Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Grade: A-

I was a regular viewer of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. I’d still watch it most every day after school in 5th grade, while drinking Coke out of a plastic champagne flute, like you do. When those were all gone, I’d graduated myself to a real wine glass. Even younger than that, I remember trying to talk to him through the TV screen. At the age of no-older-than-5, I asked my dad if he wanted to meet and talk to Mr. Rogers one day. When he humored me and said “sure,” I retorted back with “Well, you can’t – because he only seems to enjoy talking to kids.” I remember being in nursery school, frustrating myself from trying to copy the font in the letters of the show’s title – particularly the R with the long tail. I remember the line in the song he sang at the end of every episode – “I’ll be back when the day is new, and I’ll have more ideas for you” – and if the show aired on a Friday, he’d change the line to “when the week is new.”

Director Morgan Neville (20 Feet From Stardom) has put together one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen with Won’t You Be My Neighbor? This is the Mr. Holland’s Opus of documentaries. It will calm you, cleanse you, refresh you, and fill you with a tremendous amount of hope and pride. It will bring out the best in its audience. I have a feeling that the driver of the Chevy who cut me off without a turn signal on Old Milton Parkway afterwards had not just seen the movie.

What a magical, special man Fred Rogers was. He never condescended, always spoke slowly and matter-of-factly, wasn’t afraid of reflective silence, and didn’t shy away from difficult topics like death, divorce, or the assassination of a president. As far as I know, he also never parodied himself or did edgy things on camera for shock value, like what Rodney Dangerfield did in Natural Born Killers, or what Bob Saget does in his stand-up act. The filmmaking style of Won’t You Be My Neighbor? is true to the man and his shows: pensive, sweet, thoughtful, and quiet. It is hypnotic to watch. The interviewees are largely limited to the people closest to him, like his wife, sons, and Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood cast members. There’s a Fred Rogers biopic in the works, starring Tom Hanks, due in October 2019. I am eager to see what kind of companion piece it might be.

WYBMN is rated PG-13. It’s a funny thing, because it is perfect for young, thoughtful children who have the attention span to sit through an hour and 34 minute documentary. As Roger Ebert said, the MPAA counts the beans but doesn’t taste the soup.

Mr. Rogers was a great father figure to many, and appropriately enough, I saw this film yesterday, on Father’s Day. I did not buy myself a Coke, but I thought about it.

Grade: A-