Won’t You Be My Neighbor? | Film Review

The number of truly genuine and kind-hearted people in the world appears to be dwindling every day. This is particularly true to television personalities. Fifteen years ago, we lost one in Fred Rogers, a man most known for his PBS children’s series, Mister Rogers Neighborhood. Director Morgan Neville commemorated the anniversary of his death with one of the most touching documentaries I’ve ever experienced. The film is aptly titled, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and will make you shed happy tears knowing such a person existed. You’ll also shed sad ones at the realization of the sheer impossibility of someone like him capturing society’s attention ever again. It’s a gorgeous homage to a beautiful person who deserves the adulation more than anyone from television I can think of.

Making the Most of This Beautiful Day

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? doesn’t break the mold in terms of documentary structure. Rather than moving chronologically, the director chose to share Mister Rogers’ story in thematic chunks. While it’s refreshing to see a film of this style stray from the easy formula, the constant random jumps in time can be slightly distracting. We’re not talking about Westworld levels of complexity, mind you. And this is a minor complaint about an otherwise delightful look into the man’s life.

The doc starts, naturally, at the beginning of Rogers’ career. We see an inside look at the young seminary student who discovered a more effective way to spread his positive mindset: television. Even in the technology’s infancy, many producers showed a severe lack of respect for children’s potential. Mister Rogers saw the potential in every child with whom he developed a relationship. Nearly every frame of Neighbor exemplifies that mentality. Better yet, it shows that the man we saw in each episode was not a character. Fred Rogers was exactly the same person on-screen as he was in his personal life.

A Good Feeling to Know You’re Alive

It’s difficult to put into words just how moved I was by this film. In a world so shrouded by darkness, Neighbor is a much-needed reminder that there is indeed goodness in the world. That there are people out there with better intentions in educating children than money. That it’s not only acceptable, but necessary to speak to kids on equal ground and with respect. As an educator myself, I left the theater inspired to be a better teacher, a better friend, and a better person. More importantly, I walked away with a sense of something that documentaries rarely offer: genuine hope.

As crazy as it sounds to say this about a documentary, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? is a must-see. It’s a beautiful look at the brilliant and charming man that was Fred Rogers. He’s a man who is officially my personal hero, thanks to this wonderful homage to an amazing individual. Thank you, Mister Rogers, for the many years of enlightenment, entertainment, wonder, and positivity. And thank you, Mister Neville, for the reminder of a man who was so integral to my own personal development. I’m already looking forward to my next viewing. We may never visit Mister Rogers’ neighborhood again, but I feel confident in saying that this film is the next best thing.

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? is now playing in theaters nationwide.
Special appearances by Fred Rogers, Joanne Rogers, Francois Clemmons, Jeff Erlanger, Yo-Yo Ma, Jim Rogers, John Rogers, John Pastore, and many more.
Directed by Morgan Neville