MISTER ROGERS AND ME {DOCUMENTARY FILM}
Summary
A documentary film about the eponymous host of the television series "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," his philosophies, and the many people he influenced during his decades-long presence on television. The filmmaker, Benjamin Wagner, briefly introduces himself and gives an overview of his life and upbringing, as well as his job at MTV. In September of 2001, while celebrating his thirtieth birthday in Nantucket, Massachusetts, Wagner is surprised to be greeted by Mr. Rogers of "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood," whose summer home is nearby. Fred McFeely Rogers, better known to the world as "Mr. Rogers," was born on March 20th, 1928 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He was an only child until the age of 11, when his parents adopted a baby girl. A lonely and shy child, he took to the piano and puppetry as creative outlets. He graduated from Latrobe High School in 1946, and then attended Dartmouth for a year before graduating Magna Cum Laude from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, with a B.A. in music composition. Soon thereafter he married his classmate, Sara Joanne Byrd. He then entered the world of television broadcasting, working as an assistant producer and floor manager for several NBC programs. He notes that he was distressed by seeing what he felt was "demeaning" behavior on television at the time. Benjamin sits down with Mr. Rogers after their initial meeting; he gets Benjamin to talk about his parents' divorce, a difficult subject of discussion for him. Benjamin is moved by Mr. Rogers' kindness and interest in him, especially his sentiment that "deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex." Mr. Rogers encourages him to spread this message, and Benjamin is quite affected by it. Mr. Rogers passes away on February 27th, 2003. Benjamin feels compelled to seek out Mr. Rogers' friends and those inspired by him in order to learn more about him and about his philosophy of "deep and simple." His first visit is to Bo Lozoff, head of the charitable organization Human Kindness Foundation and an influential figure in spirituality and prison reform. He also recounts more of Mr. Rogers' history: he moved back to Pennsylvania in 1953, working at the fledgling TV station WQED in Pittsburgh. In 1954, he debuts some of his trademark puppets on the show "Children's Corner" while working to get his Masters of Divinity at Pittsburgh Seminary, which he receives in 1962, upon which he is ordained as a Presbyterian minister. "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" premieres in 1968. Lozoff becomes aware of Mr. Rogers' interest in his books and guides in 1994, including one entitled "Deep & Simple." He recounts being invited to set of "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" and speaking with him. Mr. Rogers adopted Lozoff's philosophy that many problems in the world are caused by the fact that "human life is deep and modern existence is not." In 1969, a $20 million grant for the newly-formed Corporation for Public Broadcasting was in jeopardy, and Mr. Rogers testified before congress to defend it. He says that his program and others like it are not merely entertainment, but an "expression of care." This manages to convince the assembled congressmen to uphold the grant. From 1968 to 2001, over 900 episodes of "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" were produced. Lozoff recalls discussing violence on television with Mr. Rogers around the time of the Columbine school shooting, fearing that materialism is distracting from the "beautiful, noble, and sacred" things in life. Next, Benjamin travels to Boston to meet Susan Linn, founder of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and a recurring guest on "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood." She points to the increased amount of advertising targeted at children as a societal ill, contributing to problems such as illiteracy and obesity. She claims that extensive television watching is exposing children to violence and is making it more difficult to imprint cultural values on them. She notes that she was brought onto "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" for a specific purpose, much like all of the show's other guests. There, she was given an outlet for her views on television. She says she is not anti-television, but both she and Mr. Rogers understood the purpose of the medium and eschewed much of the commercialism that built up around it. Amy Hollingsworth, a reporter for CBN, conducted an interview with Mr. Rogers in 1994 where he publicly addressed his faith for the first time. She remained friends with Mr. Rogers until his death and authored a book entitled "The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers." She relates how he told her of the bullying he suffered as a child due to being, in his own words, "shy and overweight." He was taught by his parents to ignore the bullies, but that lesson did not sit right with him and he used the piano as an outlet for his sadness. Hollingsworth discovered in her interview that it took years before Mr. Rogers decided that he would "always look for what was essential" in another person, something his childhood bullies never did. This more than anything else contributed to his outrage at seeing one person demean another. Over the years Mr. Rogers received a dizzying array of acclamations: honorary degrees from over 40 universities, two Peabody Awards, two Emmy Awards, a spot in the Television Hall of Fame, and in 1997 a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. During his acceptance speech, he asked everyone in attendance to take a few moments to give thanks to all the people in their lives who made them who they are. One of his trademark sweaters hangs in the