• Home
  • Mail
  • Tumblr
  • News
  • Sports
  • Finance
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Answers
  • Groups
  • Mobile
  • More
Yahoo
    • Skip to Navigation
    • Skip to Main Content
    • Skip to Related Content
    • Mail
    Lifestyle Home
    Follow Us
    • Style
    • Beauty
    • Wellness
    • Pop Culture
    • Shopping
    • News
    • Horoscope
    • Video
    • NowWith

    ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor’ Got Snubbed at the Oscars

    Blake Harper
    FatherlyJanuary 22, 2019
    Reblog
    Share
    Tweet
    Share

    Oscar nominations were announced Tuesday morning and while there was no shortage of snubs (justice for Paddington 2!) and surprises (a Marvel movie other than Black Panther got a nomination?), perhaps the biggest snub and surprise of the nominations was the fact that Won’t You Be My Neighbor did not receive a nomination for Best Documentary Feature.

    The Morgan Neville documentary, which focused on the career and legacy of Mr. Rogers, was every bit as loved as America’s favorite cardigan-clad TV host, earning a 98 percent approval on Rotten Tomatoes (213 out of 217 reviewers gave it a positive review) and an 85 percent approval rating on Metacritic. The movie was hailed by critics, with A.O. Scott of The New York Times calling it a “moving and illuminating new documentary” and Common Sense Media’s Sandie Angulo Chen wrote it was “a touching, triumphant tribute to Fred Rogers.”

    Won’t You Be My Neighbor was not just loved by critics; it was an audience favorite as well, becoming the top-grossing biographical documentary of all time by earning over $22 million at the domestic box office. It even got an endorsement from none other than former President Barack Obama, who included it on his list of favorite movies from 2018 alongside Black Panther, Roma, and many other films that received Oscar nominations. In fact, many movie fans took to the internet to voice their displeasure with Won’t You Be My Neighbor being omitted from this morning’s nominations, including Bill Simmons, who referred to the snub as a “quadruple WTF.”

    The Mr. Rogers doc not getting nominated got a quadruple-WTF from me. That thing was expertly crafted.

    Cooper getting snubbed for Director got a double-WTF. https://t.co/2OfGr3Ac7u

    — Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) January 22, 2019


    So if Won’t You Be My Neighbor was a smash hit with both critics and audiences alike, why didn’t it get any love from Academy voters? It’s hard to pin down a specific reason but looking at the other nominations may be the best explanation. Of the five nominees, it seems likely that Neighbor was overshadowed by fellow bio doc RGB, which looked at the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Because if there is one person the internet loves more than Fred Rogers, it may be Ginsberg. Additionally, RGB may have felt more relevant than Neighbor, as RGB has become a liberal icon due to her resistance against Trump and her recent health scares have made her a consistent presence in the news. Rogers, meanwhile, passed away almost 15 years after the release of Won’t You Be My Neighbor, making him far less prevalent on the social zeitgeist.

    But even with all of that in mind, it’s hard to make sense of Won’t You Be My Neighbor not receiving a nomination on a pure filmmaking level. Absolutely no disrespect to the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsberg but the fact remains that Won’t You Be My Neighbor was a better movie than most of the Oscar nominations, including RBG, which earned lower ratings on both Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. Neighbor wasn’t just one of the best documentaries of the year, it remains one of the most powerful and touching movies of 2018, as Neville managed to show how Rogers managed to become a global advocate for compassion, courage, and emotional intelligence. Much like Rogers himself, the movie was smart without being condescending, funny without being cruel, and kind without compromising.

    So while movie experts will be speculating about whether or not A Star Is Born has a legitimate shot at winning Best Picture, we will be opting to instead to take a trip back to Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood and watching Won’t You Be My Neighbor in order to fully appreciating this once-in-a-generation talent whose legacy has lived on long past his death.

    Won’t You Be My Neighbor is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video.

