In my movie reviews, I usually try to avoid any spoilers. Since this is a documentary dealing with publicly available information, I am not withholding anything this time. You can watch the trailer at the end of this post.
Won't You Be My Neighbor? is a documentary about Fred Rogers, star of "Mr. Rogers Neighborhood." It is directed by Morgan Neville and features original footage and interviews with Fred Rogers, his family, as well as the cast and crew of the television show.
The film chronicles the beginnings of the show in the 1950s when Fred Rogers worked with puppets on a children's television show in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania before leaving to become an ordained minister. He would later create the long running "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood," which would go from a local show to national syndication on the PBS network.
He was ahead of his time, addressing segregation, divorce and political assassinations, all of which were questions children needed to have addressed as this was in the news and their lives. He had a way with children, addressing them directly. It was as if each viewer had a personal audience with Mr. Rogers.
I have to say it's not easy to write a review of a documentary, especially one that doesn't expose any big secrets or anything. He was pretty much exactly who he portrayed on television, an empathetic caring individual. What I would rather focus on is what makes this movie bring the viewer to tears. I'm not the only one who cried during this. Many reviewers are saying the same thing. I am not certain that younger audiences would have the same reaction.
Many people like to whine about how Ghostbusters remakes and Star Wars sequels are destroying their childhood. I grew up with that stuff too (and I also don't like the Star Wars sequels), but my childhood was Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. I carried my love of Star Wars and other movies into adolescence and largely abandoned Mr. Rogers like an imaginary friend. Watching this film was like suddenly being revisited by that imaginary friend. This was not just someone on TV that said they were your personal friend but actually a real live person with a life of their own.
If that doesn't work, let me try another analogy. If anyone ever lost a grandparent, parent, aunt or uncle at a young age, this could bring the same emotion as seeing a documentary starring your lost relative, finally getting to have them visit you again.
The film shows behind the scenes looks at make-believe, the origins of Daniel the Tiger and King Friday the 13th, and interviews with cast and crew of the show. Most notable is the interview with François "Officer" Clemmons, who had to hide his homosexuality for fear of the show losing sponsors. Fred Rogers accepted that Francois was gay but also advised against being public about it. For that time period, I don't know if he could have done anything else. Society has unrealistic expectations when it comes to sexuality and the stars of children's television.
If you grew up with Mr. Rogers, you should love this movie. Bring tissues, or grab extra napkins from the concession stand. Make sure you're hydrated. Drink plenty of water.
I give this a rating of an absolute 100%.
This trailer is the property of Focus Features
