The Fabelmans is a coming-of-age story centering on Sammy Fabelman, played by Gabriel LaBelle (American Gigolo – TV series), and his Jewish-American family as they traverse life in the ’50s and ’60s. The movie begins with a young Sammy being taken to his first movie in 1952 and explores the profound effect that it has on him. Since this is a semi-autobiographical film written and directed by Steven Spielberg, I’m sure you can figure out what that effect was. At the same time Sammy is maturing, both as a young man and as a burgeoning filmmaker, his family begins to break down.

The Fabelmans

This was a really challenging film to critique. It’s full of perfect performances and Spielberg’s deceptively easy filmmaking style that drives the rather thin narrative and keeps the viewer engaged despite itself.

Even though it is told from Sammy’s (mostly) teenage perspective, the film’s main protagonist is actually Sammy’s mother, Mitzi, played by Michelle Williams (Venom: Let There Be Carnage, The Greatest Showman). She has an artist’s soul and is a gifted pianist who gave it up to be a mother and wife. Since then, she has been growing increasingly unhappy with her life, and through Sammy’s eyes, we watch her fuse burn until she finally explodes, taking the family with her. She’s not a good mother, and she’s a worse wife. In one scene, she admits as much right after she acknowledges that her husband is the kindest, most loving man in the world. Nonetheless, the owning of one’s flaws does not justify them, and the already thin narrative nearly breaks when her pedestal isn’t tipped over. Instead, her atrocious behavior is excused. That being said, the story is told from a young boy’s perspective, and he’s a young boy who adores his mother. So, it’s a forgivable conceit. In spite of this, I found myself being drawn out of the film’s reality and back into my own every time the film tried to defend her.

In true Spielberg form, he manages to squeeze every ounce of talent from his actors. To say that nigh every performance is perfect is not hyperbole, so let’s talk about the stand-outs amongst the stand-outs.

Burt Fableman is Sammy’s father and a computer engineer at a time when most people had never heard the word “computer.” He’s kind and loving and deeply in love with his wife, but his pragmatic approach to life leaves little room for art and repeatedly puts him at odds with both Sammy and her. Paul Dano, who plays Burt, is a chameleon; after his most recent role before this one, as the psychotic Riddler in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, his subtle and velvety Burt Fabelman should secure him whatever role he wants next.

How does someone like myself, with so little poetry in his heart, describe perfection? The best that I can do is to say that Williams is present in every nano-second of her performance, offering such nuanced authenticity that it’s virtually impossible not to empathize with her, and was almost enough to overcome my personal bias against any type of cheater…almost.

That said, my favorite performance was given by the venerable Judd Hirsch (The Goldbergs, Independence Day), who plays Mitzi’s eccentric Uncle Boris. He’s over-the-top yet subtle and gives the movie some much-needed levity while still being menacing. I know that that’s a lot of contradictions but it’s also true. The movie is worth the watch if only for his short time on film.

Even Seth Rogen turns in a notable performance as a sober (as in “not high”), less obnoxious, almost likable Seth Rogen. That’s a true triumph, given the last few years of his woke musings.

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