Steven Spielberg has been frequently criticised for his overly emotional or nostalgic films but his 36th film The Fabelmans is perhaps the most sentimental yet. Co-written by Tony Kushner, The Fabelmans is a semi-autobiographical coming of age film that follows Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle), a fictionalised incarnation of Spielberg himself navigating the tumultuous world of adolescence and discovering his passion for filmmaking.
Described by Spielberg as a “$40 million dollar therapy session”, The Fabelmans is an intensely touching, passionate and confessional story that delves into divorce, antisemitism, young love, family, art and so much more.
If any film can be described as a love letter to cinema it is this one. The film opens with young Sammy (Mateo Zoryan Francis- DeFord) going to his first ever picture, The Greatest Show on Earth and continues to follow his discovery of cinema and filmmaking all the way to a meeting with legendary director John Ford, brilliantly played by David Lynch.
Whilst Sammy is presented as having an almost God-given talent for filmmaking that comes across as slightly unrealistic, what is immediately obvious is Spielberg’s undying love for cinema. No matter the trials and tribulations the Fabelmans face, cinema is there for Sammy as both a way of controlling his world and of discovering it. The montages of the Fabelman siblings making home movies were utterly lovely and capture a childlike wonder for film that warms the heart of any cinema enthusiast.
A central theme in the film is the conflict between art and science and passion and duty, exemplified in the relationship between Sammy’s parents. Mitzi, Sammy’s mother, played excellently by Michelle Williams, is a house-wife with an incredible talent for piano. Spielberg’s father is played by Paul Dano and is a hugely successful engineer.
Spielberg illustrates this conflict perfectly in the opening scene in which Mitzi provides an abstract, reflective description of cinema whilst Burt describes exactly how the mechanics behind moving pictures work.
The Fabelmans could easily have been an overly-indulgent, sentimental and simple film but it is the depth of all of the characters that really brings it to life and takes it to the next level. The portrayal of Mitzi was particularly interesting to me and I felt that the restrictions on women during this time were communicated in a very sensitive yet complicated way.
Michelle Williams, who has been nominated for an Oscar for The Fabelmans gives an intensely emotional and complex performance in which we can both condemn and sympathise with her character. The scene in which she plays a hauntingly beautiful piece of classical piano but is held back by her long nails clicking on the keys was a perfect metaphor for the way in which her gender and responsibilities as a mother has held her back from her dreams.
In the same vein, Paul Dano wonderfully balances the caring and simultaneously frustrating elements of Burt. Additionally, Gabriel LaBelle as Sammy is truly incredible as he manages to incorporate lovable awkwardness with intense stubbornness and selfishness to make a beautifully complex and charming protagonist.
There have been mixed reactions to The Fabelmans and despite its critical acclaim and numerous academy award nominations, box office figures have been lacking. I can certainly see the issues with this film but ultimately, I found it to be a heart-warming meditation on art and family that was very hard not to enjoy.