Heart and vulnerability weave through Steven Spielberg鈥檚 late-career offering 鈥淭he Fabelmans,鈥� loosely based on the filmmaker鈥檚 childhood.
But more than just being about the beginnings of one of Hollywood鈥檚 most successful visionaries, this is a story about family, relationships and heartbreak.
The opening scenes are dedicated to a young, inquisitive Sammy Fabelman, played by Gabriel LaBelle, who develops an obsession with a train crash. After seeing it in a theatre, he becomes preoccupied with the idea of recreating it in toy form.
From here, Spielberg shows audiences what they need to know: the warmth of his mother鈥檚 smile as she offers him his father鈥檚 camera. Is this the exact moment the boy becomes the filmmaker he鈥檒l grow up to be?
Spielberg and fellow screenwriter Tony Kushner focus on family dynamics 鈥� his two sisters are played by Julia Butters and Keeley Karsten, while hisparents are played by Michelle Williams and Paul Dano. Seth Rogen portrays a dear family friend, Uncle Benny. His mother, a former pianist and artistic maverick of the family, urges Sammy every step of the way but his father seems too preoccupied with career status to fully appreciate the budding filmmaker鈥檚 skills.
There鈥檚 an infectious sense of happiness in the way Spielberg presents the Fabelman family, whether it be humorous small talk at the dinner table, or their jubilant Hanukkah celebrations.
Through it all, there鈥檚 also an illusion of happiness. Williams does a remarkable job with every gesture and gaze that reveal who she is versus who her husband assumes her to be.
It recalls some of Spielberg鈥檚 most celebrated films, which often explore the turmoil and wonder of adolescence. The link between parent and child has been a central motif of Spielberg works from 鈥淓mpire of the Sun鈥� to 鈥淎.I. Artificial Intelligence.鈥� In 鈥淓.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,鈥� the character Elliott played by Henry Thomas copes with grief over the divorce of his parents by adopting an alien from another world. In the case of Sammy, he finds solace in filmmaking.
Through each pained experience, Sammy finds ways to use film to distance himself, using his ingenuity and professional obsession as both a passion and therapy.
It鈥檚 why 鈥淭he Fabelmans鈥� feels truest to Spielberg as an individual. It鈥檚 ripe, without otherworldly metaphors to hide the fact that he鈥檚 speaking of his own experiences 鈥� when the buildup of accomplishments, breakups, antisemitism and pain loomed large in his life.
If there ever were a message, it was painfully clear: An artist isn鈥檛 birthed within a vacuum.
鈥淭he Fabelmans鈥� screens Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at TIFF.
鈥擭oel Ransome, The Canadian Press
