“The greatest thing that we can do is to help somebody know that they’re loved and capable of loving.” And so begins the poignant documentary ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’ Filmmaker Morgan Neville (Twenty Feet From Stardom) pays tribute to the man behind the zippered cardigan sweater. The life and career of Fred Rogers from an ordained minister to one of the most iconic television personalities is a fascinating journey. “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” ran nationally from 1968 to 2001. He had the knack to form a deep connection with millions of children across the nation. His message was simple. He believed in the inherent value of all children. ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor’ is a must-see documentary.
Fred Rogers passed away in 2003 but you keep asking yourself through out the documentary how society would treat him today. He really was the nicest guy on television. It seems that there is no room for a television personality with his undying love of kids in today’s fast-paced media landscape. He had the audacity to tell children that they were special and had value. Naysayers would twist his message saying that Rogers contributed to a generation feeling entitled to success. That was never his intent. When he sang the opening theme song Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, donned the cardigan sweater, put on the sneakers and fed the fish, it was his intent to create a sense of security for kids. There was no other television show like it on the air and kids responded in kind due to its authenticity.
Although he was a spiritual man, he never used the show as his pulpit. Rogers was genuinely appalled by children’s television in the ‘50s. It was mainly pie-in-the-face clowns and manic cartoons. He worked for the public TV station WQED in Pittsburgh on a show that evolved into “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” When a technical problem abruptly stopped the show, Rogers pushed a puppet through the backdrop. The puppet happened to be a tiger named Daniel Striped Tiger and would eventually act as his alter ego on the show. Another milestone covered is when Rogers gave a testimony in front of a Senate subcommittee tasked to cut funding to the fledgling Public Broadcasting Service during the Nixon administration. The chairman Senator John O. Pastore was so moved by Rogers’ impassioned speech he declared, “You just earned the $20 million.”
As mild-mannered as Rogers appeared on his show, he tackled big issues like racism, the Vietnam War and the assassination of Robert Kennedy. There is an episode of Rogers soaking his feet in a wading pool. He invites his friend Officer Clemmons who is African-American to put his feet into the pool too. It was a clever way to protest the way black people were barred from using public swimming pools. When Robert Kennedy was killed in 1968, Daniel Striped Tiger asks Lady Aberlin (Betty Aberlin) ”What does assassination mean? Rogers never talked down to his young viewers. The documentary is packed with family and cast member interviews as well as rare behind-the-scenes footage. A clip from one of the first episodes shows the puppet King Friday XIII issuing a proclamation to build a wall to keep “undesirables” out. You cannot help from draw parallels to the Trump administration wanting to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border.
After viewing ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor,’ you hope that his message is not lost in today’s chaotic world. Neville’s documentary is a nostalgic look back at a man that dared to believe that all children were special and deserved to be valued. When Rogers stares at the camera, he says “Love is the root of everything… love or the lack of it.” Maybe his legacy is to inspire us to be kind to others and discover our true purpose in life too.
