Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018)

An exploration of the life, lessons, and legacy of iconic children's television host, Fred Rogers.

Director:

Morgan Neville

Stars:

Fred Rogers, Joanne Rogers, John Rogers

37 wins & 33 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Fred Rogers	...	Himself (archive footage)
Joanne Rogers	...	Herself
John Rogers	...	Himself
Jim Rogers	...	Himself
Bill Isler	...	Himself
Hedda Sharapan	...	Herself
Junlei Li	...	Himself
Max King	...	Himself
Margaret Whitmer	...	Herself (as Margy Whitmer)
Tom Junod	...	Himself
Betty Seamans	...	Herself (as Elizabeth Seamans)
Joe Negri	...	Himself
David Newell	...	Himself
Elaine Crozier	...	Herself
George Wirth	...	Himself

Storyline

Charmingly soft-spoken and yet powerfully incisive expressing his profound ideals, Fred Rogers was a unique presence on television for generations. Through interviews of his family and colleagues, the life of this would-be pastor is explored as a man who found a more important calling to provide an oasis for children in a video sea of violent bombardment. That proved to be his landmark series, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (1968), a show that could gently delve into important subjects no other children's show would have dared for that time. In doing so, Rogers experienced a career where his sweet-tempered idealism charmed and influenced the world whether it be scores of children on TV or recalcitrant authorities in government. However, that beloved personality also hid Rogers' deep self-doubts about himself and occasional misjudgments even as he proved a rock of understanding in times of tragedy for a world that did not always comprehend a man of such noble character.

---

Plot Keywords:

race relations | children's programming | teachable moment | tolerance | kindness | 

---

Taglines:

A little kindness makes a world of difference

---

Genres:

Documentary | Biography

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some thematic elements and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 June 2018 (USA)

Also Known As:

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$475,419, 10 June 2018, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$22,609,437, 13 September 2018

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tremolo Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the documentary includes a brief clip of Mr. Roger's meeting with Koko the Gorilla and shows Koko removing Mr. Roger's shoes, it does not explain the story behind the gorilla's actions. After Koko's death in June 2018, multiple obituaries for the gorilla explained that Koko faithfully watched Mr. Rogers' show every day, and during their encounter, she removed his shoes because she was used to seeing him do the same at the start of every episode.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Fred Rogers: [at his piano] Come on over a minute. I just had some ideas that I've been thinking about for quite while about modulation. It seems to me that there are different themes in life, and one of my main jobs, it seems to me, is to help, through the mass media for children, to help children through some of the difficult modulations of life.

---

Connections

Featured in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Jeremy Renner/Derek Hough/Mrs. Joanne Rogers/Christine and the Queens feat. Dâm-Funk (2018)

---

Soundtracks

You're No Mistake
Music and lyrics by Fred Rogers
Performed by Fred Rogers (as Daniel Striped Tiger) and Betty Aberlin

User Reviews

Best Documentary I Have Ever Seen

I was lucky enough to see this modern marvel of a film at the Sundance film festival. Well edited and seamlessly structured, this film pays a true homage to the art of making a documentary, and to a man that society didn't know they needed until he came along on their television screens.