"It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood. Won't You Come To My Neighborhood??????????"

                                         I have to confess, I did now grow up with Mister Rogers.  I am from the generation of Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Green Jeans, Dancing Bear, and, of course, my favorite, Bunny Rabbit!!!!!!!!!  Oh, and don't forget Mr. Moose!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         This does not mean I was not aware of Mister Rogers.  But what I was aware of was disturbing to me.  If some guy with as unctuous a voice had approached me as a kid, I would either have run for my life, or smacked him in the face, accusing him of being a child sexual predator.

                                          I always thought Mister Rogers had the manner of a child molester.  He absolutely creeped me out!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           Yesterday was a HOT day!  And, with us potentially suffering from cabin fever, David, our neighbor, Jennifer, and I, went to the only interesting movie around--the documentary on Mister Rogers, entitled, inevitably, "Won't You Be My Neighbor."

                                             Overall, I got a lot out of it.  I had no idea he was a talented musician, or   he had been an ordained minister--now that voice makes sense!  It is perfect for a minister!!!!!!--or that he had come from a wealthy family, and had been an overweight kid, who was sickly, and had been bullied.

                                                There were dimensions to this guy I had not even imagined.  And his interaction with children, which you get to see, first hand, is so moving and genuine, that even I was impressed.  Especially when it came to this disabled boy, Jeffrey Erlanger, who, years later, meets up again with Rogers, showing his triumphant survival into adulthood.  There were moments like this, when the film genuinely moved me to tears!!!!!

                                                   It also made me wonder.  Fred Rogers had great help and support from his wife, Joanne, and he had two sons, one of whom looks like Joanne, the other like your garden variety drug dealer.  Obviously, neither followed in his footsteps into children's television, unless it was behind the scenes.

                                                   There was a subtle moment when Rogers took an employee to task for frequenting a gay bar, during his off hours.  Hmmmmmm...so Mister Rogers disapproves of homosexuality?????????  Are there any other dark secrets to his persona????????????

                                                      If there were, this film did not explore them.  Perhaps the filmmakers were just interested in a puff piece.  Perhaps, this really WAS Mister Rogers!!!!!!!  Still, when someone comes off as the closest male equivalent to Jennifer Jones in "The Song Of Bernadette," my suspicions cannot help but be aroused!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                     In any case, the film is highly enjoyable.  Though I have to confess, Koko, the gorilla, steals the show!  You always spell the name with a "K," unless one is talking about Chanel, in which case it is a "C."  But Koko is a real scene stealer, and interacts with Rogers beautifully!   Simply precious, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still, and all, I could not help wondering--if someone is simply too good to be true, then they usually are.

Aren't they?????????????