The Fabelmans – Movie Review
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: Steven Spielberg, Tony Kushner (Screenplay)
Cast
- Michelle Williams (The Greatest Showman)
- Gabriel LaBelle (Dead Shack)
- Paul Dano (The Batman)
- Judd Hirsch (Independence Day)
- Seth Rogen (50/50)
Plot: Growing up in post-World War II era Arizona, young Sammy Fabelman aspires to become a filmmaker as he reaches adolescence, but soon discovers a shattering family secret and explores how the power of films can help him see the truth.
Runtime: 2 Horus 31 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Fabelmans starts as we meet the Fabelmans family, Mitzi (Williams) and Burt (Dano), along with their children Sammy (LaBelle), Natalie (Karsten) and Reggie (Butters). Sammy takes an early shine to filmmaking, usually roping his family and friends into his work.
As Sammy sees his family move and eventually gets a chance to move to California. Sammy starts to get caught up in making endless amounts of movies, which slowly start to reveal a bigger secret in the family.
Verdict on The Fabelmans
Characters
Sammy is the only son in the family, he becomes quickly captured by the magic of cinema. Even at a young age, he starts making movies with his family, as each project gets bigger. His passion sees him getting more and more ambitious with his projects until he uncovers a secret. He is left with a big decision about carrying on his dreams after losing faith in his inspiration.
Mitzi is the wife and mother of the home, she encourages Sammy to chase his dreams. She has a performing talent that helps her connect to her son. Mitzi is far more free-thinking, always encouraging happiness over anything else.
Burt is a genius husband and father. He has always expected the best for everyone around him. Burt gets offered chances that mean moving as his ideas would open so many different opportunities for his family. He is stricter with Sammy’s dreams but also praises everything he manages to achieve.
In the supporting cast, we get to meet three sisters of Sammy’s. They star in the movies he is making, showing a real bond between the siblings.
Performances
Gabriel LaBelle in the leading role of the movie is great, being the perfect example of a coming-of-age tale. He goes through a difficult situation and Gabriel shows how it has caused a change in him.
Michelle Williams is the star of the show, and we see how she goes through a lot of pain on the family journey. Paul Dano is wonderful too, as is the whole cast throughout the whole film.
Story
The story is a coming-of-age tale following an ambitious young boy who wants to become a filmmaker. It follows his life through adolescence as he learns about life. All this while chasing his dream and struggling to focus at school.
This does follow a typical coming-of-age tale formula, seeing an outsider learn more about life. It sees the creative mind that makes the movies and the family unit work together through it. In the weaker side of the story, we see the generic high school bullying. This doesn’t feel as fresh as it wants too either. The movie gets everything into a feel-good environment, in a way other movies have found a more depressing tone to the bigger story.
Final Thoughts – The Fabelmans is a sweet coming-of-age tale.