MPAA Rating: PG-13/Genre: Documentary/Stars: Joanne Rogers, John Rogers, Jim Rogers, Elaine Rogers Crozier, Margy Whitmer, Hedda Sharapan, François Scarborough Clemmons, Tom Junod, Yo-Yo Ma, Joe Negri, David Newell, Howard Erlanger, Pam Erlanger, Jeff Erlanger, Fred Rogers, Koko, Hilary Hahn/Runtime: 95 minutes
I think it is safe to say that, among the noteworthy dates in the history of the world, there is one that sadly doesn’t get even remotely as much attention as 99.8% of the others. That date incidentally would be the 19th of February in the long-ago year of 1968. Now in case you’re wondering no that’s when Woodstock started nor is it the date that certain illicit substances were first partaken in. Actually dear reader this is the day that the world was first introduced to a TV show by the name of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and it’s soft-spoken, cardigan-wearing, and red sneaker-rocking host Fred Rogers. Of course, nowadays following an 896 episode and over three solid decades run, I think it’s safe to say that both the man and the show (to say nothing of the aforementioned cardigan and wonderfully annoying in how catchy it was theme song) are highly regarded by several generations of people who can all say that their lives were changed for the better in some way by what an episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was able to teach them one afternoon. Yet even with the show and the man himself being held in such high regard, it is a curious thing to note that for quite a while, and even to this day, a lot of people out there still didn’t know a whole lot about who Fred Rogers was as a human being past what he allowed us to see in the span of 30 minutes seemingly every day on PBS. To be sure, there is footage out there which can help with that, but for those of you out there who enjoy a good movie may I offer an alternative that is NOT the movie I reviewed a few days ago where the nearly as beloved Tom Hanks played Mr. Rogers? Rather, how about a documentary that incorporates some of the previously mentioned footage as well as interviews with groups of people who knew the man on some level a bit more personally than you or I? Well thankfully dear reader in the long-ago year of 2018 that is exactly what we got with the slice of cinema I am reviewing for you today in the form of Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Indeed is this a flawless slice of cinema? Tragically no, but then again very few movies of any genre are to be perfectly honest with you. At the same time however do not think that this is by no means a phenomenal film because that is also definitely not the case. To be sure it might have its miniscule hiccups here and there, but at the end of the day Won’t You Be My Neighbor? still manages to operate via moving and emotional work on both sides of the camera as an honest yet powerful and loving tribute to a man who was truly one in a million. Not just for what he did, but for who he was and who he consistently strived to be.
The plot is as follows: Mainly regaled to us via a combination of both interviews with family members, dear friends, and close work colleagues plus archival footage, this slice of cinema operates as an in-depth look at one Fred Rogers. As in the Fred Rogers widely regarded for his legendary and enduring kids show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. The documentary gets underway as we see that, close to the finish line on his religious studies, Rogers would become quite intrigued by the, at that particular point in time, the fairly new entertainment format known as TV. More particular how there really wasn’t anything that really took kids and their feelings seriously. As a result, he got the idea for a show called Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. A show that might have been low on budget, but would not skimp out on either heart or on its analysis on integral topics that no kid’s show would even think of going near with such examples over the years including death, divorce, assassination (due to the untimely demise of Robert Kennedy), war (due to Vietnam among other conflicts), the connections between different groups of people based on their respective racial backgrounds, the Challenger tragedy, and 9/11 to name but a few. By making the choice to create such a program, we see that Rogers was able to have a lengthy career where his genuineness, decency, and soft-spoken manner would both impact and captivate people all over the planet be they his target audience or even, in one particular powerful incident in his life, some of the more stubborn figures in our nation’s government at that time. Yet, as shown by this documentary, we see that this truly iconic man’s trademark on-screen persona also did something else. Namely it operated as a wonderful cover for Rogers’ vast amount of self-doubt in regards to who he was as a person to say nothing of what he was bringing to the table of life. Through it all though, the documentary may show us the very human man behind the legend, but it also shows that despite his own personal flaws Rogers still did everything he could to be a vital cornerstone to the more positive elements in life such as acceptance, love, and understanding. Elements that not only shone through during his life, but which shine through even today through reruns of his iconic program to say nothing of the numerous people whose lives were touched, even if it was just for 30 minutes a day, by this truly one-of-a-kind man…..
