinematic achievement was being schwing-worthy— delivering a powerful performance as the best sister in all of Disney lore? A big ol’ slice of goofy sci-fi served up to an audience that wasn’t normally targeted for that sort of thing? And a lead character who’s essentially the Anti-Princess… a little girl so real, so full of distressingly grounded pain and problems, that even the otherwise excellent Inside Out seems trivial and superficial in comparison? I’m disappointed in myself for letting all of that slip by.

Granted, it isn’t perfect. It falls victim to the limitations of old-school Disney… they didn’t really have much of an ending, so a lot of the plot is resolved with quick “hey, it’s animation!” shortcuts. But that first hour is amazing, and had me all misty-eyed more than once.

A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood didn’t hit quite as hard, but it hit more personally.

It’s far too easy to forget how good Tom Hanks really is. (So easy, in fact, that half the reviews of his work written in the last twenty years seem to inevitably mention how easy it is to forget him.) But he completely disappeared inside his character within minutes of the film’s opening, and stayed gone the whole time. It helped that he was playing opposite Matthew Rhys, who is also exceptional at seeming normal, but still… Hanks has come a long, long way from fucking Bosom Buddies.

But what struck me most were the little moments that made me realize that Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood —a show I watched half-heartedly and almost disdainfully as a kid— is embedded deep in my brain.

“You like everyone, but you love people like me. Broken people.”

I’ve got to tell you, “sadistic Mr. Rogers” is not at all the vibe I’ve been going for, but I’m afraid it’s the one I have.