The Fabelmans movie review

MOVIE TITLE: The Fabelmans

This nostalgic look at filmmaking is brought to us by Universal Pictures and is now playing in theaters.

RATING: PG-13

LENGTH: 2 hours 31 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: A

IN A NUTSHELL:

I’m obsessed with movies, so I loved this tribute to the power of movies and to director Steven Spielberg himself. It’s a coming-of-age film based on Spielberg’s childhood in post-World War II Arizona by using a fictional family called the Fablemans.

THINGS I LIKED:

Spielberg had talked about creating a film about his childhood, but it wasn’t until he had time on his hands during the Covid-19 lockdown that he began to write the screenplay with Tony Kushner. It only took them 2 months to write it together. The last time Spielberg got screenplay credit was the movie A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001.)
The fantastic cast includes Michelle Williams, Judd Hirsch, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, and young actors Mateo Zoryan and Gabriel LaBelle. They play perfectly flawed characters.
Seth Rogen said that Spielberg was often tearful on set because everything portrayed in the film really did happen to him in his childhood between ages 7 and 18.
Believe it or not, this was the very first time Spielberg has had a movie premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival where he got two standing ovations and the movie won “Best Film”!
Paul Dano played Burt Fabelman, who represented Steven Spielberg’s father, Arnold. The last scene Paul Dano filmed was shot on the anniversary of Arnold’s passing.
I love how the movie shows vulnerable moments where the young Fableman (Steven Spielberg) saw things differently than most people. It’s such a personal film for him. The length of the movie speaks to how difficult it must have been for him to cut any of the scenes out of the finished project.
I’ve been a Boy Scout merit badge counselor for many years. I remember hearing years ago that Steven Spielberg made a movie to earn his Filmmaking merit badge. We see in this movie that he really did!
The talented John Williams will soon be 91 (Feb. 2023), but he said it’s hard to say no to Spielberg when the director asked him to work with him on this and the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
I lost it during the scene where the grandmother died in the hospital because both of my parents just died last month. When Michelle Williams collapsed at her mother’s bedside, I knew her exact pain.
If you enjoy Michelle Williams’ singing voice in this movie, you definitely need to watch her belt it out in The Greatest Showman movie. Some of the jewelry she wears in this movie actually belonged to Spielberg’s mother, Ashley Atkinson. Michelle Williams looks like she really is playing the piano like that! Her acting performance in this movie was absolutely stellar. She’s one of my favorite actresses.
There is a lot of humor, as well as poignant moments that help us see into the soul of one of the greatest movie directors of our time: Steven Spielberg.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Nothing. I really enjoyed this movie and thought it was a perfect love letter to filmmaking.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Violence
Drug use
Some teens flip the bird
Profanity, including 1 F-bomb

THEMES:

The power of movies
Truth and honesty
Inspiration
Family
Filmmaking
Art
Marriage and Infidelity
Passion
Grief
Love and loss
Guilt
Antisemitism
Forgiveness
Selfishness

FUNNY LINES:

“Did you find Jesus?” – Monica Sherwood (Chloe East) “At the jewelry store.” – Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle)
“Is this safe?” – Younger Sammy Fabelman (Mateo Zoryan) “Of course it’s safe. I’m your mother!” – Mitzi Fabelman (Michelle Williams)
“You really see me.” – Mitzi Fabelman (Michelle Williams)
“So, you want me to act and stuff?” – Boy Scout

INTERESTING LINES:

“If you stop making movies, it’ll break your mother’s heart.” – Bennie Loewy (Seth Rogen)
“I’m still done making movies.” – Sammy Fabelman “Everyone makes movies in California.” – Bennie Fabelman (Seth Rogen)
“Guilt is a wasted emotion.” – Mitzi Fabelman (Michelle Williams)
“Everything happens for a reason.” – Mitzi Fabelman (Michelle Williams)
“Sometimes, we can’t fix things. We have to just suffer.” – Monica Sherwood (Chloe East)
“Sammy, you do what your heart tells you.” – Mitzi Fabelman (Michelle Williams)