One of the masterminds of modern day cinema, Steven Spielberg, peels back the curtain on his childhood in The Fablemans.
Shrouded in nostalgia, movie magic and familial drama, Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical origin story is one of his most sentimental and earnest pieces in his résumé.
The Fablemans is a long film — as most memoirs are. However, it can be divided into two stories: one focused on the power of cinema and one on Spielberg’s childhood.
The two are woven together to create a cathartic piece of cinema. It is always very special when a creator truthfully shares his roots — especially when they’re not perfect and include a heartbreaking divorce. I commend Spielberg showcasing the emotional complexity of his parents as their relationship collapses.
Although watching The Fablemans fall apart was tragically engaging (thanks to Paul Dano and Michelle Williams, who always commits to a bad wig), I found myself more engrossed in Spielberg’s obsession and love for filmmaking.
From the moment the film starts, we see his obsession for capturing unforgettable moments and creating action packed stories, you are whisked away to remembering how you first fell in love with film. And perhaps I’m privy to this storyline because I am a cinephile at heart. Or because I too spent a lot of my childhood directing my family members in my own movies. And my 1999 production of Peter Pan is pretty epic, if I do say so myself.
Spielberg has inspired so many filmmakers and to watch him share his passion, his approach to storytelling and how Spielberg…well, became SPIELBERG — now that is the stuff dreams are made of.
However, I cannot help but wonder if I would have cared about this film if it wasn’t for Spielberg’s name…
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