How crazy is it that this is the first time Steven Spielberg has debuted a film at TIFF? The response to his latest, The Fabelmans, has been soaring since it premiered to a packed crowd last night, introduced by Spielberg himself. Clearly, this one is looking like a strong Best Picture contender already, potentially another feather in the cap of the highest-grossing director of all-time.
The film, co-written by Spielberg and Tony Kushner is a coming-of-age story about the filmmaker’s childhood growing up in post-WWII Arizona. The influences that shaped his life are many, not just his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fabelman played by Paul Dano and Michelle Williams respectively, but of course, a love of movies. Gabriel LaBelle, in his first major role, plays the Spielberg analog, Sammy Fabelman.
Also in the cast are Seth Rogen, Julia Butters, Jeannie Berlin, Judd Hirsch, Robin Bartlett, Keeley Karsten, and Blue Velvet director David Lynch as the legendary John Ford.
The Fabelmans opens in theaters on November 23rd.
A deeply personal portrait of 20th Century American childhood, The Fabelmans is a coming-of-age story about a young man’s discovery of a shattering family secret and an exploration of the power of movies to help us see the truth about each other and ourselves.