Of all the directors making TIFF debuts this year, none are more revered or accomplished than Steven Spielberg. The highest-grossing director of all time normally premieres his films in late fall. However, he’s changed tack this year, with his long-awaited semi-autobiographical film, “The Fabelmans,” headlining TIFF’s Special Presentations section on September 11.
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The screenplay by Spielberg and Tony Kushner recounts the veteran director’s childhood and adolescence in post-WW2 Arizona. Spielberg’s avatar in the film is Sammy Fabelman—Gabriel LaBelle, in his first major role—a teenager struggling to reconcile his love for cinema with an increasingly turbulent home and school life. Paul Dano plays Mr. Fabelman, while Michelle Williams takes on the role of Sammy’s mother.
Here’s the official synopsis:
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.
At 151 minutes long and spanning just over a decade in movie-time, “The Fabelmans” offers audiences an epic coming-of-age journey and ode to moviemaking from one of the artform’s most beloved practitioners. And like “West Side Story,” “Saving Private Ryan,” and “Schindler’s List,” the scope of Spielberg’s storytelling is reflected in the extensive cast, which here includes Seth Rogan, Jeannie Berlin, Julia Butters, Robin Bartlettt, Keeley Karsten, and Judd Hirsch. There’s also a cameo role for “Blue Velvet,” “Mulholland Drive,” and “Twin Peaks” director David Lynch, who has put his daily weather forecasting duties on hold to play Hollywood legend John Ford.
For those unable to attend TIFF, “The Fabelmans” will open in theaters on November 23.
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