Review by Dennis D. McDonald

I have always been amazed at Spielberg's dramatic range. In one film, he will focus on mock sentimentality at a level that even the most hard-hearted will be unable to resist. In another, he will depict evil and cruelty in such a way that the viewer wonders how one person can understand and portray human suffering in such a clinical and matter-of-fact manner.

He brings this entire range of artistic skills to bear in "The Fabelmans" and, for the most part, succeeds.

Here we have a semi-fictionalized biopic depicting a Spielberg-like young man growing into an understanding of himself, his family, his Jewish heritage, and his undeniable gift for filmmaking.

The filmmaking, though, is not the real centerpiece of this film. It's Sam Fabelman's relationship with his family, especially his mother and his father.

The emotional center of the film is Sam's mother, who has her own emotional struggles. It's my understanding that the film's portrayal of the family's troubles parallels Spielberg's own experiences growing up. If that is true, I am even more respectful of Spielberg's storytelling skills in portraying emotional family turmoil.

At the same time, the viewer needs to understand that stress and emotional trauma are not the only things on display in "The Fabelmans." There is also much fun, humor, and joy, all of which are supported by a stellar cast. There are even cameos that are just plain fun to watch, with Judd Hirsch as "Uncle Boris" and David Lynch as "John Ford" making lastingly entertaining impressions.

In summary, "The Fabelmans" is a crowd-pleaser that has the widest dramatic range of any crowd-pleaser I can remember. It's also a film that anyone seriously interested in movies will enjoy.

Review copyright (c) 2024 by Dennis D. McDonald

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