What’s it rated? PG-13
When? 2022
Where’s it showing? Redbox, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime
Nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Original Screenplay, this is one of the year’s important films I sadly missed in theaters. It’s already won Best Motion Picture and Best Director at this year’s Golden Globes. I sure wish I’d seen it on the big screen—beautiful, moving, and expertly acted and directed, it’s definitely among my favorite films this year, now available at Redbox and streaming on various online platforms.
Director and co-writer Steven Spielberg (with co-writer Tony Kusher) presents this semi-autobiographical tale based on Spielberg’s early life as an aspiring filmmaker who discovers a disturbing family secret but also learns that filmmaking can help him process his emotions. It’s a reminder that at 76, he’s still a master at his craft, delivering a personal film that’s really about the magic of filmmaking.
The cast is absolutely wonderful, led by Michelle Williams as Mitzi Fabelman, an artist trapped in the role of a 1950s housewife. Paul Dano is Burt Fabelman, a talented electrical engineer and inventor who thinks of his son’s interest in filmmaking as a “hobby.” It’s easy to understand where Spielberg found his balance between artistry and technical wizardry. A terrific film. (151 min.) Δ
This article appears in Mar 9-19, 2023.