I have found the original Mr. Rogers: "Won't you Be My Neighbor?"

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 6/12/18 at 5:46pm

I grew up before Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood was on the air, so I came to this documentary with no serious nostalgia for the subject. Still, this heartwarming doc goes deep into what turns out to be a fascinating story of both the man and the show, and fearlessly wears its heart on its sleeve, much the way Fred Rogers himself always did.

You look for the ironic detachment that can make fun of the low-budget production values of the old show; you expect a savvy intellectual critique of his conservative Ministerial values so out of step with today's values. But the film finds sincerity an even more radical way to evaluate the show and its place in the tumult of the 1960's, 70's and 80's when it thrived. The story it tells stops you in your smart-alecky tracks, and moves you to tears. Just a superb work.

Updated On: 6/12/18 at 05:46 PM