Movie Review: Won't You Be My Neighbor

Who was Mr. Fred Rogers...really?

In this 21st century, internet-bound world we live in, everyone -- public figures at least -- seems to be masquerading as something else. That's why it's a huge relief to discover, thanks to the film Won't You Be My Neighbor, that America's favorite and most lovable old man next door, Mr. Rogers, actually was what he was pretending to be: a kind, patient, sincere man who really cared about children and tried to make the world a better place. Imagine that!

Other things you will learn about Mr. Rogers in this film:

• Mr. Rogers was not, as goes the urban myth, in the Navy or any other branch of the military
• ...did not have arms covered in tattoos
• ...was trained to be a Presbyterian minister before going to work for WQED in Pittsburgh
• ...was not gay
• ...had a wife and two sons (which is really bizarre to think about for some reason, I don't know why)
• ...started working with hand-puppets on live TV broadcasts as a way to fill in dead air when the film reels broke and had to be repaired
• ...tried to do a version of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood for adults at one point, but it flopped
• ...actually used his show to help children work through serious social and political issues like the war in Viet-Nam, the assassination of RFK, racism, and many others

What you're also going to do in this film (probably) is shed a tear or two. Just an up-front warning. I don't care who you are, even if you have no personal experience with Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood or even know who Mr. Rogers is (almost impossible if you're an American over the age of about 15), I challenge you to go through this film and not get at least a little misty-eyed. 

What was it about Mr. Rogers? Why does he stir up such feelings inside us? Maybe because (just guessing here) deep inside we all still have an inner child who is frightened and confused in this big, scary world of ours, and we remember how -- even if only for a half-hour a day -- Mr. Rogers made us feel safe and secure in a way very few other adults or institutions could. He made us feel like it was okay to have feelings, to be scared, to be upset, to be jealous, etc. and that somewhere out there in the big confusing world, outside the walls of our homes, there were people we could trust. And, most importantly, he told us that it's okay to be who we are. A powerful message for children and adults. 

As the credits rolled on this film, I noticed that very few people got up to leave. Were they "credit watchers"? Were they hoping for bonus footage? No. As I left the theater, I noticed grown adults trying to re-compose themselves before walking back out into the world, or simply basking in the afterglow of the emotional cleansing they had just received from being back with Mr. Rogers for 90 minutes. It was truly remarkable, and more than a few lone theater goers looked like they could have used a hug.