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Movie · Documentary · 2018 · PG-13

Won't You Be My Neighbor?: parents' guide

10+our pick

Best for ages 10 and up. Rated PG-13 for some thematic elements and language.

A warm, often moving documentary about Fred Rogers that suits tweens and up watching with a parent, along with adults who grew up with him. It shows how Rogers used his gentle TV show to help children with fear, anger, divorce, death and frightening news. The PG-13 is mild: a handful of words like 'ass,' 'bitch' and 'bastard,' an anti-gay slur on a protest sign, a prank photo of a crew member's bare bottom, and brief news footage of war and assassinations. Discussions of grief, segregation and a gay cast member's experience make it best for 10 and up.

What's in it

Violence

Moderate

Brief, non-graphic archival news footage of the Vietnam War, riots, the Challenger disaster and Robert Kennedy's assassination, plus a montage of TV gunplay. Rogers' own show handles war and death gently, with puppets.

Language

Moderate

Infrequent: 'ass' three times, plus 'bitch,' 'bastard,' 'damn' and 'dick,' and protesters carry a sign with an anti-gay slur. No s-words or f-words are reported by the reviews we checked.

Sex and nudity

Mild

Puppets share a quick kiss, a late-night comedy spoof jokes about a 'hooker,' and a crew member's bare behind appears in a prank photo. Cast member François Clemmons talks about being gay and being asked to keep it private.

Drinking, drugs and smoking

Moderate

Very little. Behind-the-scenes footage briefly shows an adult with a cigarette. There is no drinking or drug content.

Scary or intense scenes

Mild

No scary scenes, but the film touches on assassinations, the Challenger explosion, the aftermath of 9/11, a segment about a pet fish dying, divorce and Rogers being bullied as a boy. The tone stays comforting throughout.

Sensitive topics

  • Racism
  • Animal death

Worth talking about

Rogers asked François Clemmons to keep his sexuality private to protect the show. What do you think of that choice, and how have attitudes changed since then?

Where to stream →

On our lists

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Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, movieguide.org, the MPA, Rotten Tomatoes. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.