The Fabelmans is a coming of age, historical, family drama movie directed by Steven Spielberg, released by Universal Pictures in 2022. The movie revolves around the life of Sammy Fabelman, who falls in love with the world of cinema since his parents took him to a movie theater when he was a kid. He grows up in Arizona with a bunch of ideas to make movies, and with the support of his friends, he repeatedly amazes his parents with his works. However, everything changes when they have to move to California. In this movie, Spielberg showcases a snippet of his teenage life with the central theme of family issues.
The movie’s screenplay was in the process for a long time and finally was under production in 2022. The Fabelmans premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and garnered positive reviews from the audience. It was praised as one of Spielberg’s best films, as well as the best movie of 2022. In this article, we provide an overview of the movie and its storyline, along with our thoughts on its quality.
Synopsis
The movie’s story is set in 1952, where Samuel Fabelmans is taken by his parents to watch the movie ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ by Cecil B. DeMille in a theater. The movie leaves Sam enchanted, and he is still thinking about the train collision scene when he is back home. His mother, Mitzi, understands that Sam would like to replay the scene repeatedly, so she lends him her camera to record the scene. Sammy and his mother watch their movie with great emotion.
Over time, Sammy starts making other movies with his three siblings, and they become a source of entertainment for the family. However, Burt, Sam’s father, receives an offer to work at General Electric in Phoenix, Arizona, which leads to them relocating to Phoenix. Years later, Sammy is a teenager, but he never loses interest in making movies. He continues to shoot movies with his scout friends that are often screened in school. Burt is amazed at the realistic-looking gunfight scene renditions, only to find out that Sammy had punched holes in slide films to create that visual effect.
One weekend, the family goes camping in the woods, where Sammy records everything that his family does, including Mitzi’s dance. Sadly, Mitzi’s mother dies of sorrow. Burt then asks Sammy to make a film out of the camping trip that Mitzi could watch to ease her heart.
One morning, they have a distinguished guest, Mitzi’s Uncle Boris, a former circus worker now in the Hollywood film industry. He advises Sammy on the never-ending fight between family and art. After Boris leaves, Sammy starts editing the footage from the family camping trip, only to find out that Mitzi was always with Bennie, his dad’s best friend. Sammy is heartbroken beyond words.
Finally, Sammy completes the family movie and screens it at his house. The family is moved by the movie, with Mitzi being the most affected. However, Sammy remains cold to Mitzi’s efforts. After finishing the shooting of a war-themed movie, Sammy receives a warm welcome at school when the movie is screened; Mitzi’s reaction seems cold again. Mitzi tries to apologize and seeks an explanation, only to see a footage piece that Sammy left out, showing Mitzi’s and Bennie’s intimacy. Sammy makes a promise to keep it a secret from everyone.
Burt lands a high-paying gig at IBM, so the family moves to California to start a new life. Life becomes rough as Burt is swamped with work, and Mitzi is mostly quiet, leaving Sammy to face bullying from his classmates. Sammy is beaten precisely for being Jewish, but he receives sympathy from Monica, a devoted Christian girl. The two grow closer and fall in love. When Monica proposes to document the Senior Skip Day event, Sammy accepts, despite Burt’s belief that films are only hobbies.
Conclusion
In conclusion, The Fabelmans is yet another brilliant masterpiece by Steven Spielberg that revolves around his teenage life with central themes of filmmaking and family issues. Sammy Fabelman’s character is intense and inspiring with his love for cinema, and his character’s growth sets the movie’s tone. The movie portrays family issues with sensitivity and explores the teenage theme gracefully, making it a must-watch for all.
