The Fabelmans
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A “semi-autobiographical” film that’s more accurate than most biopics.
I knew nothing of Spielberg’s early life before this film, and could tell this was a story he’s been wanting to document for a long time.
I love how much enthusiasm Spielberg has had for film making since an early age.
It takes one ADHD slightly autistic individual with a hard upbringing to know one - and Spielberg is definitely one. I could empathize with him much more than I ever expected.
I did some simple fact checking, and almost all of it was true. Makes the story even more engaging.
A quote I found online:
Although director Steven Spielberg has called The Fabelmans “semi-autobiographical,” aside from the name changes, the film is more historically accurate than many biopics. Spielberg has conveyed that he avoided labeling The Fabelmans as being “based on a true story” or “autobiographical” because he didn’t want to promote it as a movie about himself, which might be seen as narcissistic. Yet, as indicated above, most of the film’s scenes and characters were drawn directly from Steven Spielberg’s childhood and teen years. Some moments, like the meeting with John Ford, were taken word for word as Spielberg remembers it. With regard to other scenes, Spielberg has said that he doesn’t want to reveal where he took liberties. This is fair, given that he’s not billing the movie as a true story. Still, watching The Fabelmans and the HBO Spielberg documentary is eye-opening with regard to how much of Steven Spielberg’s past, in particular his youth, has informed his films. If you didn’t know much about Steven Spielberg’s biography, you’ll undoubtedly start to see his films in a whole new light.