I, like millions of other children who grew up in the late sixties and seventies, loved Mr. Rogers with a quiet intensity, and while I've always attributed that love to how calm the show was, how devoid of the frenzy of the other children's shows (I was a rather serious child who disliked cartoons and all that yelling and banging), after watching Morgan Neville's beautiful documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor? I'm thinking it was more because I knew on some deep level that Mr. Rogers loved me. The documentary spends little time on Rogers' life and more on how he drew from his experience in child development and a deep spirituality (he was an ordained Presbyterian minister) to shape an inimitable show that celebrated and honored true human emotions without judgement. I teared up several times in the movie, particularly during the parts that demonstrated his love and attention toward children with disabilities and those of other races, and I left the movie wishing that he were still alive to shore us up in these terrible American times.
*I used to write a Saturday Three-Line Movie Review and decided tonight to revive it on Sunday mornings, particularly if I've seen a movie (I don't go nearly as often as I used to). You can read other Three-Line Reviews here:
More 3-Line Movie Reviews
Learning to Drive
Love and Mercy
Not a Three Line Movie Review
While We're Young
Ida
Force Majeur
Gone Girl
Saint Vincent
Get on Up
Begin Again
Chef
The Immigrant
Cesar Chavez
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Gloria
Labor Day
Philomena
I cannot wait to see this. It's getting a lot of buzz here in Pittsburgh, as one might imagine. Like you, I eschewed cartoons for the same reasons and embraced Mister Rogers. We could certainly use him in these awful times.
ReplyDeleteThere was a time in my life when my children watched Mr. Rogers and his daily reminder that he liked me just the way I was probably saved my life. His caring WAS palpable.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of this movie! I used to watch Mr. Rogers all the time as a kid. I confess that even then he struck me as a little square -- I was definitely a cartoon lover and I much preferred "Sesame Street" -- but I never doubted that he was putting his heart and soul into what he was doing.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't have said it better myself, Steve. His show went right under my radar. It's only in adulthood that I have come to appreciate his heart and soul, and all the good he did for children and families.
DeleteOooo, I LOVE your three line movie reviews. I’m so glad you’re reviving them! I might go see this based on your review.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I have no children and was too old (18 years old) to benefit from Mr. Rogers when he was on television in my area, beginning in 1968, I remember being deeply conscious of how safe and loved he made very young children feel in a world that did not feel otherwise safe. I had been a traumatized child who was suspicious of kind adults from an early age and as an 18 year old, I was suspicious of Mr. Rogers. Since then, I've experienced healing of that inner child and can now feel the genuine kindness of Mr. Rogers. I'm looking forward to seeing this movie. Just watching the trailer was an emotional experience that brought me tears of relief. I love knowing that you love Mr. Rogers and that he loved you.
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