    Related Articles:

    • A Mom is Warning Parents After Her Son Was Strangled By Corded Blinds
    • Hatchibabies Unboxing & Toy Review
    • Talking Dad Swag With Mark Wahlberg | Dude Turned Dad, Episode 15
    • Should You Have Kids? | Dude Turned Dad, Episode 16

    The post ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor’ Got Snubbed at the Oscars appeared first on Fatherly.

    Reblog
    Share
    Tweet
    Share

    What to Read Next

    • Travis Scott Just Got Stormi the Most Insane Diamond Necklace

      Cosmopolitan
    • Boy, 11, arrested after refusing to recite 'racist' Pledge of Allegiance

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Kelly Clarkson Covered 'Shallow,' and Twitter Is Rightfully Going Wild

      Glamour
    • Why Is it "Weird" When a Woman Wants Sex More Than a Man?

      InStyle
    • Indiana officially gets its first national park

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • The 3-Day Military Diet Says You Can Lose 10 Pounds in One Week. Does It Actually Work?

      Delish
    • Harry & William's Kensington Palace Split to Happen "Within Weeks"

      Harper's Bazaar
    • Bella Hadid and The Weeknd Celebrated His Birthday With Matching Camo Outfits

      W
    • Prince William And Prince Harry Are Reportedly Set To Really, Truly Split Their Royal Household

      Delish
    • Why You Should Sprinkle Baking Soda into Your Stainless Steel Sink

      Real Simple
    • A Super Snow Moon Is Almost Here, so Set Your Alarms

      PureWow
    • Police are warning parents about a '48-hour challenge' that encourages teens to go missing

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Royal Staff Is About to Drastically Change

      Cosmopolitan
    • Governor Gretchen Whitmer Won't Stand For Sexist Comments About What She Wears

      Refinery29
    • Kylie Jenner Teases Mysterious New Beauty Product

      Teen Vogue
    • I Tried on 20 Pairs of Straight-Leg Jeans to Find the Best-Fitting

      Who What Wear

    'SNL': Trump slaps back after Alec Baldwin mocks his national emergency news conference

    Sonya: Trump stated NBC is committing collusion just for SNL skits. Let’s let his supporters explain this one, I need a good laugh.

    Join the Conversation
    1 / 5

    1.7k

    • SNL Pitted Lady Gaga and Glenn Close Against Each Other on 'Family Feud'

      W
    • Drinking Two Or More Diet Sodas A Day Leads To A “Significantly Greater Likelihood” Of Strokes And Heart Attacks, New Study Says

      Delish
    • Woman faces charges after videotaped incident on school bus in which she allegedly attacked 9-year-old said to have hit her son, 5

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • 3 injured at 'Hamilton' after medical emergency sparks evacuation

      USA TODAY
    • Beyoncé Won Valentine's Day in a Red Lace Minidress

      InStyle
    • Kim Kardashian posts absolutely adorable photo of baby Chicago

      Yahoo Celebrity
    • Prince William and Prince Harry are Reportedly Set to Split Their Royal Household

      Elle
    • Your Horoscope for the Week of February 18

      Cosmopolitan
    • 42 outstanding Presidents' Day tech deals on TVs, tablets, laptops and more

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • No, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Didn't Hire Her Boyfriend Riley Roberts As A Staffer

      Refinery29
    • Liam Hemsworth Reveals He Almost Wasn't Cast in The Last Song Opposite Now-Wife Miley Cyrus

      People
    • Are You Cleaning Your Dishwasher Often Enough? Here's How

      House Beautiful
    • 'Hand Jobs' salon is causing controversy for its suggestive name

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Genius new 'eggs' let you wash clothes for $10 per year — without detergent

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Kylie & Travis Just Gave Stormi the Most Precious Diamond Necklace

      Harper's Bazaar
    • Exclusive: Hailey Bieber Tells Us the Beauty Product She Avoids on Date Night

      Byrdie