SiftPop

by Heath Lynch, Contributing Writer

Passion is an incredibly powerful emotion. It’s an expression of oneself in which we proudly display to the world who we are and what we stand for. Many films have tackled passions, or even obsessions, over the years. But with The Fabelmans we get one of the best representations of budding passion that we’ve maybe ever seen in film. This coming-of-age story shows us how the seeds of passion can be planted and fostered to bloom into a life-defining love affair. But this film doesn’t just stop at passion. Instead, it shows how passion can lead to the expression of imagination and creativity in the form of art, and how the influences of the world around us, such as family, friends, and environments, can affect that art.

This semi-autobiographical film based on the life of Steven Spielberg accomplishes many things, but there are two in particular that are worth noting. One, Spielberg is one of the greatest storytellers of all time, and it’s not up for debate. Two, The Fabelmans is a powerful, inspiring, and emotional journey that easily stands as one of the best films of the year and a sure fire awards winner.

The Fabelmans follows a young Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle) as he grows up and faces life’s challenges. This coming-of-age tale begins with his immediate fascination with cinema after seeing his first motion picture, The Greatest Show on Earth. From there, he develops skills for being a director of home movies, while having to deal with struggles with his family as they move from New Jersey, to Arizona, and finally to California. He has an indifferent father, Burt (Paul Dano), who is regimented and doesn’t understand his passions, but still wants a great life for him, as well as a mother, Mitzi (Michelle Williams), who is loving and whimsical, but who can’t rein in her own frivolities as the family starts to unwind. All the while, Sammy faces bullying and complications in high school, while trying to come to terms with what he wants from his life and his passions.

If there’s one thing everyone in the world can relate to, it’s the idea of being swept up in a passion. It could be something that you do to pass the time, something you’ve cultivated throughout your life, or even something that you’ve dedicated your education towards so that you could make it your job. As the old adage goes, if you do what you love for a living, you’ll never work a day in your life. Although that doesn’t apply to most of us, we can at least understand that sense of love for our hobbies. This could be the sports team you root for, the art festival you love to attend, going out hunting on the weekend, or enjoying season tickets to your local repertory theater. Passion is a guiding force in all of our lives, and a solid argument could be made that passion has never been represented better than in this film. Spielberg illustrates to us how he fell in love with film in such a way that you get swept up in the mythology of it all. You instantly empathize as you relate the experience to your own passions, while also understanding how he became one of the greatest directors of all time. It’s his life’s greatest passion, and that level of passion and dedication is what makes this movie so fun, rewarding, and emotional, especially when it gets into the ways passion can mold someone, whether it’s getting involved in an art form such as filmmaking or otherwise. 

The Fabelmans dabbles in introspective looks on how we form our personalities, the way we see the world around us, and even the tension that builds between our relationships with our loved ones. The best scene throughout the film that illustrates this element is one with Sammy’s Uncle Boris (Judd Hirsch), who gives an eccentric and powerful supporting performance. The way he highlights the natural tug-of-war that we fight within ourselves, and against our loved ones, in the name of art or passion will have you at the edge of your seat. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Hirsch receives some supporting nominations and accolades for his role here. He’s bombastic in the best way. Although he’s only in the movie for about 10 minutes, he magnetically steals every scene that he’s in. It’s the wisdom that he imbues upon us as the audience that makes him so captivating.

If you weren’t interested in the great deconstruction of what it means to have passion and love for something, don’t worry. The Fabelmans still has plenty for you if you’re a fan of Spielberg. You will absolutely enjoy this autobiographical tone. While some of the events have been altered, and the names have certainly been changed, the big sticking points throughout this film are intrinsically him. That could be the creation of some of his earliest films, including a moving scene regarding his World War II short film called “Escape to Nowhere,” where we actually get to see him direct an actor’s performance, or watching him edit a film as he learns how to mold and influence the audience’s perspective on a specific character. It’s all here. I have to imagine that making this film was very cathartic for Spielberg, especially because it gets into a deeper element that is woven throughout the film: control. It’s very clear that Spielberg has used film throughout the years as a way to exercise his fears. To gain control over the uncontrollable. With this retrospective about his life as we are nearing the end of his career, it’s very clear that he’s trying to finally relinquish that control that he’s had to have over everything he’s accomplished. As well, he’s using this film as an outlet to confront one of the most pivotal moments throughout his life that he never had control of: his parent’s divorce. This creates a unique quality where we can all look back at our own lives and see all the situations we’ve navigated as we try to twist situations to our favor in an effort to control the outcome and mitigate our fears.

So what if you don’t care about the themes or Spielberg’s autobiography? There’s still more than enough to love about this experience, if anything just from a purely filmmaking perspective. The Fabelmans is undoubtedly one of the most gorgeous and emotional films that you’ll see this year. The movie is lovingly scored by John Williams, the penultimate film of his immaculate career. There are chromatic swells of music that will move you to tears without the assistance of what’s on the screen. Once you add what’s on the screen, it’s going to be very hard for people to not be moved by what they’re seeing. Especially when it’s all so beautifully lit. Once again, Spielberg is bringing back Janusz Kamiński for the cinematography, and it’s no wonder why. This movie is gorgeous. Whether that’s shooting Mitzi as she dances in front of a headlight in the desert, or just the cinematic movement in which we follow a model toy train as it crashes on a table, it all makes this movie feel larger than life. It’s cinema in its purest sense. The technicals throughout this movie are astounding. The art direction and set design will teleport you back to the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, as well as the well thought-out costumes. The film is also sharply edited, and the script is beautifully written. There are engaging cuts that make the film feel dynamic, and the pacing never feels sluggish, even though the movie is two and a half hours long. It’s packed with witty lines of dialogue just as much as it layers in profound sentiment about life, art, and relationships of all kinds.

I say all that before we even get to the tremendous performances. LaBelle is the stand out here. While he’s had minor roles in the past, this is clearly his coming out party. I have no doubt that this movie is going to garner him a lot more work, and it rightfully should. He does an incredible job at being expressive as he emotes, even when the script doesn’t necessarily ask him to. He’s putting forth some powerful stuff, and he yields so much empathy from the audience. Dano and Williams are also tremendous as his parents. They play two starkly different personality types so tremendously well that you feel for their mismatched relationship dynamic. You understand how they loved each other, and you understand why they don’t work out in the end. I found them both incredibly engaging. I wouldn’t be shocked if they’re up for awards considerations as well. Williams especially steals the movie in several scenes, particularly with her one-on-one interactions with LaBelle. We already went over how tremendous Hirsch is in this picture, too; let’s not forget that. Another noteworthy character throughout this is Seth Rogen’s Uncle Benny. Although I don’t think he’s doing anything tremendously great, I will say that he does a decent job filling out the role, and adds an important element to the story. Hell, even the high school bull, portrayed by Sam Rechner, does a solid job. Props all around.

When you look at this film as a whole, it’s hard to not be impressed. It has a moving story that is relatable to all audiences, a compelling narrative that tells the story of one of cinema’s greatest directors, is loaded with great technical achievements, and more than anything else it delivers heart in spades. The Fabelmans is a moving and tremendous journey. I loved every second of it. Don’t be shocked when this movie comes back around during award season in a big way, as I foresee it having a dramatic impact. And rightfully so. Because when I finished this movie, all I wanted to do was go back to the lobby, buy a ticket, and see it again. The Fabelmans is nothing short of one of the best films of the year, and one of the best films of Spielberg’s iconic career. Be sure to check it out and enjoy the magic.

Score: 9/10

The Fabelmans is currently playing in theaters

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