The Fabelmans

 I've been waiting to see The Fabelmans for a while now. Steven Spielberg's cinematic autobiography came out last month, but it didn't play locally upon its "wide" release on Thanksgiving. I think I had a great substitute that weekend with that sneak preview. No more waiting. Let's go.

Spielberg represents himself as Sammy Fabelman. Sammy's moviemaking life begins when he (Mateo Zoryon Francis-DeFord) sees his first movie, Cecil B. DeMille's circus epic The Greatest Show on Earth, in 1952. Its climactic train crash sears into Sammy's mind and he asks for a train set so he can recreate it again and again. His dad, Burt (Paul Dano), doesn't understand his obsession with train crashes. His mom, Mitzi (Michelle Williams), helps him film a train crash movie. That one movie leads to several more, many of which star his sisters. He and his family move to Arizona with their "Uncle" Bennie (Seth Rogen) in 1957.

Sammy continues his moviemaking as a teenage Boy Scout (Gabriel LaBelle). By then, he bears witness to his family's problems. His Grandma's death leaves Mitzi emotionally devastated. His filming a camping trip inadvertently leads him to discover Mitzi's affair with Bennie. His parents soon divorce after this. Meanwhile, at school, Sammy faces antisemitic bullying and dates devout Christian Monica (Chloe East). He eventually wonders if his "hobby" is worth turning into a profession. I think we know how that turned out.

Spielberg collaborated with Tony Kushner on the screenplay. It's a compelling tale as Sammy makes movies, finds love, loses love, makes peace with one of his bullies, among other things. A few lines are obvious trailer material (and they were). But they're not a dealbreaker in the story. Sammy's cinematic life is so enthralling you'll wonder how it compares to Spielberg's actual life. One of its best scenes is the finale, where Sammy has a rather interesting (to say the least) conversation with John Ford (David Lynch). 

LaBelle and Francis-DeFord are quite good as Sammy. Together, they make Sammy into a compelling character. We're as enthralled as the younger Sammy as he discovers filmmaking. We're outraged when he's bullied as a teen. His discovery of Mitzi and Bennie's affair while editing the camping trip movie horrifies him. Meanwhile, we're left smirking when Sammy impresses Monica and her friend, Claudia (Isabelle Kusman). We later sympathize when Monica eventually dumps him. His confrontation with the aforementioned bully, Logan (Sam Rechner), is his best moment. Logan, meanwhile, shines when he defends Sammy from the other bully, Chad (Oakes Fegley).

Dano and Williams are quite sympathetic as Burt and Mitzi. Mitzi sees the value in Sammy's moviemaking when Burt doesn't, though her instability drives plenty of conflict. Her imagining a phone call from her late mom is just the start. They do try being better people throughout the movie. Their reconciliations with Sammy are rather nice. Julia Butters as Sammy's sister Reggie does her best as the family's voice of reason. As with Lynch, Judd Hirsch stands out as Sammy's Great-Uncle Boris, whose segment sees him strongly encourage Sammy's moviemaking.

Spielberg's usual collaborators - editor Michael Kahn (this time with Sarah Broshar), cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, production designer Rick Carter and, of course, John Williams - deliver their usual excellence here. Let's discuss some highlights. Sammy discovering the affair is a tensely edited moment. The film's last shot is an amusing fourth wall gag. Sammy's many homes are rather appealing locales. Mitzi dancing during the camping trip is given an eloquent tune. Back to cinematography, her dancing in the dark, illuminated by their car's headlights, is a memorable sight. As I said, they did great as usual.

The Fabelmans unfolds over the course of a slow and steady 151 minutes. During which, we're fully involved with Spielberg's author avatar through many of his highs and lows. So naturally, we're confident in his filmmaking success when he walks into the proverbial sunset. It's a pity that this didn't get a much wider release. So, if you can, see it as soon as it's in a theater near you. On one hand, a wide release is some benefit to its current digital distribution. On the other, there's that $19.99 price tag. Whichever venue is fine, though.