The Fabelmans
Short description
Set in post-war Arizona, The Fabelmans follows Sammy Fabelman from childhood into adolescence as he becomes absorbed in making films. Encouraged by his artistic mother, Mitzi, and regarded with more skepticism by his scientifically minded father, Burt, Sammy turns his camera on his own family and friends, staging increasingly elaborate amateur productions. When the family relocates, he encounters a painful truth about his mother that changes how he understands his parents and himself. Steven Spielberg directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Tony Kushner; both also produced alongside Kristie Macosko Krieger.
The film stars Gabriel LaBelle as the teenage Sammy, with Mateo Zoryan Francis-DeFord as his younger self, Michelle Williams as Mitzi, Paul Dano as Burt and Seth Rogen as Benny Loewy. It runs 151 minutes and blends comedy and drama. Released in November 2022, it was made for about 40 million dollars and took roughly 46 million dollars worldwide, a modest return against its cost.
It is the thirty-ninth film Spielberg directed, arriving after West Side Story and before Disclosure Day. On IMDb it holds 7.5 out of 10 from around 134,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.6 out of 10 from roughly 2,900 votes. A film critics' score of 8.2 out of 10 from 399 reviews places it somewhat above those audience ratings.
What's left behind the scenes
- David Lynch requested to be given John Ford’s (1894-1973) costume a week before filming his role as Ford in it, to get used to it.
- Some of the jewelry worn by Michelle Williams' character in this film actually belonged to Spielberg's mother. This includes, for example, a bracelet with charms featuring photographs of his four children.
- Steven Spielberg wanted to cast Michelle Williams in a role based on his mother from the moment he saw her in the melodrama "Valentine's Day".
- According to Steven Spielberg, he and Tony Kushner had been discussing the idea for this film for many years, but they only began writing the screenplay during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, when Spielberg had some free time. During the lockdown, Spielberg and Kushner worked from home, each in their own location, and finished the screenplay in two months.
- The plot is based on the childhood and adolescence of director and screenwriter Steven Spielberg.
- According to Steven Spielberg, it took three weeks to persuade David Lynch to play John Ford, and Mark Harris, the husband of screenwriter Tony Kushner, suggested that Spielberg film Lynch. Actress Laura Dern repeatedly called Lynch and convinced him to accept Spielberg's offer. Lynch eventually agreed, but stipulated that bags of Cheetos must be constantly present on the set.
- The scenes where Sam films on 8mm were recreations of films Spielberg himself made as a child.
- The 8mm and 16mm cameras shown in the film were actually loaded with film. Gabriela LaBelle was genuinely trained to operate the cameras, allowing the footage she shot to be used in the film, as well as to use the editing equipment and projectors from the 1950s and 1960s.
- During filming, the actors were given access to the Spielberg family archives to more accurately portray their real-life counterparts.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
