WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? (PG-13)
Released by Focus Features
Review by Adam Mast
Like a lot of kids growing up in the 70s, there were two t.v. shows I refused to miss: One was a little program called “Sesame Street” and the other was “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” There was always something special about Fred Rogers. Ask anyone who grew up on his show, and they’re likely to tell you the same thing. Mister Rogers never talked down to children. He always had the innate ability to talk to us at our own level and this is one of many reasons he became such an icon.
With the insightful and endearing WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?, documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville (20 FEET FROM STARDOM) delves into the life of this kind-hearted man. By way of stock footage, rare behind-the-scenes clips, and interviews with the people who knew and loved Fred Rogers most, Neville has fashioned a wonderful love letter to this amazing individual and everything that he held dear.
One of the more intriguing aspects of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” was that despite its substantially lower budget, it was considerably more successful then many of the other kids shows at the time, and the immense popularity of that program was a testament to Rogers himself. Again, he was the genuine article and his core audience responded to him because they knew that he understood who they were inside and out. But Rogers’ road to success wasn’t always an easy one. Through his own brand of kindness, Rogers always fought the good fight, be it by chipping away at breaking down racial barriers through his show or by taking on the U.S. Senate in a bid to stress the importance of PBS, his victories were hard fought and they were always in the best interest of the world at large. Of course, it was really always about speaking directly to our youth. It didn’t matter who you were or what problems you were facing, Mr. Rogers cared.
Generally speaking, what a really great documentary needs is a compelling subject and the revealing WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? really succeeds because the spirit of its subject permeates every moment of this picture. And in fact, there are stretches throughout this moving documentary that are so profound and so steeped in genuine, unfiltered compassion that that indelible Mr. Rogers spirit even manages to seep off the screen and straight into you heart.
Honestly, I was wrecked by the time this movie came to a close. Not because it offered up moments of sadness and not because it’s a reminder that we no longer have the friendly and compassionate Mister Rogers around to guide us and our own children through this crazy thing called life.
No, the primary reason I found WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? so incredibly moving and so undeniably powerful is because of it’s importance in our current climate. We live in a divided time when we need people like Mr. Rogers most, and that’s why this thoughtful, loving, and heartfelt tribute is a must-see for everyone. Regardless of whether you grew up on this man’s show or not, what he stood for is on full display in this picture. WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? is an instant reminder that there’s still plenty of good in this world, even in turbulent times like these.
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