Movie Review

Won't You Be My Neighbor? shares Mister Rogers' legacy and love

For anyone who grew up between 1968 and 2001, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and its star, Fred Rogers, will forever hold a place in the heart. His brand of straightforward, non-flashy entertainment for children was a shining beacon of hope in a cynical world.

Documentarian Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom, The Music of Strangers) has honored Rogers and his legacy with his new film, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Using a variety of interviews, including with Rogers’ widow, Joanne, and much of the show’s staff, Neville traces how Rogers went from a would-be Presbyterian minister to one of the most beloved television personalities of all time.

Very little, aside from perhaps the fact that Rogers was a lifelong Republican, will come as a surprise to anyone who had a chance to watch him over the years. He started his career with the belief that children would be better served by honest communication instead of bells and whistles, and his force of will enabled him to continue that mission on public television for over 30 years.

He embodied the saying “What you see is what you get,” in that the engaging and wide-open friendliness he portrayed on the show was exactly what he was like in real life. And because he was almost always true to his core beliefs and easygoing personality, his influence spread far and wide, including to members of Congress who opposed funding of shows like his.

The film is no hagiography, though, as Neville is not afraid to show some of Rogers’ warts. This includes not allowing Francois Clemmons, who played Officer Clemmons on the show, to live openly as a gay man if he wanted to remain on the program. And, according to one staff member, Rogers enjoyed a bawdy joke as much as the next person.

But, as seen through clips of the show and the corroborating interviews, Rogers’ good points far outweighed any bad. He had a way of approaching topics that would be taboo anywhere else in a manner that made them digestible and understandable for kids of all ages. His use of puppets and other relatable things allowed him to broach topics like death, divorce, and racial relations that most kids' programs wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole.

Calling someone or something “unique” has become cliché, but if the term applies to anyone, it belongs to Fred Rogers. He stood for truth and goodness in a world that often eschews those values, and he became iconic because of it. This film is a welcome reminder that we would all do well to be a little more like Mr. Rogers.

Fred Rogers in Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Fred Rogers in Won't You Be My Neighbor

Photo by Jim Judkis/Focus Features

Fred Rogers in Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Rivers wild

Ethan Hawke narrates new documentary that deep-dives into Texas rivers

Cropped still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

Cropped still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The Rio Grande is one of the stunning subjects of Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers.

One Texas film icon passes the torch to another for a deep dive on Texas' river ecosystems in the upcoming documentary Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers. Matthew McConaughey narrated the original 2022 film, Deep in the Heart: A Texas Wildlife Story. Now Ethan Hawke narrates the follow-up, which will be in theaters September 25.

Deep in the Heart 2 is directed by Ben Masters, a nature-obsessed Texan who was born and raised in Amarillo and has followed wildlife around the state and beyond. Working with his crew at Fin & Fur Films, Masters explores the Rio Grande, the Sabine River, and the Neches River, a press release says, coming across otters, turkeys, alligator snapping turtles, and more.

This underwater shot was taken in San Marcos.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The original Deep in the Heart took a broad view of Texas — both its landscapes and their inhabitants — while the "sequel," as the release calls it, specifically highlights water. Conservation is an important angle, and viewers will get a chance to consider how they could connect with and protect the ecosystems on their screens.

"Most of my favorite memories are on Texas Rivers," said Masters in the release. "I grew up on the Canadian, fell in love on the Brazos, got married on the Guadalupe, found adventure on the Rio Grande, and am raising my kids on the Colorado."

The filmmaker says that spending three years filming his natural subjects gave him "a newfound appreciation" for rivers and how distinct they are from one another.

Amazing cinematography was a hallmark of the original film, and the sequel offers more beautiful shots.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

"We spent months filming mountain lions on the Pecos, snapping turtles on the Neches, otters on the Sabine, fatmuckets on the Llano, and whooping cranes in the Guadalupe's Estuary," Masters said. "Editing the majesty of Texas Rivers into 80 minutes was a huge challenge, and I'm just incredibly grateful to work with such a talented team of cinematographers, editors, producers, and musicians."

Hawke, born in Austin and raised in Fort Worth, is known for acting in the Dead Poets Society, Gattaca, the Richard Linklater films Boyhood and Blue Moon, and more. He has taken up causes in environmental advocacy for years and appeared in other ecology-focused films, including the intense fictional First Reformed (2018) and a goofy anti-littering PSA with TxDOT (2023).

Some unexpected guests in the Rio Grande.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The film was made in association with H-E-B, a regular supporter of ecological documentaries and initiatives, and conservation organization Texan by Nature. Other collaborators include producer Josh Winkler, editor Sam Klatt, assistant editor Chet Stefan, and composer Noah Sorota. The musical score is performed by Dallas Chamber Symphony.

animals documentaries ecology ethan hawke film matthew mcconaughey movies nature texas wildlife

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