THE FABLEMANS

US, 2022, 151 minutes, Colour.

Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Mateo Zoryan, Judd Hirsch, Jeannie Berlin, Sam Rechner, Oakes Fegley.

Directed by Steven Spielberg.

The Fabelmans – a.k.a. the Spielbergs or, at least, the Spielberg’s of Steven’s blend of memory and imagination.

Spielberg has worked with his frequent collaborator, Pulitzer and Tony award-winning writer, Tony Kushner (for Munich, Lincoln, West Side Story). Spielberg has supplied the story and the imagination, Kushner has supplied the framework and the dialogue. The decision has been made to focus on Spielberg’s early life, from age 6 in 1952 to age 19 in 1965, then on the verge of his television and film career.

The film opens with the young Sammy (for Steven) being taken to the movies by his enthusiastic but increasingly wary parents, Burt and Mitzi, watching DeMille’s The Greatest Show on Earth, and the famous train crash and disaster, carriages held everywhere. The little boy seems gobsmacked, dreaming of crashes, then finally realising that what he wants Hanuka is a train set. And to crash it. His mother makes the suggestion of filming it so that he doesn’t have to repeat the crashes but can watch it over and over. Origins of the movie career. And Spielberg’s memories of DeMille.

Burt Fabelman loves technology, is inventive, appreciated and promoted. His played by Paul Dano, creating the character an upright father, work-preoccupied, loving his wife but unable to fulfil all family expectations. Michelle Williams plays Mitzi, a talent for piano playing, a sometimes fey personality, devoted to her children. And, in the background, and the foreground, is Burt’s best friend, Bennie (Seth Rogen), at the family meals, at the family picnics, close to them and to Mitzi.

An acknowledgement of Gabriel LaBelle playing the adolescent Sam. And John Williams’ piano score rather than his usual orchestral.

The screenplay emphasises the Jewish background of the family, feasts and celebrations, candles, songs, meals. Later, with Sammy, now Sam, as a teenager at high school in California, he is the victim of anti-Semitic bullying.

In 1962, Sammy watches The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, absorbed, but then going out with his camera, with his scout friends, creating his own Western, relishing the camera work, a talent for directing his friends in their performances, working away at home editing his film, then, to the delight of the scouts and his family, screening it to acclaim. Not only does he make his own Western, but, anticipating Saving Private Ryan, his own war film, quite an emotional experience, but and again-exhilarated audience.

Judd Hirsch invades the film briefly as Uncle Boris – and steals it while he is there.

Sammy also films his mother, on a bending bough, dancing in a shimmering nightdress, but also at a picnic where, Sammy discovers her relationship with Bennie, an emotional blow, his wanting to give up filming, his curt treatment of his mother… Which highlights the tension in the family, his mother, Bennie’s presence, and Burt being offered advancement with moving to California. The family does, Bennie giving the reluctant Sammy a new camera, but everyone unwilling to move and settle.

In 1964, we see Sam at high school, rather diminutive, the all-American jocks dominating him, the anti-Semitic attacks, yet the attraction of Monica, a local high school girl, devoutly Christian, always praying, and Sam attracted to her, his first, ultimately disappointing, dating and love.

This was the era of the Beach Party Bingo movies and Sam makes his mark by filming a day at the beach with the students, screening it at the prom party – again to great acclaim and enthusiasm from the students. However, Sam is upset, is confronted by Logan, the tall blond and handsome Jock, whom Sam has made the star of his film. Logan is upset, has to confront his self-doubts, wondering why Sam did not get revenge but rather making him the hero of the film. He pledges Sam not to tell the story ever – but, here it is, almost 60 years later!

1965, Sam 19, an invitation to CBS, the support of his mother, the blessing of his father, the arrangement of an interview with veteran John Ford (played, in fact, by David Lynch!), With Ford asking Sam to look at pictures, asking where the horizon is, top and bottom of the picture is interesting, the middle is boring. Sam thanks him and steps outside into his career which will see him, even before 2000, in the movie directors’ pantheon (Jaws,, Close Encounters, Indiana Jones, ET, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s list, Saving Private Ryan).

And more to come.

