"Won't You Be My Neighbor?"

Seventeen years ago today, this country endured one of the greatest tragedies they have ever faced. Since then, we have shown how easily we can come together, yet also just as easily become divided by violence, hatred and suspicion. During that time, a very special man came out of retirement after years of educating and entertaining children to deliver a message of reassurance to those of us too young to understand what was going on. We've known this man from when we were children and when our parents were children, but only now to we get to hear his story from those who knew him best.

Fred Rogers who became the iconic Mister Rogers that would change the face of educational television and how we communicate with our children as we know it started his show in 1968 with nothing more than a camera and a low-budget set with an idea of making a show to entertain children and teach life lessons in the process. Facing struggles such as talking about the Vietnam War, convincing politicians to keep funding educational television and going against racism. See how he opened the door for parents to be able to talk to children about the assassination of JFK, anxiety and tragedies. Fred Rogers provided a quiet, safe and warm environment for a half hour in your home when he came on television.
In this documentary, you will see footage from over the years on and off set with the cast and crew having fun and you'll hear from his wife Joanne Rogers, his sons Jim and John and those who worked on and off set and many friends like Yo-Yo Ma who knew him best and what he was like when he wasn't in the neighborhood and the impact he made to so many people, even one gorilla named Koko. You'll even learn the cultural impact it made to others with imitations being done on SNL by Eddie Murphy and the influence it had to American society. All leading up to when Mister Rogers said his final, "I'll be back next time." and left the neighborhood for the last time.

A story that needed to be told that was worthy of the man who made it all possible. Everyone knows who Fred Rogers was to them, but to know who he was to so many others and the passion he had to touch children's lives and be the pioneer of children's educational television in a time where change was on rise but not always welcomed and worked to make it the positive and powerful tool for opening the door to learning about the world right in their own home. A heart-felt story that so few knew that will bring back the part of your childhood and make you shed a tear making it worthy of all five G.M.Stars. So while we remember this day and all it has brought since, we must remember that such people are in the world that think "you're special" just because you're who you are and will want to be your neighbor that want to make the world a better place.

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"Won't You Be My Neighbor?" is available at Redbox and where movies are sold/streamed.