Steven Spielberg tells the story of how he fell in love with movie making whilst growing up in New Jersey, Phoenix and California. His on screen avatar is Sammy Fabelman (played by Mateo Zoryan as a young boy and Gabriel LaBelle as a teenager) who as a young boy is enthralled by his first trip to the cinema and begins learning the art of making movies. 

Opening in 1952 we see a young Sammy taken to the cinema by his parents Mitzi (Michelle Williams) and Burt (Paul Dano). The film they go to is The Greatest Show On Earth by Cecil B. DeMille and it sets a fire in his belly. With the help of a toy train and the family camera he recreates the train crash and begins his journey to be a film maker. 

The film is not just an ode to the art of moviemaking though. It is also an ode to Spielberg’s parents. Burt is a computer engineer and thanks to his highly sought after skills he moves them around the country as he gets better and better jobs. Mitzi could have been a concert pianist but gave it up to be a mother and support Burt. Both are exceptional people.  

Extended family also plays an important part in the story. Family friend Bennie (Seth Rogen) holds a special place in Mitzi’s heart as he is less serious than Burt in a family that she explains is a clash between science and art. Whilst Uncle Boris (Judd Hirsch) is an ex circus performer who crashes in and out of the movie in an event filled ten minutes. 

On our journey with The Fabelmans we will see Sammy learn how to make movies and begin to understand how they can reveal and provoke emotions. How Burt and Mitzi’s relationship is both filled with love and fractured in irretrievable ways. And of course as in all coming of age stories we will see true love and bullies, although in this case we will see the darker side of antisemitism that Sammy is subjected to. 

The four central performances are perfectly pitched as well. Seth Rogen is understated as the family friend who is part of the family. Paul Dano is exceptional as ever with an underlying sadness whilst Michelle Williams excels as the tortured soul who does not quite feel whole. Gabriel LaBelle on the other hand is a superb find as the sensitive Sammy and appears to be leading man material. 

Many directors in the last two years have presented versions of their youth (Licorice Pizza and Armageddon Time) and odes to cinema (Babylon and Empire Of Light). Spielberg has amalgamated the two and as he is often capable of doing made a wonderful film. It is filled with emotion and wonder both for family and cinema. And to top it all off it ends with a rendition of one of Spielberg’s most famous stories, a cameo from David Lynch and a visual gag. It’s lovely stuff.