Won't You Be My Neighbor? is a 2018 American documentary film directed by Morgan Neville about the life and guiding philosophy of Fred Rogers, the host and creator of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. The film premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival on January 19 and was released in the United States on June 8, 2018.
Premise
Filmmaker Morgan Neville examines the life and legacy of Fred Rogers, the beloved host of the popular children's TV show "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."
Cast
- Joanne Rogers
- McColm Cephas Jr.
- François Scarborough Clemmons
- Kailyn Davis
- Yo-Yo Ma
- Joe Negri
- David Newell
- Fred Rogers in archival recordings
Reception
Box office
Won't You Be My Neighbor? made $475,419 from 29 theaters in its first weekend, and $1 million from 96 theaters in its second. Expanding to 348 theaters the following week, it grossed $1.9 million, finishing tenth at the box office. It was added to an additional 306 theaters in its fourth weekend (for a total of 654) and made $2.5 million, again finishing 10th. It made $2.6 million the following weekend, becoming the highest-grossing documentary of 2018 in the process with $12.4 million.
On July 27, the film became the highest-grossing biographical documentary of all-time, and on August 12 passed Bowling for Columbine to become the 21st highest-grossing documentary overall.
Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 99% based on 161 reviews, and an average rating of 8.8/10. The website's critical consensus reads "Won't You Be My Neighbor? takes a fittingly patient and honest look at the life and legacy of a television pioneer whose work has enriched generations." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 85 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".