Now right off the bat, I will say that the work done behind the camera on this particular slice of cinema is fantastic in every sense of the word. Perhaps its’ most astonishing accomplishment though is how the crew behind the camera manage to give us this man’s history, an in-depth look at the man himself, and a lesson not that different from the ones that Rogers would teach his audience back in the day all in the time span of no less than 95 minutes. Incidentally it is that runtime that does prove to be one of the minor issues that this documentary is saddled with. I say that because the documentary goes down so many intriguing paths that you really do find yourself wishing it could stay on them a bit longer than it ultimately does. To be sure, the team behind the camera does still a phenomenal job of bringing all these components together, including some truly incredible animated bits with one of Rogers’ more iconic puppets Daniel Striped Tiger. At the same time though, you do also get the sense that this documentary could go on at least a solid 30-45 minutes longer than what it ultimately does and you still would be just as riveted as you are with the final cinematic product that we ultimately are given here. With that in mind though, I think it should be said that perhaps the most astonishing thing about this documentary though is how the crew behind the camera really does a wonderful job of showcasing for us how even someone like Mister Rogers is not as two dimensional of an individual as we might have thought he was. Nor for that matter does it engage in such a degree of hero worship that you get the feeling that this guy was a 20th century saint. A feat the crew behind the camera showcases full-on when they present us with a rather astonishing story from one of the interview subjects about how Rogers gave them a mild case of grief for going to an LGBT bar and making it clear they couldn’t go back to that particular bar since doing so, if discovered, could really do a number on them keeping the show’s sponsors on board. In the element of fairness, Rogers was a progressive in other key areas and yes he did tell this crew member that he still loved and accepted him for who he was as a human being, but at the same time he also didn’t want to put the show in jeopardy. Not just because he cared about all the kids watching at home, but because he wanted to make sure that the team working on it were still able to come to work the next day. Indeed it’s a bit of a difficult thing to come to grips with and I have no doubt that there will be those of you out there who certainly will be offended by this to the point that you will want nothing more to do with either this documentary or Mister Rogers afterwards. Even with that example in mind though, I do think that praise should be given to the creative team behind the camera for including incidents such as these as well as for the rest of their top-notch work. Not just so we get as multifaceted of a look at this iconic man as they could possibly give us, but so that despite his flaws and moments of very real human fallibility we are able to see that this is a man who off camera consistently strove to be the best version of himself so on camera he could continue to inspire young people to do the same.
Of course, the other big component to any slice of cinema working to the best of its respective abilities often comes up in the form of the work done in front of the camera. I say often because in a rare distinction I can safely say that whilst what we get a collection of talent in front of the camera in this documentary slice of cinema, I can’t really call what they are doing here “performances”. Rather, I think it is a lot more honest if I call their work here in this documentary slice of cinema more in the vein of “recollecting and reminiscing”. Even with that distinction in place however, I must say that the work done in front of the camera here is certainly moving and definitely powerful. Not just from the people you would expect like Rogers’ widow and his two sons respectively, but even from people such as those who worked on the show with him both in front of the camera such as Joe Negri, David Newell, and Francois Clemmons and behind the camera like Rogers’ loyal and longtime producer Margy Whitmer all the way to such individuals like iconic composer Yo-Yo Ma, American violinist Hilary Hahn, journalist Tom Junod (whose own profound encounter with Rogers inspired a certain movie I reviewed a few days ago) and the parents of a young man by the name of Jeff Erlanger who appeared in an episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood in his electric wheelchair as a boy and who would later go on to become a disability activist respectively. Yet even though there are moments where those we see on camera get more than a bit choked-up to say nothing of where they speak a bit more candid and honest than we might expect, one element still remains clear throughout. That being that the man that ties them all together was a man who presented them all with such a powerful mix of kindness, decency, heart, and love that it will continue to reverberate in their hearts for now and always and that ultimately, they are better people because of Fred Rogers and the amount of time that they got to spend with him during his time on this Earth. Of course, the documentary also manages to incorporate archival footage of Fred Rogers into the mix and when those moments happen don’t be surprised if you find yourself desperately trying to hold back tears as you too wistfully remember those truly profound 30-minute periods of time you got to spend with this truly incredible man.
All in all and at the end of the day I think I can safely say that whilst I might not be the best critic in the world when it comes to letting my emotions show in the middle of viewing a particular slice of cinema, I can proudly and honestly say that in the case of this film that was definitely not the case. This is because, in the name of complete and utter honesty dear reader, the 2018 slice of cinema that is Won’t You Be My Neighbor is one of the most emotional to say nothing of tear-inducing documentaries let alone slices of cinema period that I have had the immense pleasure of getting to watch in my time as a reviewer of some skill and talent. Indeed here is a movie that not only tugged at just the right heartstrings, but stirred up something within my soul that saw my vision get a bit on the blurry side from the tears that began to fall the moment the credits started to roll. Suffice it to say that it might not be a perfect documentary by any stretch, but there is no denying that this is one film that from both sides of the camera is able to do something even more powerful. Namely it is sure to leave you wistfully aching and longing for that era of time where the genuinely great man at the heart of this slice of non-fiction cinema did everything in his power to make the world less frightening, depressing, and even hurtful for kids and adults in equal measure and instead chose to make it one that, whilst still not flawless, was perhaps just a tad bit better thanks to the lessons he passed on to us. Suffice it to say dear reader that while we may never tragically get another human being in the vein of Fred Rogers, this documentary reminds us through the tears, heartache, and sadness that it’s ok. Not because it’s better to have had him in our lives for a time rather than not at all, but because the lessons he taught us and the impact he had will surely live for as long as there is still even a morsel of goodness inside a person’s mind and their soul, but most important of all, in their heart as well. On a scale of 1-5 I give Won’t You Be My Neighbor a solid 4.5 out of 5.
