Won't You Be My Neighbor (12A.)
Directed by Morgan Neville.
Featuring Fred Rogers, David Newell, Francois Clemmens, Joanne, Jim, John and Elaine Rogers. 94 mins. In cinemas November 9th
When Geoffrey from Rainbow died a few months back the nation's reaction was, ah, that's a shame. In America a documentary about a children's TV presenter known as Mr Rogers has become a runaway success, the highest grossing biographical documentary ever. It has tapped into a national mood of fear and uncertainty, providing a figure that seemed to unify left and right. Which not even John Noakes could do.
The great fascination with children's TV presenters is the disparity between the reality and the on-screen image: the bright young Soho coke fiend trying to make Saturday morning banter with a sock puppet. With Fred Rogers, there was no disparity, the kindly, loving, cardigan-wearing presenter of Mr Rogers' Neighborhood was the same on screen as off. An ordained Presbyterian minister who didn't approve of children watching clowns throwing custard pies at each other, he decided to go into television rather than the seminary. In Pittsburgh, a place whose only other cultural distinction is Romero's Zombie movies, he created a TV institution that lasted over three decades.
If known at all over here it is through parodies by Eddie Murphy, Jim Carrey, Bill Murray etc, so this is a tough sell. From what we see of it Mr Rogers' Neighborhood makes Sesame Street look like Tiswas. There were puppets, songs, sombre lessons, uplifting positivity and a message that every child was special. It was painfully square, but it did at least try to talk to children at their level rather than as potential future consumers. It had a sincerity and seriousness of purpose.
The film has a subtext, that is so powerful it overwhelms the notional subject: that America has lost its decency. After he died in 2003 religious hate groups protested his memorial service because he had tolerated homosexuality. The special thing about him is that outside of nutter fringe groups the film is remarkably inclusive. This was a lifelong Christian Republican who preached such an inclusive version of Christianity that he was PC before the term was invented. This was a man you'd love to have as a neighbour; though you possibly wouldn't want him in the house.
Directed by Morgan Neville.
Featuring Fred Rogers, David Newell, Francois Clemmens, Joanne, Jim, John and Elaine Rogers. 94 mins. In cinemas November 9th
When Geoffrey from Rainbow died a few months back the nation's reaction was, ah, that's a shame. In America a documentary about a children's TV presenter known as Mr Rogers has become a runaway success, the highest grossing biographical documentary ever. It has tapped into a national mood of fear and uncertainty, providing a figure that seemed to unify left and right. Which not even John Noakes could do.
The great fascination with children's TV presenters is the disparity between the reality and the on-screen image: the bright young Soho coke fiend trying to make Saturday morning banter with a sock puppet. With Fred Rogers, there was no disparity, the kindly, loving, cardigan-wearing presenter of Mr Rogers' Neighborhood was the same on screen as off. An ordained Presbyterian minister who didn't approve of children watching clowns throwing custard pies at each other, he decided to go into television rather than the seminary. In Pittsburgh, a place whose only other cultural distinction is Romero's Zombie movies, he created a TV institution that lasted over three decades.
If known at all over here it is through parodies by Eddie Murphy, Jim Carrey, Bill Murray etc, so this is a tough sell. From what we see of it Mr Rogers' Neighborhood makes Sesame Street look like Tiswas. There were puppets, songs, sombre lessons, uplifting positivity and a message that every child was special. It was painfully square, but it did at least try to talk to children at their level rather than as potential future consumers. It had a sincerity and seriousness of purpose.
The film has a subtext, that is so powerful it overwhelms the notional subject: that America has lost its decency. After he died in 2003 religious hate groups protested his memorial service because he had tolerated homosexuality. The special thing about him is that outside of nutter fringe groups the film is remarkably inclusive. This was a lifelong Christian Republican who preached such an inclusive version of Christianity that he was PC before the term was invented. This was a man you'd love to have as a neighbour; though you possibly wouldn't want him in the house.
