Thirty seconds before the film answered my question, I thought "Wow, wait, why is this rated PG-13?"
Then immediate footage of the Kennedy Assassination.
Why is it always about the Kennedy Assassination when I wonder why something seems to be rated higher than it is? First Jackie (which, in retrospect, I probably should have expected), then this.
Shocking moments that prove America was Never Great -
- Racism (And Mr. Rogers' quiet rebuttal of cooling off with François in the pool on a hot day and his look at the camera like "Try me, motherfucker.")
- The Challenger tragedy (Which is more of a hugely unfortunate accident)
I don't say 'shocking' in a bad way, because like the man himself, it didn't shy away from hard topics taught to children in a simple and soothing way.
There are plenty of clips from the old show - and they're not remastered. It's mostly fine, but some interviews with Rogers are clearly out of focus in addition to their poor quality, and it's hard on the eyes. I understand not wanting to touch them up to keep the grainy, childhood film aesthetic.
What really got to me was how Mr. Rogers spoke through his puppets, how he was feeling that day. There's a moment where Daniel talks to Lady Elaine about his personal belief about himself, and the movie reaffirmed how improving your self image will take more than someone's kind words, but not that those words are useless.
Outside of the show, his friends and family reflected on how yes, he was really that gentle and kind in real life (The film points out early that he was a lifelong Republican, and you can immediately tell that he would not fly with the shit that is currently going down), and that he wasn't wallowing in prudish ignorance.
I don't remember watching the show all that much - Really only the trolly for some reason - but even this documentary gave me a peaceful, calming sensation that is worth watching.
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