Fred Rogers used puppets and play to explore complex social issues: race, disability, equality and tragedy, helping form the American concept of childhood. He spoke directly to children and they re...
“The best thing we can do is tell someone they’re loved and capable of loving”. This is the central quote in “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”, the stellar new documentary from Morgan Neville (“20 Feet to Stardom”) on Fred Rogers of “Mister Roger’s Neighborhood” fame. More than just a “life and legacy of” documentary, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” shows us what happens when a person chooses to love others — it is both a well-made film and a powerful call to action.
In an always-light tone, the documentary shows us how Mister Rogers became a household name; from puppeteer on a cheap kids show, to the host of his own show, to a national phenomenon and worldwide icon, Fred Rogers quickly became a force to be reckoned with even as he took what “makes good television…and [did] the exact opposite” as Margy Whitmer, producer of his show, puts it. At various points throughout the film, Rogers’ show is blatantly contrasted with the vibrant and zany children’s programs that ran parallel to his, and the difference is hilarious at times; on one hand, you have loud, explosive, and violent cartoons, and on the other, you have a 30-year-old man feeding his fishes for about 30 dead-silent seconds. Again, many of the interviewees note how unorthodox the show was, but how everything — even its prolonged silences — was always purposeful.
Rather than piling a load of history on us (as many documentaries do), “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” uses events in Mr. Rogers’ life as dots that connect to form a full portrait of his character. No time is wasted; after telling us about an event, it quickly tells us how that relates to the kind of person he was. Through all this information, the film means to lay out a pristine example of love for all its audience follow. We are made to marvel at Rogers’ total selflessness, his humble understanding, his unfading joy, and his unceasing concern for others. Moreover, all these qualities are heightened as he exercises them to the fullest with children; we all know little kids just may be the hardest ones to be patient and constantly loving with, but Mister Rogers showed us it is not only possible, but extremely necessary. Lest we feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of his benevolence, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” plays us a clip from one of Rogers’ final public speeches in which he reminds us, “you do not have to do anything sensational for people to love you”. We are reminded by Junlei Li, Director of the Fred Rogers Center, that our value comes from our Creator, not our actions (or our features), and once we see that value in everyone — as Mr. Rogers surely did — we become fully capable of loving them even in the simplest of ways.
I really loved how the documentary spent such a small amount of time on various controversies during and after Rogers’ career, treating them as simple blips in an otherwise triumphant life; the reason for many critiques ultimately comes down to the fact that no one could believe he was real! Journalist Tom Junod tells us that people just couldn’t seem to find a category to place the type of man Rogers was. It is hard to imagine that someone so selfless existed in our modern era, but the rest of the interviewees also constantly assure us that he was completely real, quirks and all. But, the documentary doesn’t stop at simply proving how great Mister Rogers was, it actually ends by addressing the audience directly; we are challenged to think of someone who has loved us deeply so we know we are “loved and capable of loving”. In the end, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” is more than a movie, it’s an extension of Fred Rogers’ ministry.
