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| Fred Rogers in "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" Photo Credit: Imdb.com |
Between the late 1960s and early 2000s, Fred Rogers graced the nation with his children’s television show, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” With this program, he found many ways to show his viewers his ability to find the goodness in everyone and unite them as he encouraged the universal importance of being kind.
Fifteen years after Fred Rogers’ passing, his lessons and legacy prove to be as important as ever. In Morgan Neville’s new documentary, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”, be provides an endearing and detailed view of the influence that Mister Rogers had on generations of Americans.
Right at the beginning of the film as the opening theme to “Mister Roger’s Neighborhood” (“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”) plays over the opening credits, you’ll become misty-eyed because you know that this sequence is setting you up for something special, emotional, and joyous. This song was used to welcome us to spend an afternoon with Mr. Rogers, and this film now uses it as a greeting for us to learn about his life.
Through the interviews with Mister Rogers' family and colleagues, we learn about how Mister Rogers impacted those around him and how he was a person with a sense of compassion that we should all aspire to emulate. We hear from Joanne Rogers (Fred’s wife), James and John Rogers (his sons), cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Joe Negri (who played “Handyman Negri” on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”), Margy Whitmer (a producer on the show), François Scarborough Clemmons (who played Officer Clemmons on the show), and several others. Although we know that Mister Rogers was an individual with one of the world’s biggest hearts (that’s as clear as can be), it’s still a delight to listen to these interviews that reaffirm this.
One of the most-important things Mister Rogers did was teach children their value and to cherish what made them different amongst each other. This is exemplified in a heartwarming scene when Mister Rogers meets with 10-year-old Jeffrey Erlanger, who became a quadriplegic after a surgery for a spinal tumor. It’s here where we see an example of Rogers’ ability to see children for who they are beyond their outward appearance. And, when they sing “It’s You I Like,” you should have your tissues ready, if they aren't in your hand already.
Mister Rogers' understanding of children is shown in the first scene of the movie, where we see him at a piano and talking about modulations between keys. He goes on to describe how some changes between keys are easier to make than others, just how there are easy and difficult changes that children may face in their lives. Rather than just discuss this matter, Rogers uses an art form to enrich what he's teaching, showing us the beautiful way in which he viewed the world.
Mister Rogers also focused on national issues, such as the racial tensions that plagued America during the twentieth century. In one of the film’s most-touching moments, we see footage of an episode where Mister Rogers and Officer Clemmons bathed their feet in a small pool as a way to show unity in a time of segregation. This shows how “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” had as much of a social impact as it did a cultural one.
Neville also exhibits how Mister Rogers acted as a source of comfort in our lives during times of uncertainty, such as the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, the “Challenger” explosion, and September 11. Through these tragedies, we see how Mister Rogers possessed a gift for helping us make sense out of what was happening in our world and was a guiding voice to help us navigate the grief that was felt.
Through Neville's extensive research about his subject, "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" is a shining tribute to a man whose unconditional love was always there to get us through the day. We weren't just lucky to be his neighbor, but also, a dear friend.
Final grade: A
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