#SheReviews Film: The Fabelmans

One of the most highly anticipated films of the year is Steven Spielberg’s – The Fabelmans. Based loosely on his own life it tells the story of Sammy Fabelman, a boy enamoured by making movies. It also shares his family life, growing up in a home with a creative Mum and fact obsessed Dad, and how that shaped the man he became. You sense that The Fabelmans is the type of movie Spielberg has always longed to make. It is a personal story, filled with emotion, which is cinematically beautiful and is story at its best. 

The Story 

Written by Steven Spielberg and acclaimed playwright, Tony Kushner, The Fabelmans shows the great director turning the lens on himself. Set in the America of the post World War II era this coming – of – age drama shares Sammy’s story from the age of seven through to eighteen. We begin in Arizona where Sammy lives with his engineer dad, Burt and former concert pianist mum, Mitzi. These two are complete opposites. Mitzi seemingly has more in common with Burt’s best mate, the playful Uncle Benny, than her own husband. 

When the Fabelmans take a wide eyed Sammy to the cinema to see The Greatest Show on Earth he becomes fascinated by a train crash on screen. Burt buys him an expensive train set , but soon he begins crashing it over and over again trying to re- create the scene. Mitzi’s solution is to suggest he use his Dad’s camera to film the scene, so he can watch it as many times as he likes. It is here his love of film and precocious talent comes to the fore. Mitzi recognises and encourages his gift. 

Soon the camera becomes a part of him. He goes to great lengths to create epic war and cowboy films with his band of Eagle Scouts and sisters. He films family camping trips and special occasions and soon learns the hard way that the camera never lies. He uses film to manipulate, placate and change the course of his and other’s lives. He realises that with skilful editing a story can be told in more than one way. 

Life seems happy in Arizona and this quirky household, which seems to mesh perfectly, in spite of their differences.The staid Bert obviously adores the more impulsive and creative Mitzi and it is during scenes where she shows her prodigious talent as a pianist, that this love shines through. Sammy too adores his unconventional mum, which makes it even more heartbreaking when she begins to unravel. 

Moving the family to California for work seems to be a catalyst which blows up the family. Sammy and his sisters appear to be the only Jews on a campus filled with giant, golden haired WASPS. Sam is bullied mercilessly, but he uses his camera to cleverly turn the tables on the bullies, make friends and get the girl. These angst ridden teen years were difficult to watch, particularly as we see the rifts between Sammy and his beloved Mum. 

The last scene is a doozy pointing to the path that young Sammy might take. In a meeting with Sam’s hero, famed director Ford ( played by David Lynch, in a stroke of great casting) he is just given one piece of advice and the movie ends on that note. The proof of a good story is knowing where to end.

 

The Cast 

The true shining lights of this everyday life story are the cast. Michelle Williams and Paul Dano share remarkable performances and Canadian born actor, Gabriel Labelle comes into his own as the adolescent, Sam. Seth Rogen is believable as the playful “uncle” and Academy Award nominee, Judd Hirsch puts the story into perspective for Sammy, as Mitzi’s Uncle Boris. 

The camera loves Michelle Williams and every nuance was captured by Speilberg’s astute camera work. In the hands of a lesser actress Mitzi could have come across as a caricature, but Michelle has captured all the longing and push and pull of a prodigious talent who has given up everything to raise her family with love. There is already talk of an Oscar.

Paul Dano and Seth Rogen are perfect foils for each other. In one scene while Burt is meticulously explaining  to the children how to light a fire, Benny is  catching their attention in the background creating a fun makeshift slingshot ride with a sapling. They are the ying and yang element. 

Gabriel Labelle plays the adolescent Sammy with a sense of vulnerability and thoughtfulness. He shows the dark and light through his camera and his actions. He is perfect for this role. 

Summary 

This is a long film … but it doesn’t make the mistake of trying to cram everything in as is the case with many biopics. It concentrates on moments and character. Family, talent and how that all meshes together is at the heart of this emotional film. 

I felt tears form in my eyes at times as Spielberg tugged at my heartstrings. Others in the audience at our advanced screening could be heard weeping. And while my husband and I both found it a little self indulgent at times, we could appreciate the artistry and heart that had gone into creating this film. 

It’s a film that sits with you after you’ve left the cinema and raise the philosophical questions of “ What is happiness?” “ Should you sacrifice your own life and talents for the sake of others?”  “ Is it selfish to follow your own dreams?” 

So many questions to ponder. 

 

The Fabelmans is the movie Spielberg’s parents urged him to make and is a homage to family and all its idiosyncrasies. It’s also a film about forgiveness and the passing of time. It’s filled with great characters, a beautiful musical score and magnificent cinematography. This is not an action film … so younger audiences may find it too long. Time will tell where this film stands in comparison to Steven Spielberg’s extensive body of work. The Fabelmans is in cinemas across Australia on January 5.