Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Since 1963, Fred Rogers has been educating the children of America.  He has brought joy, laughter and real-world issues right into our homes for about 40 years, and has indeed made himself, whether or not we wanted him to be, our neighbor.  I do not write about people in this blog however, I write about movies.  This movie is the one you'll want to see if you are looking for the details of Fred Roger's life, and the show that touched our nation.

Being the first documentary I've blogged about, I'm having difficulty finding my voice in describing this film.  For those who have never experienced an episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, or seen the way Fred behaves, they will get all of that and more out of this film.  To me, Fred has always seemed off; there's an unnatural way that he smiles and speaks with such calm alacrity.  He always has what seems to be a facade in place of normal emotions.  You might see Fred and think he's fake, too nice or just a children's entertainer, but once you see his behavior and the reactions of those who were close to him you will realize he is just what he claims we all are: very special.

The film Won't You Be My Neighbor is primarily composed of two elements: interviews with co-workers, friends, relatives, loved ones etc. and clips of Fred at work.  One of the things you will quickly realize when you see him in clips in character and out of character is that THERE IS NO CHARACTER! When you watch Fred Rogers in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood  and see him in interviews you will notice that he is not an actor! Sure, he does puppets, voices, sings and plays music, but the way he behaves on camera is the exact sort of person he is all of the time.  He is surrounded by a caring and genuine warmth that, for most of us, is unbelievable.

Following Fred's life, you are told how he came to be the sort of man we do indeed know.  As we live in a world where most of our heroes are fictional or only great on the surface, it's hard to accept that someone who is like Fred Rogers ever existed.  Using a children's show, Fred sought to educate and uplift our nation by teaching respect, responsibility and most importantly, the value of loving one's self.  He nursed entire generations into believing that they were special and wonderful just the way they are.  For better of for worse, that message has resounded throughout america and across the world.

That's the gist of what happens, and to be honest, I wasn't sure about the film at first.  It starts kind of slow, and I found myself somewhat wishing I were watching the new Mission Impossible just one theater over.  Within a half an hour to 45 minutes, I was enamored.  I suddenly got pulled so hard and fast into being emotionally dedicated to the watching of this movie.  I being to cry halfway in and, like a wrecking ball, every time I stopped falling apart it hit me again.  I was swept away by the words of Fred Rogers, his loved ones and the emotions that surged through me from one shot to the next.  I went from laughter, to tear, to laughter, to anger, to tears, to tears, to tears.

Won't You Be My Neighbor may be the best documentary I've ever seen.  In the true style of a documentary it was thorough, gripping and had valuable lessons aplenty.  It wasn't until near the end that I realized that the initial slowness of the film paid homage to the nature of Fred Rogers and his show.  The overall finish as a documentary was textbook and as a viewer it left me feeling so many emotions I didn't know what to do with myself.  Won't You Be My Neighbor is absolutely sensational and I label it required viewing for fans of documentaries or Mister Rogers' Neighborhood!

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