Movie Review: Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018)

Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018) directed by Morgan Neville

Fred Rogers is the creative genius and star of the long-running and wildly popular Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. One central question about him is whether he was the same in person as what he portrayed on television. This documentary examines this question along with what his message was.

The documentary shows that Fred Rogers was what he portrayed in his show. But there's more to the story, because there's more to what he portrayed. He's not just the gentle sweater-wearing man who listens attentively, behaves graciously, and acts kindly. Rogers also performed most of the puppets, including the cat Daniel, who was very vulnerable, simple, and honest. He also played King Friday, the occasionally overbearing authoritarian who wants his way all too often. From interviews with his wife and children, it's clear that bits of the man were in all of these characters. Of course, the overall show is very upbeat, gentle, and affirming. He was no tyrant at home because, as his wife says, he was never allowed to express anger in words as a child, something that stuck with him throughout life. He certainly knew what he wanted and took direct approaches to get it.

Fred Rogers was more than a TV personality. He had been studying in seminary when he first saw a television. He was amazed by the possibilities of the medium and took some time off from school to work in the medium. He eventually finished his degree and was deeply influenced by the child psychology of the time. He used his Christianity and his training to make a children's show that was extremely simple on the surface but with surprising moments of depth.

Rogers always engaged in important issues, though often subtly. When Robert Kennedy was assassinated, he had a show where Daniel asked what the word meant. That started an honest and kid-appropriate conversation. When 1960s racial tensions had bigots throwing blacks out of public pools, Rogers invited his neighborhood's police officer Clemmons (who was black) to share his foot pool. Rogers even shared his towel for drying off. His belief that people should be treated with dignity and respect permeated all of his work. He didn't dumb things down for children but found a way to talk to them as intelligent, feeling, and inexperienced persons.

And that's the way he treated everyone--on the show and in real life. He was the same person and a great role model of gentleness and honesty that is severely lacking in this day and age.

Highly recommended.

Parental warning: This documentary is rated PG-13. There is some mild profanity from one or two interviewees; one person mooned Mr. Rogers' camera and we see the photo briefly; another person discusses his homosexuality a few times and how Rogers reacted to that; footage from 9/11, the Challenger explosion, and the Vietnam War are included. Unlike the TV show, this documentary is not for little kids.