Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Won't You Be My Neighbor? is a documentary about Fred Rogers, the American educator, minister and television host who for decades spoke directly to young children through his program Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. The film traces his work as host, producer, writer and pianist, and examines how he used his show, his puppets and the friends who appeared alongside him to address subjects many adults avoided with children: kindness, difficult feelings, paying attention to people who need it, and openness toward those who are different. Built from archival footage and interviews with colleagues, family members and others close to him, it looks at the convictions behind the program and the way he approached his young audience.

Morgan Neville directed the film, which followed his 2013 documentary 20 Feet from Stardom in his filmography. Neville produced it with Nicholas Ma and Caryn Capotosto, and the credited cast includes Margaret Whitmer, Tom Junod, Joanne Rogers, Jim Rogers, Max King and Hedda Sharapan, appearing as themselves among a credited cast of 49 and a crew of 63.

Released in June 2018, the film runs 95 minutes and was made in the United States by Impact Partners, PBS, Independent Lens and Tremolo Productions. It took about 23 million dollars worldwide. Reception was strong across audiences and critics alike: a critics' rating of 8.8 out of 10 from 256 reviews, alongside 8.3 out of 10 on IMDb from 28,000 votes and 8 out of 10 on TMDB from 616 votes.