Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (2018)

• Year: 2018
• Released: 29 Jun 2018
• Country: United States
• Adwords: 54 wins & 34 nominations
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7681902/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wont_you_be_my_neighbor
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/wont-you-be-my-neighbor
• Available in: 720p, 1080p, 720p
• Language: English, Hebrew
• MPA Rating: PG-13
• Genre: Documentary, Biography
• Runtime: 95 min
• Writer: N/A
• Director: Morgan Neville
• Cast: Fred Rogers, Joanne Rogers, John Rogers
• Keywords: children’s tv show, mister rogers, child friendly, serious subjects gently discussed,

	8.3/10
	85/100
	97% – Critics
	94% – Audience

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Storyline

Largely through interviews with family, friends and colleagues and through archival footage, a profile of entertainer Fred Rogers, best known for his iconic long-running children’s television show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (1968), is presented. Nearing completion of his seminary studies which he would eventually complete to become an ordained minister, he became interested in the relatively new medium of television in being dismayed by what he considered the cheesiness of children’s fare in his interest in not either dismissing children or their feelings. All his shows bucked the trends of the time in their sheer simplicity, especially in their visual design partly out of budget, but more so in his focus on what he wanted to convey. While those messages were borne out his religion and his conservatism, philosophical and political, religion and right-wing politics were not front and center of the message, which were straightforward in addressing what many children were feeling about real world issues. Such adult issues of the day covered included assassination (of Senator Robert F. Kennedy), war (Vietnam), race relations (especially black-white), the Challenger explosion, divorce, and, after the end of the show, 9/11. His philosophy also borne out of his own childhood insecurities in being the proverbial fat kid, the many parodies done of his “Mister Rogers” persona is addressed and if the real Fred Rogers was truly any different than Mister Rogers. Criticism of him and the show are also brought up, such as the homosexual orientation of François Scarborough Clemmons, who portrayed Officer Clemmons, coming to light, he who could not officially “come out” as being against the show’s overarching messages, and whether his message that every child is special has resulted in an entitled generation. As an epilogue, interviewees muse about what the world would be like today if there were more Fred Rogers, including what he would do in addressing today’s world problems if he were still alive.

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Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Movie Reviews

a legacy of nice

Greetings again from the darkness. Is it too good to be true? We often ask that question in life, but when it comes to Fred Rogers of “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood”, director Morgan Neville’s documentary proves the answer is no … he was good and true. Fred Rogers hosted the children’s TV show on PBS for more than 30 years, starting in 1968. The terrific (and surprisingly emotional) film provides the background of the show, and more importantly, profiles a wonderful man.

Director Neville (BEST OF ENEMIES: BUCKLEY VS VIDAL, 2015) has produced numerous biopics on musicians ranging from Keith Richards to Muddy Waters to Johnny Cash to Brian Wilson. His subject this time out was known for his singing the show’s familiar opening number, and his lyrical legacy was his substantial impact on many generations of children. Mr. Rogers was an ordained minister and, in the early days of television, recognized that violent cartoons were not appropriate programming for the formative childhood years. Even in the early years, he was an outlier with sincerity and wholesomeness in entertainment. He never shied away from tough topics – not even death – whether it was the assassination of Robert Kennedy or a dead fish in the aquarium on set. He spoke directly to children in a voice and language they understood.

There are interviews with fellow cast members, long timer crew members, and relatives, including his wife Joanne. We hear Francois Clemmons (Officer Clemmons on the show) discuss how Mr. Rogers addressed Clemmons’ homosexuality and race, adding poignancy to the shared televised foot bath. Archival footage takes us back to the early years, and we see Lady Aberlin and Daniel Tiger in both black and white and color segments. We learn that the puppet Daniel most resembled the personality of the host himself … a quiet, patient, compassionate being who cared about others.

We see footage of Fred Rogers testifying in front of a Senate sub-committee to prevent funding for PBS from being eliminated, and we see numerous cardigan sweaters and tennis shoes. Mostly we see the approach of a man who built a legacy on kindness and human decency … a lifetime pursuit of uniting that led to struggles with depression. His obsession with 143 – both his weight and his code for “I love you” provides some insight into his personality, and mostly we hear others speak of his lasting impact.

Rather than comedy and pranks, Mr. Rogers was intent on making kids feel safe and secure in a scary world. Sure he educated – often subtly – but it was his innate ability to comfort that kept kids coming back. There are naysayers who say he is responsible for generations of entitled kids who grew into entitled adults, but the film addresses this by showing Roger’s commencement address where he clearly explains the “special” label. His final show was in 2000 and he died in 2003. His legacy is simple yet powerful. We can each do better. We can each be better. We can each be better neighbors.

Inspiring.

“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” is a very sweet documentary about the life and career of Fred Rogers….the man who created and starred in “Mr. Rogers Neighborhood”. It was a VERY successful documentary, earning back more than 45 times what it cost to make!! Yet, surprisingly, the film was not nominated for an Oscar.

The film focuses primarily on Fred Rogers’ career on television, his impact on others and his philosophy about television and children. It consists of many archival clips with Fred as well as many interviews with the folks who knew and loved him. It’s all very moving and very interesting…but I advise you to have some Kleenex handy, as some parts are quite moving. Exceptionally well made and well worth seeing…even if, like me, you were never a fan of the show.

Mr. Niceguy

This is a documentary about the legendary Fred Rogers who created the iconic children’s show. I never saw the show other than a few clips although I’m certainly familiar with the ideas of the show. I probably know it more from its many spoofs. What I didn’t know about Fred is his religious convictions or that he’s a Republican. Neither is that surprising although it sheds some light on his personal views. Like some suggest, this is his sermon to the children of America. His unabashed conviction of the goodness of humanity is undeniable and infectious. He is who he is. One can really see his world view and his natural self in this. The best moments come from the kids with loving open eyes when they meet their best friend from their TVs. It is a touching tribute and it doesn’t shy away from the darker material. That’s not to say that Mister Rogers had a dark side. It’s that there are actual people who hated Mister Rogers. It’s an interesting insight into the man when he tells Clemmons that he has to fire him if his homosexuality comes out of the closet. The man has convictions but he’s not a revolutionary trying to overthrow the establishment. It’s obvious that the children comes first and at the end of the day, he is for the children.