Won't You Be My Neighbor?

I don't get around to watching many documentaries at the theaters for a handful of reasons. 

Mainly, I like my "escape" at the movies and documentaries, while very educational and often interesting, aren't really that. 

Secondly, I feel like many documentaries are interesting, yes, but often go on for far too long, circle back on themselves, and lose steam fast. 

It's definitely not a niche I get very much exposure too. That is, until I hear of one that either interests me or is getting lots of critical praise. 

With the Mr. Rogers documentary, Won't You Be My Neighbor?, it just happens to be both of those reasons. 

I -- and many other kids for that matter -- remember Mr. Rogers from my childhood. I won't sit here and tell you that I've seen every episode or watched him religiously, but I do remember my younger self connecting with him, observing his mannerisms, and enjoying his "neighborhood" and puppet characters. For some he was a pseudo parent. To say that he raised many children in America wouldn't be a lie. And the astounding fact is that he did it for decades all the way into the year 2000. 

This documentary is a complete one (sometimes another thing I dislike about documentaries is very narrow time periods). It basically travels from the early beginnings of the show up until his death in 2003. During that time you come to learn a lot about the man; many things of which I can only now appreciate as an adult. Sadly, you also realize that his presence is missed, especially in a time where there's so much animosity and division among groups both religious, political, geographical, etc. Throughout our time with friends and family of Fred Rogers, we learn what made him tick, what his true passions were, how he behaved behind the scenes, and why he was actually one of the most bold, courageous TV personalities we've ever seen. 

Hearing him speak during adult interviews reveals a very wise soul

Likely not laughing at a dirty joke

To say a bad thing about this documentary would be difficult not just because of its well-intentioned content, but also because it's superbly well-made. It flows from interesting conversation to interesting conversation, goes in a logical, chronological order, injects some laughs and some sad moments, and isn't afraid to tackle rumors about Mr. Rogers head on (e.g. if he was gay or not). It gives us an extensive look at a man who was gentle, kind, appreciative of moments, and who was a thoughtful listener. Everything he did, he did with intention and it's the reason his impact was so significant. Sure, there's a lot of nostalgia involved with many scenes. I found myself reaching into some particularly ancient, untapped memories as certain characters cropped up in the substantial amounts of video feed. It may leave you sentimental at the end, but nostalgia and the sentiment of times past aren't necessarily a negative thing, particularly as it relates to a documentary and especially a documentary of a person that lived and behaved as we should all aspire to.

A short and sweet movie (it's 93 minutes) deserves a short and sweet review. There is nothing about Won't You Be My Neighbor? that could qualify as low-quality aside from the old film footage (a joke) and it's a film that A) unless you have no soul or B) have no idea who Mr. Rogers was, will make you take a moment to step back, analyze your own behavior -- your own interactions with others (not just children) -- and likely realize that you have work to do. Mr. Rogers would have loved us all the same despite that which is nothing but a testament to the human being he was and how we could use a lot more like him in our world today. Influencing not only children, but the rest of us too.

CONS

• A particular element of the documentary didn't really work for me. There's a recurring cartoon tiger that often represents Rogers' childhood whenever they speak of it. It seemed odd and didn't fit with the rest of the footage
• Although it's easy to follow, it kind of jumps around at times

PROS

• Consistently captivating and interesting. Whether it's the nostalgia, fun story, timeliness of a subject, or simply just his voice, Won't You Be My Neighbor? passes the minutes effortlessly
• Paints what feels like a complete portrait of the man we invited into our homes with tons of footage and first-hand accounts from very close family and friends
• Does justice to how much of a pioneer he was in the TV landscape and how much courage he had around certain topics and how they related to children
• Acts equally as a call to be kinder to our own neighbors
• Well edited and organized, balanced with humor and sadness, with an important message about a beloved icon. This is a complete documentary

Rath's Review Score | 9/10