Arts & Life, Film & Television

“The Fabelmans” is a journey of inspiration

The poster for the film "The Fabelmans."
The poster for the film "The Fabelmans” which was showcased at the Carpenter’s Performing Arts Center at CSULB. Photo credit: Universial Pictures

Many were in attendance at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center on Thursday to watch an advance screening of “The Fabelmans” by director and Long Beach State alumnus Steven Spielberg.

His newest film takes a semi-autobiographical look into Spielberg’s childhood and his start as a filmmaker.

Even though the story is similar to Spielberg’s life, it is an entirely original story about Sammy Fabelman, who is played by Gabriel LaBelle.

Taking place from the 1950s to the 1970s, “The Fabelmans” goes through Sammy’s discovery of film as a child to learning and creating films throughout high school.

“The Fabelmans” does not just focus on Sammy’s love for film, but also his dysfunctional family life and the discovery of a secret that threatens to break them apart. It paints a full portrait of the intersection of film and personal relationships.

Audience members leaving after finishing "The Fabelmans"
Audience members leaving after finishing "The Fabelmans" Photo credit: Stacey Chen

Darius Sherkat, a junior film major at CSULB said, “Going in, I thought it would be an autobiography of Spielberg, but it is interesting how he made a whole new character with a whole new passion for film.”

He went on to say that he enjoyed the all-star cast, highlighting the performances of Michelle Williams and Paul Dano in particular.

“Going into this film, I thought it was going to be heart-warming,” said Ben Winter, a 2020 CSULB film alum. “I didn’t expect the family drama. ‘The Fabelmans’ is well done with its filmmaking, always great to see an artist develop.”

Eve Perlman, a volunteer usher at the Carpenter Center said that she found the film to be inspirational.

“Each of the characters came, changed, and evolved. They had preconceived notions on what they thought they wanted but ultimately did what they really wanted to do— which was their dreams,” Perlman said.

“The Fabelmans” is opening to limited release in the United States on Nov. 11, 2022. It will have an expanded release on Nov. 23, 2022.

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