“The audiences were much more moved by goodness than sadness,” Director Morgan Neville said of the profound emotional effect his most recent and highly successful project had on viewers. “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” tells the story of Fred Rogers, the man behind the legendary children’s show, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and his journey to win over the affections of America’s future.
To date, there are none who were quite as invested in the development of children as Rogers was. His approaches were revolutionary in that it broke boundaries of what was accepted as the norm for having challenging conversations with children. As a child Rogers was isolated and frail, often having to create his own entertainment as a way of boosting his own morale and expressing emotions he felt the adults in his life stifled. In his early adult life, he had intentions to pursue ministry until he saw television for the first time. He stated that his initial spark was discovering how empty television programs felt and that someone desperately needed to fill the void in creating programs of value; specifically, for children at a time when children’s programs weren’t popular.
Even as culturally relevant as Rogers’ tireless work was to our lives as children, very few knew of the intimate details of his personal life. He was often the great American subject of speculation, many questioned his credibility, his sexual orientation and above all his sincerity. What the film manages to execute beautifully is a sense humanity, peeling back that layer of Rogers that seemed almost Christ-like. Neville, who success’ include works such as “20 Feet from Stardom” and the highly controversial “Best of Enemies,” the audience is treated to a revelation that their beloved child icon, like them, had moments of self-doubt and fear.
With over 900 episodes and surplus hours’ worth of behind the scenes footage, the film itself seems like a well-woven neighborhood of its own, aided by stunning cinematography and an animated re-creation of Daniel Tiger. Neville manages to evoke a grand sense of child-like wonder in the audience and in the true spirit of Mr. Rogers does not shy away from the more poignant subjects.
Many might view the film’s discussions on morality as didactic, when that’s simply not the case. To the credit of the filmmaker, this film opts out of preaching but instead asks to practice empathy, if only for a brief moment. For how can you have a healthy neighborhood without understanding? “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” is one of the most humane documentaries to date, which in the current culture of fear and consumption might be the necessary supplement to begin the healing process or at least try to understand.
