Neighborly

Most documentary films are released in obscurity. A handful get a limited release in a few art house theaters. Very few make it to the local multiplex. But then, most documentaries aren't about beloved icon Mister Rogers, like the new Won't You Be My Neighbor? It's been receiving quite a warm reception, and I decided to check it out for myself.

As a kid, I loved Mister Rogers. I have only vague memories of watching him, but my Mom assured me I did so all the time -- sometimes the same episode multiple times as it ran throughout a day. My Mom has also told me that of the various shows I was that deeply into, Mister Rogers was one she never quite got. And watching some clips from it as part of this documentary, I could sort of see why.

There's a way to read Mister Rogers that isn't great. He's slow-paced and sing-songy, often repetitive. It can seem condescending and numbing. He was an ordained minister and a life-long Republican -- two things that send up an immediate red flag to anyone today interested in tolerance and equality. (Though before the 1960s, the Republican party was nothing like it is today.)

But that read is through a cynical, adult eye. Watching this documentary really puts you back in the mindset of a child, and shows you what made Mister Rogers so appealing and great. He really just "got" kids. He wasn't talking down to them, he was drawing them out in a way that made them want to talk up to him. It seems no subject was off the table. In his show, he'd tackle big issues like racism, assassination, divorce, and depression. And in a laudable example, his religion led him to be an open, loving, and accepting human being truly striving to leave the world better than he found it.

Through clips of the show, interviews with cast mates and family members, and news highlights, the documentary weaves an inspirational portrait of Fred Rogers. Some moments are quite impactful. The movie screened in a tiny theater, but nearly every seat in that space was full, and on several occasions I could hear muffled sobbing from all around.

The movie only briefly draws comparisons between Mister Rogers' show and the television of today. It doesn't too explicitly make a point contrasting the overall tone of culture and communication today. Nevertheless, that's the big takeaway you get from the movie. Remember when there was something, someone like this in the world? Wasn't it good? I suppose those sentiments are a hallmark of growing old. Indeed, it was an older audience, with me among the youngest in the theater. But the film shows you examples of how Fred Rogers gentle approach won people over, even people who started out adversarial. It doesn't seem nostalgic or silly to want to see that in the world again.

So I suppose, in its own small way, Won't You Be My Neighbor? is a tiny little voice encouraging the people who see it to try to be better -- in whatever form that takes. It's an obvious but sometimes necessary message. Worth seeing, and taking to heart. I give the documentary a B+.