Letters
Lazy Sunday: Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Dear Kay,
I saw Won’t You Be My Neighbor? in a packed theater here in Nashville.
It was one of the more extraordinary movie experiences I’ve had. At the end, after 90 minutes of watching the story of Fred Rogers, the unlikely star of a children’s television show that ran for 31 seasons, the audience erupted in applause, that really intentional kind of applause as if we were all cheering on the very idea of this man, the notion that someone so humble and full of empathy could even exist. We wanted to clap him back to life, Tinkerbell effect.
If you have the chance to see Won’t You Be My Neighbor? in a theater, I encourage you to go. I read somewhere that movie theaters are among the last places a group can be together and share an experience in a perfectly neutral environment.
Everybody I know who has seen this movie tells me they cried. One friend said he held his mother’s hand for part of the movie, and he’s fiftysomething years old.
It’s now available to purchase on iTunes, Amazon and Google Play. No streaming options as of yet.
Love,
Ann
PS My only complaint about Mister Rogers these days is that the US Postal Service put him on a stamp along with King Friday. King Friday? That dork! Henrietta Pussycat was robbed!
I’ll be looking for it here.
Meow was ready for the meow big time meow. The revolution is meow. Anarchy meow.
Same experience here. This is one of those movies that is best in the theatre not because of special effects or the sound system but because it is best watched in community. Our entire theatre feel of people was crying, including some men who looked like the type that does not ever allow themselves to cry in public.
“The root of all things…Love, or the lack of it”
Thank you Mr. Rogers. I would have loved you be your neighbor.
So would I thank you Fred Rogers
I agree on King Friday even without the benefit of any viewings past my own childhood ones. KF def a dork!
I agree, it was a wonderful movie. I was lucky enough to grow up close to Fred Rogers, and in fact my husband lived on the same street as him for a while (so he truly thought that when Fred Rogers said “hello, neighbor!” on TV, he was talking to him!), and I am happy to say that what you saw on TV was the real deal — he was exactly the same in person as he was on TV. I wish he was still around today; we really could use more people like him in this day and age.
Back in the early eighties when I was a youngish mom with two babies sometimes Mr. Rogers was the only adult I had around me. I loved his message then and still today. I also love watching Daniel Tiger with my grandchildren.
OMG- me too!!
❤️ Love it!
Haven’t seen the movie yet. Didn’t start watching Mr. Rogers until I was about 10 yrs old. We only had one t.v. and there were 5 kids. Fell in love with the puppets… and after a few shows and for the rest of my life Mr Rogers.
The documentaries about Mr. Rogers and Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG) this summer strengthened my resolve to keep working for the things that truly matter.
Absolutely! We saw RBG in a movie theatre In Minneapolis…double billed with Mr. Rogers. We thought that was a perfect match of movies. And yes, inspiring stories in both cases.
you and me both!
We had the same experience in the theater. And now I start crying at the mere mention of the movie.
Fred Rogers essentially taught me how to be a better parent. See the movie. Bring plenty of tissues.
Seeing this at our local theater Tuesday at noon. It’s appearing in one-off showings around the area, and is on a regular schedule at an art house movie place. That is here in the Chicago area. I’ll remember to bring kleenex.
Saw that & RBG within a couple weeks and really enjoyed them both. My favorite part was when Mr. Rodgers said, “Love is at the root of everything – all learning, all parenting, all relationships. Love or the lack of it.” Brilliant.
As I understand it, all of the sweaters that Mister Rogers wore were it by his mother. ❤
I didn’t have a very good father of all the men in the world living or dead I would pick mr. Rogers to be my dad
Oh. My. Sweet. Lord: Henrietta Pussycat? She drove me NUTS, even when I was a small person! “Meow, meow, meow. . . ” The SpongeBob of her day, in my youthful opinion. Love the stamps, however!
Ann, if you don’t like the Mr. Rogers stamp – how about the brand new John Lennon Forever stamp?
I loved this movie so much! My husband and I went to see it in the theatre when it first opened (having missed it at our local film festival–it sold out quickly) and we both cried through the whole thing. Even though my husband didn’t grow up in this country and never watched the show, he was still deeply moved by the love and compassion of Mr. Rogers. We need more Mr. Rogers in our world right now!