Who Was This Man’s Neighbor?

The Man, The Legend

“Who Was This Man’s Neighbor?”

A Review of Won’t You Be My Neighbor? by Nick Olszyk

MPAA Rating, PG-13

USCCB Rating, NR 

Reel Rating, Four Reels            

            In the 20^th century, there were three great American televangelists – like the three holy hierarchs – who brought the gospel to millions through a medium which, as early as 1957, Pius XII recognized could “contribute a great deal to the religious life.” The first to arrive was Fulton Sheen, a man so captivating, intelligent, and humorous that his simple chalkboard could outperform I Love Lucy and The Ed Sullivan Show night after night. The second was Mother Angelica, who not only performed well in front of the screen but in three decades would create the largest religious media corporation in the world. The third may surprise you – Fred Rogers, the soft-spoken native of Western Pennsylvania who hosted a low budget children’s program funded by PBS. Won’t You Be My Neighbor? is the first major documentary about this “living saint” whose true significance was only felt once this world was without his presence. It doesn’t offer any striking revelations but allows the viewer to contemplate Fred’s philosophy and how very, very much his teachings are needed in 2018.

            Like Pope Francis: A Man of His Word, director Morgan Neville does not provide much of a plot but rather a number of important themes and ideas strung together in mostly chronological order from his early days on The Children Corner in the 50s to his death in 2003. At first, Fred felt called to the ministry and entered a Presbyterian seminary. However, he changed course after watching people being hit in the face with pies on television and resolved to create meaningful programming. He would bring together three important elements – his evangelical fervor as an ordained Christian minister, years of studying under prominent child phycologists, and experience with multiple aspects of television production – to create Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, which ran on PBS stations across the nation for more than thirty years. The show’s biggest strength came from the heart of Fred himself. “I never felt like I needed to put on a funny hat to have a relationship with a child,” he said in the first days. He simply invited children to slow down for thirty minutes and learn something about the world and themselves.

            One of the most common questions about Fred was put quite bluntly during an interview in the 1980s. “Are you for real?” the reporter smiles. Fred only smiles back. Unfortunately, American culture seems to relish in demythologizing our heroes, whether its Bob Ross’ military career, Billy Graham’s supposed anti-Semitism, or even Mother Teresa’s hospice conditions. Fred was no exception; there were urban legends about him being a sniper in Vietnam, that he wore long sweaters to hide his many tattoos, or even that he was gay. Behind this gossip lies an insidious vulnerability. If he was not who he said he was, then I don’t have to listen to him when he tells me to change. Good people are evidence holiness is achievable, and that is not acceptable to many.

An insecure person might fire off tweets about fake news but Fred, like saints through the ages, would be the first to admit his failings. During his first week of production, he tried address the Vietnam War by having King Friday set up barb wire wall around the castle to “prevent any change” only to immediately tear it down after receiving a message strung to balloon with the words “peace” and “tolerance.” It was a revolutionary attempt to tackle a big issue but comes off overwrought and naïve. Fred also temporarily shut down production in the mid-70s to produce a television show for adults that failed miserably. Fortunately, he went right back to the neighborhood.

Another common criticism the film addresses is the notion that Mr. Rogers Neighborhood spawned a generation of entitled adults who believed they “were special” and didn’t need to achieve anything. This charge is, frankly, infuriating because after watching even a few episodes, this is clearly not his message. Fred was uniquely tailored by God for his evangelization because he, probably more than any other person on Earth, remembered what it was like to be a child. To accept any kind of responsivity and thrive, a child needs to “know that he is loved and capable of loving.” This is best exemplified by the famous scene where Daniel Tiger worries that he “is a mistake.” The essence of Christianity is the idea that every person has an inherent dignity that does not come from society or an ideology or even a loved one but God. This God does love us “just the way we are” and that gives us reason to become even better.

In every scene the man himself is marvelous but occasionally the filmmakers reveal their own tinkering with the message. Rather than an educator of wholesome child development, they often try to mold him into a progressive civil rights leader, citing his multi-racial cast, interviews with disabled kids, and discussing sensitive topics like divorce. François Clemmons, who played a police officer on the show, wanted to reveal himself as gay but Fred asked him to not to come out. The film implies that Fred was a product of his time and today would have been accepting of Clemmons lifestyle. Yet the words and actions of Fred himself tell another story. Fred talked freely about many controversial issues that might have got him into trouble, but when he discovered Clemmons went to a gay bar, he firmly told him not to return. Fred may have not read #2358 of the Catechism but nonetheless brilliantly lived the Christian ethic by welcoming Clemmons into his life but refusing to endorse something that violated the man’s God given dignity. If one needs even more proof, Rogers was a registered Republican his entire life – a fact I’m surprised the film revealed.

During his final days of life, racked with pain from stomach cancer, Fred asked his wife if he was “a sheep,” referencing the Judgement of the Nations. “If anyone’s a sheep,” she responded, “it’s you.” Fred rarely mentioned religion directly on his show but frequently mentioned the Bible in interviews when explaining his work. He started every day in prayer, specifically thinking about people who made a positive impact on his life. The film ends with each interviewee mentioned who that person was for them. After the film, I found myself thinking about the Rev. Fred Rogers, then praying for him, then asking for his prayers. I’m six years and three children into my marriage vocation, and I’m having a rough go of it. I hope that Fred can help me, and I’m sure if he’s experiencing the beatific vision, that’s exactly what he’s doing. I can probably count on one hand the films that have inspired me to pray. Won’t You Be My Neighbor is one of them.

This article first appeared in Catholic World Report on July 9th, 2018.