Pick #977
Dir. Morgan Neville · United States of America · English
The lasting power of kindness resounds in this documentary honoring Fred Rogers, beloved host of the children’s television program Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
2018 Movie Documentary, Drama
Our take
If you grew up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, you may find yourself now humming along: It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor, would you be mine? Could you be mine?
If you did not grow up watching this iconic children’s television program, you may still be familiar with its host, the late Fred Rogers. Rogers was an advocate for empathy and extending kindness toward people of all races, religions, and ages. He never talked down to the neighbors who paid him visits on the show, which aired from 1968 to 2001, even while tackling heavier subjects like grief, divorce, and loneliness.
Morgan Neville’s Won’t You Be My Neighbor best captures Rogers’ ability to build communities and make you, the viewer, feel less alone. Through interviews and archival footage, a clear portrait emerges of Rogers’ legacy and singular force of goodwill. Both the documentary and Fred Rogers’ spirit serve as reminders that each of us are worthy of love, exactly as we are.
The story
For more than thirty years, and through his television program, Fred Rogers (1928-2003), host, producer, writer and pianist, accompanied by his puppets and his many friends, spoke directly to young children about some of life's most important issues.
Elsewhere
"Won't You Be My Neighbor? offers us some hope; Rogers's approach, the film seems to say, can be unexpectedly powerful."
— Sarah Larson
"Not beyond reproach, but a fitting tribute to a pop culture icon."
— Hannah Strong
The details
John Candy: I Like Me
Colin Hanks
Diego Maradona
Asif Kapadia
Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story
Adam Carolla & Nate Adams
Descendant
Margaret Brown
Gather
Sanjay Rawal
Particle Fever
Mark A. Levinson & Mark Levinson
Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger
David Hinton
All In This Tea
Gina Leibrecht & Les Blank
Who picked it
Taylor Leigh Harper is a writer from Southern California who covers film and writes across fiction, creative nonfiction, and free verse. She is a contributing writer and curator at A Good Movie to Watch, with work also appearing in Westwind, The Bridge, and Haunted Waters Press.