Jaws. Close Encounters of the Third Kind. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Raiders of the Lost Ark., Empire of the Son. Jurassic Park. Amistad. Saving Private Ryan. A.I.: Artificial Intelligence. Minority Report. War of the Worlds. Munich. War Horse. Lincoln. The Post. Ready Player One. West Side Story. This massive list of Steven Spielberg-directed movies can be rattled off easily by anyone over 35 who grew up in America. Spielberg could be a synonym for the term “movie director.” However, with 30 full-length featured directing credits already to his name, 2022’s The Fabelmans is the one that is being called, if not semi-biographical, at least his most personal. If that’s true, we get a pretty neat, though not overly sentimental, look at Spielberg’s early influences and how he began honing his craft before becoming the most distinguished director of the last 50 years.
The story revolves around Sammy Fabelman (played mainly through newcomer Gabriel LaBelle), the oldest child (and only son) of middle-class, New Jersey dwelling, Jewish parents, Mitzi (Michelle Williams – My Week With Marilyn, Blue Valentine) Burt (Paul Dano – Love & Mercy, There Will Be Blood). Mitzi and Burt are incredibly loving parents. We meet the trio for the first time in 1952 as Mitzi and Paul take an apprehensive eight-year-old Sammy to his first movie theater experience, The Greatest Show on Earth. Sammy is mesmerized by the storytelling, the visuals, the sound, and the size of witnessing everything on such a large scale. Dazzled by the spectacular trainwreck scene in the movie, Paul asks for and receives a model trainset for Hanukkah. Then, using Burt’s 8mm camera, he recreates the crash repeatedly, from different angles, until he has enough footage to make it into a short film that mesmerizes Mitzi, his number one supporter.
A decade later, the family (now with the additions of daughters Reggie, Natalie, and Lisa) moved to Arizona following Burt’s promotion, bringing a larger salary and increased potential for growth opportunities. Burt’s best friend, Bennie (Seth Rogen – 50/50, Long Shot), has become somewhat of a surrogate uncle to the children, as well as someone who can liven the room with a joke, particularly to the delight of Mitzi, who we slowly come to learn suffers from exceptionally high and low mood swings. Because Burt has become such a sought-after commodity as a computer engineer, he can secure Bennie a job with him in Arizona.
With the move, Sammy got advanced film editing and production equipment. As a result, his movies keep getting more technical, longer, and more profound. At 17, he’s become a master of his craft, much to the delight of both of his parents, particularly former concert pianist turned piano teacher Mitzi. While equally impressed and proud, Burt can’t see past his filmmaking as a hobby. His father, a scientist by trade, understands how much more difficult it would be to make a career in the film industry than in science or technology, something that Sammy has the intelligence to succeed.
While this is Sammy’s story, The Fabelmans isn’t strictly about him. Like most successful directors (Clint Eastwood aside), Sammy isn’t the star of this film. While he certainly has the most screen time, as he is a part of each scene, he is sometimes a passive witness. One example is Sammy, who waits outside a curtained closet in his bedroom while Mitzi watches a film he recorded for her. Another example is his eavesdropping on a conversation that his parents are having through a room vent. Sometimes, what Sammy witnesses, we see at the same time. At other times, we watch with his family, friends, and classmates celebrate something that Sammy has filmed, created, edited, and finalized in his brain long beforehand.
Like any other family, The Fabelmans aren’t perfect. Dano’s portrayal of Paul is the kindest, most gentle role I’ve seen him in. I’ve never seen him play such a likable character. It felt refreshing. As much as Burt truly loves his family, he doesn’t know how to fix its problems, like he can a piece of broken electronic equipment. Notably, he doesn’t know how to care for Mitzi and relies much on Sammy (directly) and Benny (indirectly) to “cheer her up.” You wouldn’t be alone if you noticed something that seemed a little off about Benny, particularly how much time he spends interacting with family members other than Burt. I couldn’t put my finger on his dynamic with the family. That’s where Sammy comes in, piecing it all together for us.
Williams is on the shortlist for an Oscar nomination. As the matriarch, Mitzi is the most enigmatic family member, experiencing emotional highs and lows, sometimes with explanation and sometimes not. We never hear of a Bipolar Disorder medical disorder, but Mitzi displays many signs. Her elation during what feels like periods of mania shows a carefree spirit who couldn’t love the life she leads more than anyone. These are equally offset by her periods of gloom when she can hardly get herself out of bed, let alone care for her family. Williams is fantastic, but this is neither her best performance (that belongs to My Week With Marilyn, Blue Valentine, or Manchester by the Sea) nor the best performance by a lead actress this year. Cate Blanchett’s performance in TÁR is being seen as a massive frontrunner. While I think this film will receive multiple Oscar nominations and possibly a win or two, one of those wins won’t be in lead actress.
My biggest beef with the film was the overall lack of connection with any of the characters. I should have cared more about Mitzi’s mental health and its toll on her and the family. I should have cared more about the hurt that Paul experienced. I should have cared more about Sammy’s aspirations. But I didn’t. I didn’t care about any of this. Part of this was that being Spielberg’s most personal story, the end would be satisfactory. This might have been seen as a detriment to the movie, though the film’s first 30 minutes set the tone. There would be some bumps along the road, but this would ultimately end as a success story.
Plot 10/10
Character Development 9/10
Character Chemistry 9/10
Acting 9/10
Screenplay 8/10
Directing 9/10
Cinematography 10/10
Sound 9/10
Hook and Reel 9/10
Universal Relevance 9/10
91%
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