When I was very young, I occasionally remember watching Mr. Rogers, although I never bothered to learn much about him before seeing this movie. I wanted to see this documentary due to the rave reviews it received from the Sundance film festival, as well as the fact that it is from the director of the outstanding "20 Feet From Stardom." Needless to say, this is an outstanding documentary that is able to warm hearts while also discussing necessary and thought-provoking complexities of today's world.
The film chronicles Fred Rogers, a Presbyterian minister and children's television host, by emphasizing his primary work on the show "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." The film discusses Rogers' life and legacy with a wide variety of individuals close to him; each represents a unique, diverse and wholly refreshing viewpoint on the man, so much so that no interview or piece of information in the documentary seems or feels deficient in necessity. This is a key part of what elevates this documentary above other nonfiction or other examples factually-centered filmmaking, but it is not the only thing that makes this film special. The film also does a good job examining Rogers as a human being--and this includes being a human susceptible to flaws, as we all are. All too often, biographical documentaries of revered figures attempt to only portray their subjects in the most flattering light possible. Such a one-sided attempt at filmmaking, even when a generally "good" person is being depicted, fails to portray the subject's personality in the documentary of having multiple dimensions. The film frankly explains, for example, how Rogers was initially uncomfortable that another actor on the show was gay (unfortunate, but unsurprising given the time period.) That said, Rogers' positive contributions to society and to American children are the primary focus of the film--as they should be. His work served as a thoughtful and measured alternative to much of the schlocky television programming of the late 20th century.
Finally, this documentary is remarkably emotionally powerful. It would have been easy to make this film feel sappy and sentimental, but it wisely avoids such traps. The film shoots directly from the heart to the gut, and truly makes you feel something--and something great--about Rogers and his legacy. It's refreshing to be able to analyze human decency, such as what made Rogers unique, during a sad moment in history when our political climate is severely lacking in it. All in all, this is an excellent documentary and one that I am very happy to recommend. 9/10
The film chronicles Fred Rogers, a Presbyterian minister and children's television host, by emphasizing his primary work on the show "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." The film discusses Rogers' life and legacy with a wide variety of individuals close to him; each represents a unique, diverse and wholly refreshing viewpoint on the man, so much so that no interview or piece of information in the documentary seems or feels deficient in necessity. This is a key part of what elevates this documentary above other nonfiction or other examples factually-centered filmmaking, but it is not the only thing that makes this film special. The film also does a good job examining Rogers as a human being--and this includes being a human susceptible to flaws, as we all are. All too often, biographical documentaries of revered figures attempt to only portray their subjects in the most flattering light possible. Such a one-sided attempt at filmmaking, even when a generally "good" person is being depicted, fails to portray the subject's personality in the documentary of having multiple dimensions. The film frankly explains, for example, how Rogers was initially uncomfortable that another actor on the show was gay (unfortunate, but unsurprising given the time period.) That said, Rogers' positive contributions to society and to American children are the primary focus of the film--as they should be. His work served as a thoughtful and measured alternative to much of the schlocky television programming of the late 20th century.
Finally, this documentary is remarkably emotionally powerful. It would have been easy to make this film feel sappy and sentimental, but it wisely avoids such traps. The film shoots directly from the heart to the gut, and truly makes you feel something--and something great--about Rogers and his legacy. It's refreshing to be able to analyze human decency, such as what made Rogers unique, during a sad moment in history when our political climate is severely lacking in it. All in all, this is an excellent documentary and one that I am very happy to recommend. 9/10