Steven Spielberg. The name associated with the biggest moments in movie history. From killer sharks to Oskar Schindler, Spielberg re-defined movie magic, touched our hearts, and brought out the child in all of us. But what made him the filmmaker he is today? That’s the focus of his latest and most personal effort to date: The Fabelmans.
The Fabelmans is billed as “semi-autobiographical,” but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Spielberg eschewed the “based on a true story” tag so as not to appear narcissistic in directing a movie about his own life. But make no mistake, this is his journey through and through. We begin with the first movie he saw as a kid, and watch as each step of his journey forms him into the director we know and love. Featuring Oscar-worthy performances from Michelle Williams and Paul Dano, exquisite cinematography from Janusz Kaminski, and another memorable score from the legendary John Williams, The Fabelmans is Spielberg’s best movie in years. We couldn’t ask for a better tribute to the greatest director of all time.
Join Jon and Tim as they discuss their Christmas traditions, Jon’s favorite movie theater, hate comments with the word “twerp,” the most overrated Christmas movies, streaming vs. theater viewing, Judd Hirsch’s monologue, holiday sponsorships, what Spielberg learned from his parents, why Michelle Williams deserves her fifth Oscar nomination, the history of A Christmas Story, how artists use their craft to manage anxiety, Spielberg’s last great movie, Paul Dano’s range, cinematography’s light and dark, the legacy of John Williams, the stories we create, how artists connect us to the invisible things, the power of cinema to reveal or conceal truth, and the ways Spielberg changed our lives forever.
