The Fabelmans (Film)
This is perhaps the film Director Steven Spielberg always wanted to make, and he enlisted Tony Award Winner Tony Kushner (Angels in America) to help write this movie that is basically an ode to Spielbergs childhood.
Gabrielle LaBelle is fantastic as Sammy – the ‘young Spielberg’ who, after taken by his parents to see a screening of Cecil B. DeMille’s ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’, gets the filmmaking bug. Using his fathers camera (Paul Dano), and with the support and love of his mother Mitzi (a very good Michelle Williams, Oscar-nominated for this role), Sammy films everything. But Sammy sometimes films too much, and sees things through the camera that should’ve always been kept in the closet with the rest of the family secrets. Meanwhile Mitzi is not the most stable mother on the block, especially after the family moves to another state. And with the death of her mom, and with rumours swirling about Mitzi and a male friend of the family, Sammy perhaps has captured too much and does not want to face the truth about his family. But we all know how Spielbergs life turned out, and we can only assume this is how Sammy’s life will turn out, especially after a chance meeting with legendary film director John Ford.
Up for 8 Oscars, deservedly so, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, ’The Fabelmans’ is an endearing film but it could’ve been so much more. It drags a bit in the middle (the film is 150 minutes – quite long for a drama), and was practically shut out of the top BAFTA nominations. It won the Golden Globe for Best Picture and Best Director, and Judd Hirsch, who plays the grandfather, was just nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, so this proved Hollywood loves this sort of film, and they love showering their own with awards. You will love this film too, if you are able to sit through the whole thing.
