The Fabelmans
The Fablemans is playing in theaters at the time of writing. Rated PG-13. Common Sense says 13.
STORY: C-
The Fabelmans is the fictional retelling of Steven Spielberg’s childhood by the legend himself. We witness the foundational moments that created arguably the greatest film director in history. We also watch his family slowly crumble apart, itself perhaps the pivotal event in the formation of the kind of storyteller he would become.
Very few people’s childhoods follow specific narrative patterns. That doesn’t make them unimportant. But the film’s conflicts rarely grab my attention the way Uncle Boris seizes Steven’s face. Importance alone isn’t enough to hold my attention for 2 ½ hours. Weaving these recollections into a familiar narrative order rather than a chronological one would likely create more impact.
Also, the story too often is too heavy. People speak in barely hidden philosophical sermons instead of like real people. It feels neither real nor fantastical.
PEOPLE: C-
If I were asked to nominate one performance from this film for an award, it would undoubtedly be Gabriel LaBelle’s. Every artist’s heart holds an empty hole demanding to be filled. You can literally see that hole inside LaBelle’s soulful eyes. And he had to do this while playing a legend and being directed by that very legend! It’s a memorable, great performance. As is David Lynch’s. His portrayal of legendary director John Ford speeds across the screen quickly, smoldering like a comet.
Everything the rest of the cast does and says seems straight outta Vaudeville. Watch Paul Dano’s reaction to a monkey jumping on his head (it’s in the trailer). There’s nothing authentic in that reaction. It’s pure theatrics. Every one of these actors is a master of authenticity (see Paul Dano in Little Miss Sunshine and Michelle Williams in Manchester by the Sea - both performances are beyond incredible), so it seems this was a director’s choice. It’s a compelling one: recalling childhood memories as if they were scenes from a movie. But the performative atmosphere winds up diminishing the reality of the situation, as well as its stakes.
FILM GEEK STUFF: B+
Spielberg gifts us a magical moment in the film’s most emotional scene. Sammy sits on the stairs slightly separated from his family while they erupt in tears and screams. The camera cuts back and forth between him and the rest of his family. The shots of Sammy look the same way everything else in the movie looks. But every time the camera turns to the family, the picture turns faintly grainy - the way it would look through the lens of his 1960s camera. It’s something many people might miss. But it’s a subtle, graceful way to show that even as a teenager, Spielberg views his entire world as a filmmaker.
Also, the film ends not with a bang, but a bump - one of the all-time great moments of meta-filmmaking.
NON-FICTION/FICTION (Elective Class): D
A friend once told me that when she had kids, she was only going to let them watch documentaries. She believed narrative films teach us little, if anything, about our world.
I disagree. Vehemently.
The Fabelmans certainly isn’t a documentary, but it’s a tru-ish telling of Spielberg’s childhood. We learn what happens by acting like flies on the wall. We watch what happens. We hear what happens. All of which is important information, but it’s not the full story. What about the way these events make him feel? The movie never effectively communicates those feelings. For that, you’ll need to watch another movie.
Spielberg has said in interviews that E.T. was his way of processing his parents’ divorce. Follow Elliott. What did Elliott need from E.T.? How did losing him make him feel? What parts of Elliott became broken, and what parts did discovering E.T. fix? Speak those answers out loud, and you’ll hear exactly how the divorce impacted young Steven.
I don’t want to disparage non-fiction. I love documentaries and “inspired by true events” movies. But those films often only tell us what happened. There is a magic in fiction that transcends facts’ ability to provide meaning. It’s his ability to fill movies with that magic that makes Spielberg a genius. He just doesn’t use it here.
FINAL COMMENTS:
Ultimately, the film feels more like a documentary than a fictional retelling. Spielberg fans won’t - and shouldn’t - stay away. But like an elegantly crafted volume of Cliff’s Notes, The Fabelmans as an account of Spielberg’s childhood somehow feels nowhere near as stirring or illuminating as E.T.