National Museum of American History of Washington, D.C.; each one was hand-knitted for Mr. Rogers by his mother. Tim Russert, host of NBC's "Meet the Press," notes that his show and "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" echoed the sentiment of "keep it simple." He and his family met Mr. Rogers while in Nantucket; he recalls an incident where Mr. Rogers used a paper plate to teach Russert's young son how to tell time. Russert is struck because even when off-camera, Mr. Rogers always took the opportunity to teach children about the world. Benjamin also visits Susan Stanberg, former helm of NPR's "All Things Considered." She recalls that she would put Mr. Rogers on air in times of national crisis, since he helped put the events of the day in perspective for children. She postulates that since he wanted to be a minister that "television was his church." Stanberg discusses Mr. Rogers' ability to talk with children precisely at their level and recalls several television specials she did with Mr. Rogers telling adults how to talk to their children about sensitive issues such as divorce. She was amazed at how Mr. Rogers was able to get people to open up about their problems. Next, Benjamin visits Tim Madigan, author and former reporter for the Fort Worth Star Telegram in Texas. He met Mr. Rogers while writing an article about television violence in 1995. He recounts recognizing a "central humanity" to Mr. Rogers' character that extended beyond his television appearances, and calls him a "great student of spirituality." Madigan talks about his letter correspondence with Mr. Rogers, where they discussed issues such as Madigan's relationship with his father, his marital problems, and his brother's struggle with cancer. Madigan says Mr. Rogers looked for the "essential invisible" in everyone, and calls his ability to perceive the true characteristics of others "almost supernatural." In a television interview, Mr. Rogers referred to himself as an "emotional archaeologist," in that he constantly looked for the roots of everyone's feelings about themselves. Marc Brown, author of the popular "Arthur" children's book series talks about how Mr. Rogers convinced him to adapt his books into an animated series. He remarks that Mr. Rogers understood the power of television and would structure his show around real problems in a way that commercial television could not do. Mr. Rogers was featured in the "Arthur" cartoon; Brown recounts Mr. Rogers' ability to give anyone his full and undivided attention and emotional investment. Benjamin talks to Linda Ellerbee, the journalist responsible for "Nick News," a children's news program modeled after many of Mr. Rogers' ideas. "Nick News" received numerous awards for its frank discussions of current events with kids and teenagers. She explains how Mr. Rogers' television style, particularly his respect for his audience, influenced "Nick News." Upon meeting him, Ellerbee discovered that Mr. Rogers was a fan of her work as well; he felt that "Nick News" should also be viewed by adults as well as children. Ellerbee notes that Mr. Rogers never shied away from discussing the good along with the bad, and that she adopted his philosophy that "simple is not always easy…but it's right." Beverly Hall, a photographer who has lived in Nantucket since 1964, met Mr. Rogers there and for many years was his real-life neighbor. Mr. Rogers was the subject of a series of photos Hall took, along with local legend Madaket Millie. She describes the interaction between the two, noting that Mr. Rogers got the ordinarily standoffish Millie to open up about herself, and that they developed a mutual respect for each other. Hall also recounts Mr. Rogers and his wife visiting her on the day after 9/11; he merely wanted to visit his neighbor. Hall shows Benjamin St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Nantucket, where she and Mr. Rogers would attend. Within the church is a plaque bearing Mr. Rogers' likeness. In Pittsburgh, Benjamin meets Davy Rothbart, "This American Life" contributor and publisher of "Found" magazine. He met Mr. Rogers as a child and later brought him onto "This American Life" for a segment about neighbors and neighborhoods. He calls Mr. Rogers "wise and deep" in his treatment of serious, real-world issues; it seemed as though he had a solution for anything. Rothbart also discusses his appreciation for Mr. Rogers' capacity for thought and silence. He talks about the universality of experience, as typified in his magazine, composed entirely of discarded notes found on the street. He feels that this mirrors Mr. Rogers' sentiments about discussing issues with children. The film ends as Benjamin reflects on everything he's learned both from Mr. Rogers and the people he befriended and influenced. In 2007, Bo Lozoff presided over Benjamin's wedding, and he is now expecting a child. He cannot help but feel that Mr. Rogers was somehow prescient in these events. The film closes as Benjamin asks the viewers to take time out to appreciate the people in their lives, echoing Mr. Rogers' words.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: 201x/xx/xx
- RUNNING TIME: 1:22:47
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 106798
- GENRE: Public affairs/documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Public affairs/documentaries
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Benjamin Wagner … Executive Producer, Producer, Writer
- William M. Bolster … Executive Producer
- Christofer Wagner … Executive Producer
- David Wagner … Executive Producer
- Benjamin Wagner … Narrator
- Bo Lozoff … Cast
- Susan Linn … Cast
- Amy Hollingsworth … Cast
- Tim Russert … Cast
- Susan Stanberg … Cast
- Tim Madigan … Cast
- Marc Brown … Cast
- Linda Ellerbee … Cast
- Beverly Hall … Cast
- Davy Rothbart … Cast
- Sara Joanne Byrd
- Madaket Millie
- Fred Rogers