Pluskylang Great Film overall

GazerRise Fantastic!

Loui Blair It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Tobias Burrows It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater The progressive makers of this film did the exact thing Fred Rogers warned of. They used the medium to push an agenda and smear their political enemies.I've watched dozens of clips of Mr. Rogers and am already quite familiar with his life. I loved his show as a kid, especially the land of Make Believe. Now it seems like the Left have slipped their hand up Mr. Rogers and made him a puppet for their agenda. They spared no rod from the back of conservatism, Republicans, Nixon, Fox News, fundamental Christianity, for opposing good Fred; whilst carefully ignoring how many ways Progressivism has glaringly failed our children and opposed everything good Fred stood for. The director cherry picks the progressive side of every story, from Nixon's cutting of public TV funding - which he actually didn't - to omitting the name of the church protesting Fred's funeral (we all know it was Westboro Baptist Church, but that was carefully hidden so the viewer can infer "Any Church, USA"). He chooses an unfortunate Fox & Friends clip to personify all of Fox as calling Fred evil, although Fox was reporting on a study by a prof from LSU. The sound byte did its job. Though gays barely represent 3% of the population, it seems Fred was either gay or pro-gay the way the piece portrays his life. And when he was not pro-gay, it's because of money, though not according to him. Again, the hand moved his mouth. I've always been uncomfortable with how much the Left have skewed society to be more accepting of gay pressure on children. The idea of "gay children" was unheard of not long ago.How has progressive left-wing policy hurt children in America? Would their policies be supported by Fred? Besides abortion, the Left believe we should have fewer children, to protect the planet, especially in 3rd world (brown baby) countries. The Left are even for China's forced abortion. How would Fred Rogers feel about that? In progressive cities like Chicago, 1700 children under 17 have been shot since 2011.Progressives stand up for pedophiles like Roman Polanski, who raped a 13 year-old, and Kevin Spacey, who raped boys, but came out as gay and got a pass. Would Fred stand up for trans rights when men who pretend to be women have an extremely high suicide rate?Democratic welfare programs reward girls for getting pregnant early not having the father at home, yet this has resulted in 5x more likelihood of committing a crime and 20x more likely to end up prison. Even in light of this, the filmmaker feels its more important that a few handpicked Republicans be singled out as enemies of Fred Rogers.And with their hand, they can make Daniel Tiger say whatever they want.

Clifton Johnson Maybe it is because I grew up watching that little trolley. Maybe it is because Mr. Rogers' message of love and affirmation was such a powerful part of my childhood. Or maybe there's just something inspiring about a life dedicated to being loved and loving. Regardless, this film deeply impacted me. It was not just the story of a person or a TV show. It was the story of what shapes us (as children and adults) and an invitation to the kind of bravery Rogers embodied...a bravery to hope and care and love and believe. Even in the face of doubts. Even in the face of evil. The filmmaker got what made Rogers' message so important. He left enough space for us to listen, reflect, and remember. And it worked. I wasn't the only one wiping away tears at the end.

Matt Greene "He was a minister...but he didn't wear a collar, he wore a sweater." I've heard it said that Fred Rogers must've been an angel, or even the second coming of Christ. This thinking is dangerous; it relieves us of our responsibility as humans. If he's a God, then we can just admire; if he's human, we must aspire. The movie is a cathartic blanket, and when Daniel the Tiger sings the duet with Lady Aberlin, the crying is constant from there on out. A soothing balm of sincerity and hope for scary and cynical times.

zkonedog A lot of times, the breadth or reach of a documentary depends on how large of an audience it can appeal to. So many times, documentaries focus on a niche subject with a similarly small viewership base. "Won't You Be My Neighbor" is able to bypass this problem, however, but focusing on a man that seemingly everybody knows: Fred Rogers.For a basic overview, "Neighbor" follows both the life/career of Fred Rogers, as well as setting that in parallel to his iconic "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" show on public television. Rogers' family (including his wife and two sons) are interviewed, as well as those who worked on and starred in the show with him.In a political and social climate where hate and "mean-ness" seem to spew from every nook and cranny, "Neighbor" provides the perfect hour-and-a-half balm for that, as one of the strong suits here is showing just how genuinely "nice" of a man Fred Rogers was (which is what inevitably came out in the show and ultimately made it such a treasure). It was also interesting to learn that Mr. Rogers was an ordained minister, voted Republican, and championed inclusion and equal rights his entire life. Those things don't necessarily track in today's world, so it is nice to see someone who wasn't "one or the other"."Neighbor" is equally fascinating on how Fred's show was so different than anything else on the air (public or otherwise) at that time. He practically saved the entire public television model (testifying before a commission about its worth), and then used it to tackle issues that are difficult for children to deal with, talking to them in a very straightforward yet kind way. He was absolutely fearless in this respect, also using silence and slow-pacing to intentionally counter-act the "pie in the face" and action/adventure Saturday morning kiddie fare he so despised.Overall, this is a documentary that will strike a chord with nearly every one of its viewers. Practically everyone on this Earth knows something about Mr. Rogers, and for so many of those people he spoke directly to them (through the television) on a consistent basis. It's supremely emotional, incredibly informative, and just a refreshing reminder of the simple (yet extraordinary) value of human decency and kindness.