1. The title, alternate for the Spielberg’s?
2. Audience appreciation of Steven Spielberg, his films, influence on American filmmaking, world audiences?
3. The period, 1952-1965? US? Families, homes, holidays? Arizona? California? High school? The beginning of television career? Costumes, decor, cars…?
4. The musical score by John Williams, piano, contrast to his orchestral work?
5. Steven Spielberg and his family, parents, uncle Ben, sisters? His place in the family? Aged six, to the movies, The Greatest Show on Earth, parents’ worry, the guns, crashes and the train wreck? The effect on Sammy, his dreams, the honeycomb gift, the train, setting it up, the crashes? Is mother’s support? The camera, his filming the crash, being able to play it over and over?
6. The Jewish background, celebrations, rituals, songs? Family meals? The grandparents? Mitzi’s mother dying, the dough deaths scene, the effect on her? Burt’s mother, dominating, later visits and criticisms?
7. 1962, Sammy at 16, his camera, going to see Liberty Valence, the chatter of his friends, his focus on the screen? The details of his work filming, camera, shots, directing, his cast, editing, camera tricks and protection, repeated shooting? The filming, showing the film to the scouts, friends, family? The war film, the setup, his friends, directing the boy to walk through the dead, his weeping, continued walking, having to call cut? And screening this film and its acclaim?
8. Burton, Mitzi, their marriage, the children, Burt and his inventiveness, his talk and the various theories, television sets, employment, promotion, to Arizona, success, the invitation to California? An upright man, love for his children, the Sammy, but calling filmmaking his hobby? Mitzi, age, background, as mother, piano playing, for the family, cutting her fingernails? Uncle Boris’s comment about her talent? Her supporting Sammy and his filmmaking? Being persuasive with Burt? Her mother’s death and the phone call after her death>
9. The presence of Uncle Bennie, Burt’s best friend, working together, sharing together, his presence of the family, at the dinner, his practical jokes, friendship with Sammy?
10. The visit of Uncle Boris, his background in the circus, films, his stories, Mitzi afraid of him from the past, his sister’s death, sharing the room with Sammy, sleeping on the floor for Shiva, encouraging Sammy in his ambitions, the farewell?
11. Sammy, his filming his mother, on the bending tree, her dance in the nightdress, close-ups, in the background with Bennie, hand, the kiss? The effect on Sammy, unable to speak to his mother, the effect on her, his eventually showing her the film, her response?
12. The move to California, the family not wanting to go, liking Arizona? Packing up? Sammy and his not filming after the episode with his mother? Uncle Bennie, the gift of the camera, Sammy refusing, paying $35, Bennie putting it in his pocket?
13. The setup of the house in California, the reaction of the family, the daughters? Burt, his work, being away, wrapped up in his work? Mitzi, adapting to California?
14. Sammy, the children going to high school, the girls pushing through the tall boys, Sammy and the bullying, his being shorter, anti-Semitic taunts, Chad Thomas and Logan? Anti-Semitic presumptions, superiority, violence? Sammy seeing Logan kissing the girl, his telling Claudia, Logan and his anger, bashing, threatening Sammy? The volleyball matches and the violence? Sammy confessing to Claudia and Monica, their realising he was telling the truth about the redhead?
15. Monica, attracted to Sammy, the very Catholic background, her room, the pictures of Jesus, of pop stars, her wanting to pray, rationalising her attraction in prayer, the breath, breathing into Sammy? Their being interrupted? At school, his bonding with the girls? The buildup to the prom, dressing up, the corsage, the necklace for Monica, their dancing, her moodiness, breaking up?
16. Sammy, the camera, filming the special day, focusing on Logan? The screening of the film, the audience response, delight, Chad Thomas humiliated, the focus? Sammy leaving the room, Logan finding him, upbraiding him, Logan’s self-confession, self-doubt, punching Chad, threatening Sammy? Sammy promising never to tell the story – until many decades later in the film?
17. The divorce, the announcement, the effect on the girls, the effect on Sammy? Living with his mother, college, the visits to his father, their Frank talking about the marriage, Burt’s devotion to Mitzi? His seeing the photo with Mitzi?
18. Sammy, not wanting to go to college, the letters of application, the letter from his mother, the photo? The letter from CBS? His going to the interview, his encouragement, his age, the setup of the interview with John Ford, his office, the posters and his achievement, the secretary and the tissue with the lipstick, David Lynch impersonating John Ford, the talk about the horizons in the pictures, the horizon above and below, not in the middle?
19. And the beginning of Spielberg’s extraordinary career at the age of 19? His achievement?