A pop culture celebration of Fred Rogers and the enduring legacy of
his beloved, award-winning PBS show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood that
offers essential wisdom to help us in our troubled times.
Won't you be my neighbor?
For more than thirty years, Fred Rogers was a beloved fixture in
American homes. Warm and welcoming, he spoke directly to children--and
their parents--about the marvels of the world, the things that worried
them, and above all, the importance of being themselves. Dressed in his
cardigan and sneakers, Fred Rogers offered a wholesome message of
generosity and love that changed the landscape of television and shaped
a generation of children. Kindness and Wonder pays tribute to this
cultural icon: the unique, gentle man who embodied the best of what we
could be. Today's audiences will be reminded of Mr. Rogers's uplifting
persona in the TriStar Pictures film A Beautiful Day in the
Neighborhood, where Tom Hanks stars as the real-life Fred Rogers.
Looking back at the history of the show and the creative visionary
behind it, pop culture aficionado Gavin Edwards reminds us of the
indelible lessons and insights that Mister Rogers conveyed--what it
means to be a good person, to be open-hearted, to be thoughtful, to be
curious, to be compassionate--and why they matter. Beautifully crafted,
infused with Mister Rogers' gentle spirit, and featuring dozens of
interviews with people whose lives were touched by Fred Rogers--ranging
from Rita Moreno to NFL Hall of Famer Lynn Swann--Kindness and Wonder
is a love letter to this unforgettable cultural hero and role model, and
the beautiful neighborhood he created.
