By Joe Hammerschmidt
[NOTE: This film was reviewed during the 2018 Seattle International Film Festival]
This may go without saying, it’s impossible to resist the charms of our childhood inspirations. And whether Fred Rogers was an inspiration to you or not, the values he stood for when entertaining and educating young viewers in his 40-plus-year television career have never gone away. So, I bear no hesitation in saying, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, the long-awaited Mr. Rogers biopic will emotionally destroy you, and perhaps offer a spot of much-needed optimism to our slightly depressed media culture. And director Morgan Neville has engineered this project as such, to allow everyone feel everything. I’m naturally a stoic individual, any chance of me personally crying in a film is normally saved for Pixar features, and any film that can naturally build up its emotional wall. For some, Neighbor will fit comfortably in the latter; there was just one moment in the film that choked me up, knowing its realism and parallel to certain obstacles in my own life. Here’s hoping whoever’s reading this and making every attempt to view this film on the big screen, will find that one moment that gets them with an equal pit in their stomach, that they’re not alone in the struggle.
The film plays like a standard biopic, with Neville, previously known for 20 Feet from Stardom, showing an equally endless passion for the subject, and those closest to him, along with a handful of well-wishers. While not leaning into the host’s life away from the show, the narrative core lies deep within Fred’s own personality, his insecurities, his frustrations (particularly those felt in the wake of 9/11). Interviews alone, from family members, cast and crew, and even leading officials from Rogers’ foundation and production company tell half the story. They muse fondly over how one of his more iconic puppet characters, Daniel Striped Tiger is essentially Fred at his rawest. Some stylish animation is used, quite effectively, to illustrate the point, allow its own breathing room, give the man a moment to bare his soul, or at least what wasn’t already visible on screen.
Rogers, of course, never shied away from the tough issues in our society, doing what no other children’s show at that time had the bravery to accomplish. Race relations, the Vietnam war, even divorce? The man was a radical, he had his critics. Though even he drew the line for fear of the sponsors pulling out, upon realizing François Clemmons (aka Officer Clemmons) was in the closet. Interpret that scene however you will, sometimes choices need to be made to protect the wider body of work one TV program can provoke. Despite the naysayers, and any potential roadblocks in his path, Rogers always knew how to connect with an audience, toward the kids of those eras, and their parents, to promote an open dialogue, one of a truly diverse nature.
As a kid, it’s not all easy to pick up on those quirks, we just saw it as a way to calm down once the higher-energy content earlier in the day had us all wound up like springs; for me as a young sprout, it was mostly Sesame Street, mixed in with the occasional DuckTales rerun. That combination had me bouncing off the walls, so of course, it’d be up to Rogers, cheery smile and cardigan-centric fashion sense to loosen out the individual, take off the shoes, and enter our hearts into his own world, the kind we ought to be striving for. His approach was never empty, it always carried a purpose. Returning to what he taught as a college graduate in his mid-20s, you do achieve a finer sense for his own struggle, and wanting to do right, do better not just for himself but for a broken society. He is as honest now, as he was in the 70s; a comfortable respite from essentially 90% of television’s byproduct, something we may need a little more of.
There are plenty of moments when Neighbor is intended to tickle the funny bone, mostly involving the ins and outs of creating a television program. There will always be some humorous story that a key staff member will share, and it would be impossible not to discover some joy from the knowledge attained. Apart from the example shared above, the film’s level of compassion is just as parsed through old show clips and recollections from the individuals. No amount of Rogers’ backstory can’t possibly be tied to the series, Neville is emphasizing he was the show, and vice versa. Of course, his family is involved in the interviews, albeit briefly to speak on the value of celebrity their father had attained; not just in their hometown of Pittsburgh, but seemingly worldwide. And with that, a myriad of spoofs, which one may all consider a bit chortle-worthy. In the context of its place in the narrative structure, it’s only seen as a reminder, not all parody is fair, some can even be a little mean-spirited. But at least Rogers, who was angry when he needed to be, was enough of a gentle soul to make amends with Eddie Murphy, for that one SNL sketch.
Any attempt to find a part of Rogers that wasn’t his on-air persona was never attempted, there simply couldn’t be one to be found. What one saw on screen was the man himself, a ball of reserved energy who always proceeded to act whenever appropriate. He was, of course, a true advocate for his public television outlet and how it could be used as an educational tool, as well as a champion for good. Not everyone will agree to what he believed in, and that’s plenty OK. Not everyone may take to heart the candidness Neville offers in Won’t You Be My Neighbor, and that’s also OK. Those who do, though, they will be reminded of the fun shared, and what those ideals could say about us now as adults, as opposed to us as children whose minds weren’t fully developed to truly grasp those concepts without our parents to take the lead. While he may be gone, his message still lives on. And while I may not have viewed this masterpiece of a documentary, and perhaps one of the best films you should take part in this year, with either of the sold out SIFF crowds last month, the fact they did sell out does say something for the bounty of inspiration he gave to so many, and still does. Something very special, right there. (A-)
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? is in four Seattle-area theatres this weekend; Regal Meridian 16, SIFF Cinema Uptown, Bellevue’s Lincoln Square and Lynnwood’s Alderwood Mall; rated PG-13 for some thematic elements and language; 94 minutes.
