Won't You be My Neighbor?
4.5/5
Directed: Morgan Neville
Rated: PG-13
"It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood," sings Mister Rogers at the start of his famous television program, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Millions of children and adults remember watching this show and listening to the songs and learning the lessons Mister Rogers shared. Though the television program was a success, it was never a guarantee the show would be as impactful or iconic as it has become. Marcy Whitmer, one of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood's producers, says a director once told her "if you took all of the elements that make good television and do the exact opposite you have Mister Rogers' Neighborhood: low production values, simple set, an unlikely star. Yet, it worked, because he was saying something really important."
Documentarian Morgan Neville has crafted a film showcasing the beauty and wonder that is Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Neville's documentary, Won't You be My Neighbor, follows the show's development, from its first week of episode that aired 50 years ago (1968) to its last episodes. This documentary features footage from some of the most inspiring and amazing moments from this Pittsburgh produced television program by WQED studios. The documentary also includes interviews with Fred Rogers and some of his close friends and neighbors, including fellow cast and family members. All of this footage is compiled and edited together in a chronological manner. This allows audience members to experience the surprisingly true story behind the creation of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and learn many unique facts about the man and the people behind the show. In addition to this everything addressed in the interviews and mentioned on the show not only allows audience members to glance deeper into the lives of those who created Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, but also allows them to gain deeper understanding of themselves and their own worth. It's a chance for people who have not heard Mister Rogers' lessons on love, learning and growth to hear them.
From a technical standpoint this documentary is a marvel full of all kinds of marvelous things. The way in which the film is edited together openly invites audience members to learn about the show's creation, as if it were a story with a beginning and an ending. The documentary is also accompanied by impressive visuals, unique animated segments and a wonderful orchestral score provided by Jonathan Kirkscey. This score encompasses the many wonderful and beautiful things about Rogers and his neighborhood. It also features musical cues directly referencing things from the show, such as the trolley's iconic "ding ding" from its bells as well as a touching rendition of Fred Rogers' song "Tree Tree Tree." When all of this comes together along with the footage from the show, this documentary has the power to make adults act more childlike and live out their inside feelings. The theatrical experience Won't You Be My Neighbor? offers has the potential to cause laughter, excitement, curiosity, fear, sadness, wonder, song, dance, learning and love. It's a joy and a pleasure, and it can give any audience member a good feeling.
Though this documentary covers what the show was, when the show was made, who the people who made the show were and how they made the show, this documentary does not sufficiently address why this show was made and why Rogers acted and behaved the way he did. In interviews in the documentary Rogers states, "The greatest thing that we can do is to help somebody know that they are loved and capable of loving." The documentary, however, does not fully address why Rogers believed this. Though it is implied, as there are a few scenes in the film that show Rogers as a minster, it is not unpacked. Along with this, the documentary features rude language that would not make it safe for families to watch it. The documentary is clearly created for adults, as a way of introducing them to Mister Rogers. Now whether this film did everything right or wrong, this film allows audiences to hear Mister Rogers special message. This message is often stated at the end of Mister Rogers' episodes, "You always make each day such a special day. You know how. By just your being you. There's only one person in the whole world exactly like you, and that's you, yourself, and people can like you exactly as you are."
Verdict: Won't You Be My Neighbor? is a marvelous documentary allowing audiences to learn about the creation of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and experience some of this show's most meaningful moments.
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