Fred Rogers is probably unknown to most non-Americans and I certainly wouldn’t have known about him if I hadn’t read about him on Broken Forum. This biographical documentary was timed to be released on what would have been the man’s 90th birthday if he had not passed away in 2003. But it’s also very apropos that this was made now as a dig at the current state of politics in the United States.

The documentary is relatively light on Rogers’ personal life and focuses on his highly influential television show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood which ran for 30 years. Though trained as a seminarian, he realized the educational potential of television very early and created a prototype show in 1953. The show consists both of a segment in which Rogers appears and speaks directly to the audience about a wide variety of issues and one set in a make-believe world in which he never appears and provides the voices for a number of puppet characters. The film uses previously recorded interviews with Rogers speaking about his beliefs and educational philosophy together with new interviews of his wife, two sons, and the many people who have worked on the show through the decades including guests like Yo-Yo Ma. Naturally it also covers Roger’s growing influence on countless American children, so much so that he was asked to come back after the series had ended to explain 9/11 to kids.

This film is so full of praises for Rogers that it could almost feel like a hagiography but the simple truth seems to be that he genuinely was a good person with boundless kindness and a deep conviction that children should be brought up with love. Probably the worst thing that is said about him is that he was slow to accept homosexuality and persuaded a cast member François Clemmons to stay in the closet and even marry a woman to avoid a scandal. Then again this isn’t unexpected for a person of his generation and he remained personally supportive of Clemmons who has nothing but good things to say about him. The show also covers critics’ of his philosophy who accuse him of mollycoddling a generation of children into believing that they are special without having done anything to deserve it. Yet Rogers’ sheer niceness even in the face of the ugliest forms of criticism never fails to make his critics look like they are the ones in the wrong if only due to their hate and rancor. It’s also worth noting that his show is aimed at pre-school children which takes away a lot of the sting out of the so-called ‘special snowflake’ argument.

Though Rogers uses puppets and adopts fake voices for different characters, he is always honest and sincere when speaking to children, claiming that adults always underestimate their ability to detect phoneys. I am astounded that he was able to use his show as a platform to speak to children on such complex and adult issues such as racism, death and topical events as such as the assassination of Robert Kennedy. As silly as it sounds, the scenes of him using his sock-puppet character Daniel the Tiger to interact with guests are quite emotive and you can see how they are visibly affected by hearing the puppet comfort them. The whole concept of the show seems like it’s too idealistic too work especially when it has to compete against other forms of entertainment for children, yet such is Rogers’ force of personality and love for what he does that he did manage to capture the attention of countless children.

Watching this today, one also can’t help but think of this as a window back into a kinder, gentler and more inclusive America and despair at how much the country has regressed in so short a time. Despite his impeccable credentials as a Christian and his being a lifelong Republican, modern Republicans regard Rogers as the enemy with Fox News going to far as to call him an evil man. Many commentators have noted how Donald Trump is the complete antithesis of Fred Rogers. We can take this as a lesson not to take social progress for granted. The political climate in the US is so toxic that it’s impossible to imagine another person like him appearing on the scene but that is what they need most of all.