Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

If you haven’t seen Won’t You Be My Neighbor? you are in for a real treat.

Fred Rogers’ life was a gift to the world. And this amazing work of art even after his death, continues to contribute to such an impactful legacy . It is entertaining, moving at times, and shows just how powerful the simplest of things in life can be the most profound and effective.

Two suggestions: 1) Go with someone you are close to (I got to go with my daughter’s best friend who happens to be a school teacher) and 2) if possible, have some time afterwards to discuss the movie. With a glass of wine as we did.

Since I have been alive the entire time Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was on television, and of course, with the advent of information being so readily available through media, the internet, etc, I thought I knew everything there was to know about this amazing human being. I won’t ruin it for you and tell you the things I learned but let’s just say, you will likely learn a thing or two as well.

Morgan Neville’s documentary takes an intimate look at Mister Rogers, the man, the humanitarian, the genius, the innovator. To say he was ahead of his time would be an understatement. I don’t recall exactly how it is said in the film but Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood is described as the antithesis of a typical movie, especially in this day and time.

I came away from the experience feeling Fred Rogers genuinely understood the mind of the child. He saw the world, its problems and its many gifts just as a child would. I am certain he was an empath and I believe he found a way to translate his unique gifts in ways only an empath could.

Not wanting to assume, there are probably many people who might think this movie is not for them. I think this movie is for everyone. I hope you get to see it whether now in the theater or sometime soon. If I were to add one more suggestion, I’d say see this movie more than once. I know I will.