This was a terrific story of Mr Rogers life. I wish more people shared his show with their children. The impact he had, his openess to talk about hard topics and the way he valued children's emotions - childrens television lost a treasure.

It's been almost half a year since I've seen this movie/documentary, and I think about it a lot. I saw it on the recommendation from a Youtuber I follow, and I was not disappointed. Mr. Rogers has a message everyone needs to hear. He was an exemplary man. I wish they would have delved into his faith background more, but I was still deeply moved by the heart and mind of this man.
My favorite parts were the senate hearing and the part where the striped tiger sings Sometimes I Wonder If I'm A Mistake. The latter reduced me to tears.

What wonderful memories watching this video brought back to memory, not just of such a special time in my childhood, but the importance of what we teach our children today. I look at the programs on television now, the judgment and hate that people show toward one another and my heart just breaks. I was watching the show, "What Would You Do?" last night and grew so upset because of the lack of understanding that we can have for one another at times. While many of us have the same goal for love, respect, justice, and equality - the struggles/fights are NOT the same. The paths are very different - and have been for centuries. This does not mean that we should turn away, but it does mean that we should take the time to look within ourselves and ask how can we be better to do better? How can we love better? How can we be more compassionate toward one another? How can we teach our children to love and not hate? Even when we don't agree, how can still respect one another and learn to coexist in this world? I never knew growing up that Fred Rodgers was an ordained minister - or that he was Republican. Yet, I learned so much from him - that I was special. I learned that I was unique. I felt safe when I watched his show - and comforted. Yes, it was a little drawn out, but I understand why and there are some stories that need to be told with patience and understanding so you get the complete story. It was wonderful to see his wife, children, sister and all the wonderful people that were a part of the journey in so many ways. Also, what having a little bit of faith and courage can accomplish - even when you are afraid and it seems the cards are stacked against you - stand in the truth because a greater Power is always at hand - even in the darkest hour...to this, I am a living witness, as well as so many others. As for the moments where there may have been a curse word or some adult language/situations - few and far between and kids see much, much, much more today - seriously. I am not condoning it in the film and certainly would not speak for Mr. Rogers or his family for its placement in the film. Also, while there are a few adult topics, I would not let it keep me from watching the film or sharing the message of this film or what Mr. Rogers was about or his mission with children or anyone else for that matter. In fact, this was one of his messages when it came to discussing difficult conversations with children.

Many think of Mr. Rogers and envision a red sweater, flat sneakers, glasses, some puppets, a cop, kids, a bench and a soft voice made for whispering over ice cream or a cozy furnace in the woods. Part of that is Fred Rogers’ fault. He gave us a character who dealt with real issues, tough issues that made us laugh, cry, a character who portrayed via his puppets what it felt like to feel unwanted, unloved, unseen, and even unreal. We followed him into the house where he took off his worldly coat, put on a sweater, and fed his fish, all while listening to children, helping children deal with feelings and questions about life no one else would answer or listen to. He was America’s babysitter. And a good one. For those of you who have left three, one, and two-star reviews, thank you. You have every right to your opinion. But we must not forget that Fred Rogers was a human being, that he walked off the set every night and struggled with his own questions and answers about life, that he doubted whether his life’s work and vision was making a difference. I’m sorry one reviewer feels that children cannot watch. I think that proves why Fred Rogers created the show. He trusted children. He understood the boundary between protecting children and letting them in. If there were no Fred Rogers at all, children would still question. They would still wonder. Ponder. They’d still hope and rely upon the larger people and systems to answer those questions. And they know when they’re being lied to. “What do I do with my mad?” Who else would’ve heard or respected that as it was without making the child invisible? Children are wiser, stronger, more understanding, intelligent, resilient than we can ever imagine and there’s a big difference between the lives of those during Rogers time than now. It’s ironic that some were looking for the Tom Hanks version. I’m sorry to hear that. Although Tom Hanks is a great actor, the organic nature of the ingredients that created himS character are so much more beautiful. I trust that you’ll challenge yourselves to see that too.

I mean, this documentary has got to be five stars because it includes wonderful archival footage none of us have seen before and because Fred's family receive attention (and Fred's widow died this year, so no more from her). I was in awe many times while watching this film, absolute awe. And I was very sad that it seems, as Fred knew, he was winning the hearts of many, many thousands of children (and parents), but not winning the culture war for children innundated with demeaning programming and horrific advertising. That to me was the most poignant moment of the film, when Fred was asked if he realized he was winning for better parenting and programming, and he responded, gently as ever, by saying, "I don't feel that." There was such a saintly humility and a worldly wise melancholy to the man. He was unique and, apparently, irreplaceable. Our nation has left so much virtuous programming (and parenting) behind and moved into a more cynical and less trusting era. If only Fred and a legion of Fred's had won those culture wars in the 1970's. We'd be a much better nation now.

I watch this separately from a group conversation around the movie. It was interesting because people would say they kept waiting for the other shoe to drop - and so many instances in our culture there's always this sort of dark side to a revered hero. You won't find that here. What I think we see through this documentary is a man who was very driven in terms of what he thought he was called to do, but also a man who is conflicted about who he really was. And really, I only mean that in the best ways. There's no sort of psychological drama that's driving any of it, but more so and underpinning of a questioning of is this the best and right way to go.

Mister Rogers Neighborhood was something that was always on when I was a child. I never took in the deliberateness of how slow the series was. I never really thought about the overarching lessons of patience and acceptance. But I can tell you, in terms of my personal behavior and relationships with other people, that they did not mirror what I grew up around. Again, some of this in my mind has to do at least with some degree by the influence of sitting in front of a specific show often as a young child. Mister Rogers has a Land of Make Believe where people of all different stripes and work and backgrounds all get together and get along. It's a neighborhood of diversity that's not necessarily over contrived. And when I think about the span of which this show covered in terms of decades, it's an amazing thing to think about how it may have influenced media more broadly. Certainly when you watch the bet about mr. Rogers advocating for Public Funding of public television and public radio, you get the jest that this is a man who cared deeply about making something quality that didn't necessarily aim for profiting a bottom line.

Beyond that this show is almost like a grand eulogy for Mister Rogers himself. You see the various people who loved him and were loved by him, who speak well of him, who are clearly impacted not only by his work but also by his legacy, and it's hard not to walk away even from this being deeply affected.

Interesting background on an influential man who I enjoyedwatching as a child.

WOW. If I could give this 6 Stars, I would. I can't stop crying, and I don't even know why. This movie really resonated with me at a very VERY deep level. As a child in the 60's and 70's, I never watched very much of Mr. Rogers. I'm not sure why, but it could have been because he was on PBS...not sure exactly. As an adult, I always assumed Mr. Rogers was a goofy superficial kids show, which goes to show how much I was influenced by the pop culture that mocked him. I'm 55 now (omg.. how did I get this old??), and for the past several years, I have been hunting for that *thing* I should be doing in life, and thinking about Humanity as a whole. After watching this movie, everything clicked. Fred Rogers tapped right into the Humanity of children (and adults --like me), and validated that Humanity is the path.

In a world that is so influenced by advertising, marketing, and generating fear/anxiety, I'm trying to figure out how we cut through the BS and get back to our core of Humanity. Kudos to Fred Rogers for having the guts and creativity to go straight at it, and thanks for the folks who carried this message with this documentary.

BTW....I have now added the Fred Rogers Center (foundation) to my list of yearly donations. I went to the site today, and donated the recommended $143. Love that. What this documentary gave me was priceless.