This past week I went back in time by viewing a documentary based on the life of one of my role models: Mr. Fred Rogers.
"Won't You Be My Neighbor" is a film by Morgan Neville (the creator of "20 Feet From Stardom") and explores the personality, life, and struggles or Mr. Rogers, which pleasantly surprised me. I was expecting more of a biographical timeline of Rogers' life, but this was not at all what it was.
While Fred's life is explored from childhood to late-life, it demonstrated his tremendous positive effect on people's lives as well as his many insecurities and struggles throughout life.
However, what Neville really wants to communicate with this amazing documentary is that the world, amidst overwhelming struggle, argument, and hatred, needs another calm, loving figure like Mr. Rogers.
"Neighbor" cites a specific example of when some white people were especially prejudiced in not allowing black people to swim in their swimming pools with white people. Rogers thought this was absolutely ridiculous, and thus invited Francois "Officer Clemmons" to sit with him and soak his feet in a kiddy pool with him.
While the clip is very hard to find, here's a YouTube video of Clemmons singing one of my favorite Rogers tunes "There Are Many Ways To Say I Love You" with a screenshot of the commendable action.
It's people like Fred Rogers, who make statements like this in a loving way, that will save our country from more hatred and more divisiveness.
It's said in the documentary that Rogers tended to stay away from politics, and by making a statement like this the way he did, he still does. At that point it's not about politics, it's only about love. It's only about accepting everyone and recognizing their inherent value.
I'll say that I RARELY EVER cry during movies, but this beautiful, emotional film brought me to tears three separate times. One of these times is when Daniel starts talking about mistakes.
Daniel explains to Lady Aberlin that sometimes he just feels like he's not like anyone else. Everyone is so different than he is that he can't help but feel like it's a mistake that he's here on this earth. The doc elaborates on the idea that Mr. Rogers sometimes was Daniel in feeling, and that songs like this came right from Fred's heart.
While I know that these broadcasts were made for children on a national scale, Rogers had this spectacular way of making you feel that he was talking directly to you. I felt that here.
Everyone has had that feeling of not being like anyone else or feeling like an outcast, and the fact that Rogers can craft a children's show that speaks not only to children but to a 20-year-old like me is just mind-blowing.
There's also a really subtle, but an excellent original score that's done by Jonathan Kirkscey. I've never heard his work before, and the tunes are only slightly there, but they enhance every aspect of the story being told.
IS IT WORTH IT?
The way this documentary and the show itself presented real struggles that adults face, but in a way that children can understand speaks volumes to the greatness of Fred Rogers. We often forget that kids feel the same problems adults do, feelings of being a mistake, being angry, being sad, being afraid and whatnot.
What I think Mr. Rogers wanted us all to know is that we all have inherent value, and we all are important and special in our own ways. If everyone could adopt that ideology, I think this world would be less violent and more loving. Now more than ever, we need another Fred Rogers.
The documentary is written, paced, shot, and edited perfectly and should definitely draw some consideration come Oscar time.
I found the most touching parts of the documentary to be the elaborations on the original songs Fred wrote. The one that spoke the most was "It's You I Like." Those lyrics read:
But it's you I like–
Every part of you,
Your skin, your eyes, your feelings
Whether old or new.
I hope that you'll remember
Even when you're feeling blue
That it's you I like,
It's you yourself,
It's you, it's you I like.
It's like he was talking directly to me.
