THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
Movies are capable of making the audience feel many things: You can be shocked, surprised, provoked with thought and above all, they can move you. Steven Spielberg has made people feel all the above with the past films he’s directed/produced, but none are as moving as 2022’s The Fabelmans.
PLOT
The film follows Sammy who lives in New Jersey with his Jewish family: His father Burt, his mother Mitzi and his trio of sisters (Reggie, Natalie and Lisa). He first fell in love with movies in 1952 when his parents took him to see Cecil B DeMille’s The Greatest Show on Earth in theaters. Dazzled with a train crash sequence that occurred in the movie, he asks for a model set for Hanukkah. Spending one night crashing it, Mitzi understands his intent to recreate the scene, thus giving him his dad’s 8mm camera. Enjoying using it for the train model, he would keep using it and film regularly with his sisters. The Fabelmans would move to Arizona in 1957 when Burt gets a new job as a computer engineer. He would also bring along his business partner and best friend Bernie Loewy would join them as well, becoming the children’s surrogate uncle in the process. By the time Sammy is a teenager in the 60s, he would continue making home movies not just with his family, but with his Boy Scout group at the time as well. When he goes out camping with his family, all appear to enjoy themselves until Mitzi’s mother passes away. Wanting to cheer up his wife, Burt insists on Sammy to make a home movie out of the camping trip. It does personally bother his son as that would delay his next home movie he had in mind. Before he gets to work, the family gets a visit from Mitzi’s uncle Boris who has worked as a Lion tamer and a film worker throughout his life. When he spends the night, he gives Sammy important advice to not compromise family over art because both aspects will always be at odds. After the uncle leaves, he gets to work on the home movie of the camping trip as promised, but during his editing process, he finds shocking evidence that reveals an affair between his mother and Bernie. After he does his next home movie as planned, he would act distant towards Mitzi. One day, they would have such a heated argument that she would retaliate by slapping him across the back. She would quickly apologize for her aggression, but her son would become so distraught that he would show her his evidence of her affair, promising not to tell his dad. A week after this, the Fabelmans would then move to California thanks to another promotion Burt received. With Bernie staying, he would give Sammy another camera as a goodbye gift. Although he hesitantly accepts, he doesn't intend to use it. Once he settles in, he is quickly harassed in high school, dealing with constant Anti-Semitic abuse from two jocks named Logan (Sam Rechner) and Chad (Oakes Fegley). Things would turn around when he would date a devout Christian named Monica (Chloe East). She would encourage him to start filming, letting him borrow her father's 16mm Ariflex camera for a Ditch Day party at the beach. Good things would come to an end when his parents would announce their divorce, which devastates the children. On prom night, Sammy would declare his love for her and ask her to come to Hollywood with him after high school, but she would dump him instead due to her plans to attend Texas A&M University. When his Ditch Day home movie is shown, many of his peers. Logan would however feel uncomfortable being praised, whereas Chad hates being vilified. Logan would ask Sammy why would he present him positively, and the latter would respond that he was trying to be nice. Understanding his reason, he would defend him from Chad who would try to attack him over the home movie. The morning after, Mitzi encourages her son to not give up on his love for filmmaking. A year after graduation, Sammy would be living in Hollywood with Burt. Wanting his son to be happy, he finally decides to tell him to keep on his desired path. So he allows him to drop out of college and visit CBS Headquarters after a letter from the company invites him to work on the sitcom Hogan's Heroes. Aware that Sammy is more interested in filmmaking, a network executive would invite him to meet director John Ford, one of his greatest influences. During their brief time together, Ford would give meaningful advice about framing. The film would end with Sammy walking through the studio backlot with brand new invigoration.
THOUGHTS
I have been a fan of Spielberg's filmography, enjoying about every bit of his work from The Sugarland Express to West Side Story. When it comes to natural love that has been given to them, there is no exception with this one. He and co writer Tony Kushner mesmerize me with a story that is the former's most moving since ET The Extra Terrestrial. I feel this way because he uses his personal life as inspiration to tell people that no matter what steps you make to do what you want, you must remember they are what make you grow. Without those exact steps, the destination you hope to find would be much different than you imagine. Seeing a summary of what he went through, I felt so connected to him that I am more motivated than ever to pursue a footstep in the industry that has immortalized his name. When watching Gabriel LaBalle portray this fictional version of him, Sammy, we get an idea what kind of person Spielberg and it's a really good thing. He reflected him to have the most creative mind out there and was determined to share his imagination, knowing that people would be in love with it as he is. Whatever kind of story he had in mind, it would always be produced to his liking, which is not easy for an art form. As said before, the guy went through sadness and it was all worth it because his journey led to triumph. And that journey gave us one of the greatest filmmakers to ever live. Of course, he wouldn't become this way without the love that did nothing but pave the path he wanted to take. Paul Dano left a big mark on me playing Burt because he reminded me of my father. The whole time, he was looking out for his son and wanted the very best for him. He never showed support of his passion originally because he worried that it wouldn't work out, thus pushing him to try other endeavors. It was always irritating when he called his filmmaking a hobby because it showed how different they were. But once realizing that he wasn't happy with his choices, Burt came around because he didn't want to hold him back. Oscar nominee Michelle Williams was riveting in the role of Mitzi. She portrayed her as one who was extremely depressed. She loved her children without question as she supported Sammy from the get go, but she always hated how she never got to pursue her career as a pianist. Even though she makes a mistake upon infidelity, you still admire her motherhood whenever she embraced her children to be as ebullient as possible. If having a pet monkey doesn't make you smile, I have no idea what will. I never thought I would see Seth Rogen in a Spielberg film, yet he fits right in in this film's environment. He definitely left a memorable impression as Bernie. He made it such s challenge to like this character because he was a light hearted guy that brought joy to the kids, only to break the family apart by getting intimately involved with Mitzi. We don't want Mitzi to be unhappy, but it is awkward how she found happiness again in such an unexpected place. You totally feel bad for Burt when he sees their picture together because there was no way he could have seen it coming. Seeing how Bernie wanted to make amends with Sammy before he moved again proved that he never intended to hurt anyone and hated how things unfold. After such repercussions that unfolded, I do hope he continued making Mitzi happy until the end of their time. I loved Judd Hirsch's appearance so much as Uncle Boris, giving me one of the biggest smiles throughout. In such minimum screen time, he earns his Oscar nomination for being able to give important advice Sammy needed: You have to balance the things you love because you'll never enjoy it if you don't. That was important for me to hear because if you're not enjoying what you love, there is no point in doing it. If that appearance wasn't enough to motivate you, then David Lynch's awesome cameo as John Ford will do it for you. Without hesitance, the erudite picture maker gave the most important advice every filmmaker must have: You have to frame the story just right otherwise it won't be interesting. Seeing the horizon focused at the bottom was a great nod that Spielberg never forgot that advice. In conclusion, The Fabelmans is 2022's best movie for being a story that can make everyone motivated to follow their dreams. You want a movie that can inspire you? See this
Comments