As many Americans growing up in the late 70s and early 80s, I watched many seasons and reruns of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. I’d seen quite a bit of these episodes and historical footage before, as I’m assuming many viewers had. But having seen these clips before this documentary, most fans, myself included, saw them without the context of the times they were recorded in. And without the knowledge of why he filmed the topics and episodes the way he did on the days he did.
This documentary tells Fred’s story from his early childhood to the time when he abandoned programming for children to create a show aimed at and featuring adults. And then to his memorial service. It shares quite a bit of insight into the inner workings of his mind. The film expands our knowledge of who this man truly was and why he fought so hard to expel evil and promote love and understanding among the world’s youth.
Yes, the filmmakers structured the film in such a way to pull at heart strings. Yes, the film paints the picture of a man with a clean heart in a world of evil whose only negative aspect is caring too much. But don’t be fooled, this is not your run of the mill puff piece. Editing and storytelling tropes aside, this is a genuine biopic about a truly one-of-a-kind soul.
Was he secretly a Navy Seal? Secretly gay? As a Republican and a pastor, was he comparable to today’s greedy evangelical TV personalities? Was his “you are special” song and campaign a shitty thing to do to the children who watched his program? The film does not shy away from these topics, and should be applauded for engaging them head on. I recommend everyone watch it to find out the answers.
Personally, I’m of the opinion that if you are not moved by this film, then you are a replicant and we must send a Blade Runner to bring you down.
