Steven Spielberg is back but this time not with dinosaurs or with the most famous archaeology professor, but with a very personal story about family and films, The Fabelmans. Spielberg is one of the most celebrated filmmakers of all time, and he has introduced and also inspired many people into the world of cinema.
Starring Paul Dano, Michelle Williams, and Seth Rogen, Spielberg brings us a coming-of-age drama loosely based on Spielberg’s younger years. The Fabelmans follows Sammy Fabelman from the age of 18 as he falls in love with filmmaking and films but family dysfunction gets in the way of him fulfilling his dreams.
If we talk about one of the most influential filmmakers working today, it is with no doubt Steven Spielberg, the brilliant director who has created some of the most iconic films ever and will surely go down in history as a visionary director that inspired a generation of filmmakers. With The Fabelmans, Spielberg has not only expressed his love for the movies, but he also talks about the sacrifices you have to make to get to your dreams.
The Fabelmans repeatedly talk about what art is to Sammy, and how it changes as he grows up and meets different people, and experiences some life-changing moments. In a certain scene of this film Judd Hirsch‘s Uncle Boris says “Family, art. It will tear you in two.” and that’s the biggest truth of Sammy’s life.
Spielberg tries to tell us how his experiences made him into the filmmaker he is today and even though, The Fabelmans is Sammy’s story somehow we all relate to the story being told right in front of our eyes and that is because the universal truth about art is that it always asks for sacrifices after sacrifices and it never lets you get comfortable.
If you have watched all of Spielberg’s filmography, you might notice many different things in The Fabelmans that may have inspired a particular shot or a scene. This is indicative of how an artist will always pour his everything into the art they are making, even if it’s a death of a family member or a divorce that will divide the family forever.
So, if you think about it The Fabelmans talk about both the art of entertainment and family as choices, and the artist will always choose his/her art, they might love their family, but they love their art a little bit more.