“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”, a new documentary film directed by Morgan Neville, is part nostalgia, part biographical and especially a socially relevant story about Fred Rogers’ and his contribution and dedication the welfare of children. This excellent documentary tells a story that is moving, informative and has a sense of humor. It seems in keeping with Mr. Rogers’ and his Neighborhood.
Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood was one of PBS’s best children’s shows. The program ran from 1968 to 2001. It has been watched by generations of children. The documentary traces the personal history of Fred Rogers and his television career from its beginnings in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There are interviews with Fred Rogers, before he passed away in 2003, his wife Joanne, sons, family, friends and coworkers.
“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” appears to be a compilation of archival footage of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, archival interviews with Fred, and others. Interviews with Joanne Rogers, his wife, and other people, adds a personal touch, when they reveal just who some of the puppets and characters in the show are based on. With all the archival material editing is important and in this case excellent, smoothly blending all elements into a well-paced ninety-four minute story. The editors are Jeff Malmberg and Aaron Wickenden.
Archival clips from the early days on television, when Fred Rogers first stared, help show his mission, of which, he never lost sight. He wanted to help children learn and to protect them the trauma the real world. There are many scenes in the documentary that demonstrate that Fred Rogers had a special talent for communicating with children. He respected children and knew how vulnerable they could be to the stresses of world events like war and death.
Fred Rogers, an ordained minister, believed that all people are unique and special in their own way. He did not teach religion or entitlement. He enabled respect and caring for self and others. “Love thy Neighbor as thy Self.”
The documentary, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” is well worth seeing, remembering and enjoying.
“In, ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,’ Academy Award-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville (Twenty Feet from Stardom) looks back on the legacy of Fred Rogers, focusing on his radically kind ideas. While the nation changed around him, Fred Rogers stood firm in his beliefs about the importance of protecting childhood. Neville pays tribute to this legacy with the latest in his series of highly engaging, moving documentary portraits of essential American artists.”
Currently in select theaters (June/July 2018)
http://focusfeatures.com/wont-you-be-my-neighbor/
Official Trailer
_______________________________________________
Books on Documentary by James R Martin
Available at Amazon.com Print and Digital
Actuality Interviewing and Listening: How to conduct successful interviews for nonfiction storytelling, actuality documentaries and other disciplines … (Documentary and Nonfiction Storytelling)