▁drama ... ▁But ▁just ▁as ▁Mr . ▁Rog ers ▁used ▁his ▁show ▁to ▁talk ▁about ▁big ▁issues ▁with ▁children ▁in ▁a ▁tone ▁that ▁was ▁so fter ▁and ▁more ▁hal ting ▁than ▁you ' d ▁expect ▁given ▁the ▁subject ▁matter , ▁so ▁does ▁H eller ▁stick ▁to ▁under statement ▁in ▁a ▁way ▁that ▁threat ens ▁to ▁become ▁d ull ▁or ▁sa ppy ▁but ▁never ▁does ." ▁Ar mond ▁White ▁of ▁National ▁Review ▁was ▁more ▁critical : ▁" H eller ▁and ▁screen writ ers ▁Mic ah ▁Fitz erman - Blue ▁and ▁No ah ▁Har p ster ▁don ' t ▁show ▁enough ▁faith ▁in ▁Rog ers ' ▁rem ed ies — and ▁not ▁enough ▁interest ▁in ▁their ▁religious ▁orig ins . ▁In ▁short , ▁the ▁movie ▁seems ▁w ary ▁of ▁faith ▁( it ▁briefly ▁mentions ▁that ▁Rog ers ▁was ▁an ▁ord ained ▁minister ) ▁and ▁sett les ▁for ▁sec ular ▁sentiment ality ▁to ▁account ▁for ▁his ▁sens ibility ▁and ▁behavior . ▁This ▁not ▁only ▁weak ens ▁the ▁film , ▁but ▁it ▁also ▁h ob bles ▁H anks ' s ▁character ization ." ▁Benjamin ▁Lee ▁of ▁The ▁Guardian ▁wrote : ▁" It ' s ▁a ▁given ▁that ▁H anks ▁will ▁nab ▁at ▁least ▁a ▁best ▁supporting ▁actor ▁nom ination ▁but ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁all ▁too ▁easy ▁to ▁forget ▁his ▁co - star . ▁The ▁c yn ic - be comes - a - bel ie ver ▁arc ▁is ▁age ▁old ▁but ▁it ▁unf olds ▁here ▁without ▁c liche ▁thanks ▁to ▁an ▁em otion ally ▁intellig ent ▁script