Won't You Be My Neighbor?
Directed by: Morgan Neville
Rated: PG-13
Get your sweaters on and tissues ready because Mr. Rodgers is here to remind us that it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
Won't You Be My Neighbor? is a documentary on the life of Fred Rodgers. It aims to show the audience how he changed lives through his revolutionary TV program "Mister Rodgers Neighborhood". Every second of this documentary expresses the extreme creativity, love, and compassion that Fred Rodgers showcased on a daily basis.
Fred Rodgers was originally going to be a minister (and was ordained), but he was fascinated by the world of television. He saw TV as a tool that could either do harm or good. He hoped it could do some good. He wanted children to see something other than mindless entertainment every waking moment of the day. He didn't want television to exist as a useless pacifier, but as a powerful educational tool. So he began work on his show.Won't You Be My Neighborhighlights his brilliant creative mind that worked tirelessly to put on an intelligent show for children. He didn't treat children as second-class citizens. He wanted children to understand what was happening in the world. So he tactfully brought up real, topical issues like assassination, divorce, and segregation on the show. He also brought up important messages about feelings, behavior, and social issues. He made his set a comfortable neighborhood environment and each episode had a message of love surrounding it. His ending always told children there's only "one person like you and you make every day special." While watching this, I wondered what Mister Rodgers would think of TV today. Then I just tried not to think about that. TV is not the same without him.
It can't be overstated how Fred Rodgers truly practiced what he preached. He really did love his neighbors. All of them. At a time when many faced oppression, Fred Rodgers opened them with open arms. His co-star was black, his friend was gay, and he was happy to meet children with disabilities. He was a wonderfully kind man who was always working to better the world.
This documentary really displays Fred Rodgers creativity. Through the creation of his show, music, and puppetry, we see he was profoundly creative. There is a segment in the film about a puppet named Daniel Tiger that I found very fascinating. I don't want to go into too much detail because you'll want to see for yourself. However, it shows how he used his own past struggles for artistic gain in a beautiful way.
Won't You Be My Neighbor was directed by Morgan Neville. It's worth noting that he directed 20 Feet From Stardom, another wonderful documentary that's worth watching. Neville does a fantastic job of mixing interviews from family, friends, and crew mates of Fred Rodgers, archival footage from Mister Rodgers neighborhood, and animated footage of Daniel Tiger. Each segment flows wonderfully. It is emotional, uplifting, and heartwarming. I was riveted throughout the whole documentary and didn't want it to end.
Won't You Be My Neighbor is a moving documentary about the power of love and kindness. We should all aim to be a bit more like Mr. Rodgers.
My Rating: 10/10