The Fabelmans is a 2022 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Steven Spielberg, who co-wrote and co-produced it with Tony Kushner. The film is a semi-autobiographical story loosely based on Spielberg's adolescence and first years as a filmmaker. It is told through an original story of the fictional Sammy Fabelman, a young aspiring filmmaker who explores how the power of films can help him see the truth about his dysfunctional family and those around him. It stars Gabriel LaBelle as Sammy, alongside Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, and Judd Hirsch in supporting roles. The film is dedicated to the memories of Spielberg's real-life parents, Leah Adler and Arnold Spielberg, who died in 2017 and 2020 respectively.
Spielberg had conceived the project as early as 1999, with his sister Anne writing a screenplay titled I'll Be Home. The project was withheld for 20 years, since Spielberg had reservations about exploring his family's story over concerns that his parents would be hurt. Spielberg revisited the project in 2019 with screenwriter and frequent collaborator Kushner while they were making West Side Story, and the screenplay was completed in late 2020. Development of the film officially began soon after, with casting taking place between March and May 2021. Principal photography began that July in Los Angeles and wrapped in September.
The Fabelmans premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2022, where it won the People's Choice Award. Distributed by Universal Pictures, the film opened as a limited theatrical release in the United States on November 11, 2022, and then expanded to a wide release on November 23. It underperformed at the box office, grossing only $45.6 million against a $40 million budget. The film received widespread critical acclaim, however, with praise directed towards the performances of the cast (particularly LaBelle, Williams, Dano and Hirsch), Spielberg's direction, the screenplay, cinematography, and John Williams' score. It was named one of the top ten films of 2022 by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute.
The film received seven nominations at the 95th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, five nominations at the 80th Golden Globe Awards, winning Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director for Spielberg, and received 11 nominations at the 28th Critics' Choice Awards, including Best Picture, winning Best Young Performer for LaBelle, and two nominations at the 29th Screen Actors Guild Awards including Best Ensemble Cast of a Motion Picture and Best Supporting Actor (for Dano). It also received 2 awards from the National Board of Review, including Best Director for Spielberg and Breakthrough Performance for LaBelle (shared with Danielle Deadwyler for Till), making this the second Spielberg film to win both of these awards together since 1987's Empire of the Sun. With his 53rd nomination for Best Original Score with this film, John Williams broke his own record as the most Oscar-nominated person alive at the age of 90. With his Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, Judd Hirsch became the first actor to receive two nominations over four decades apart, with this being his second nomination and first since the 53rd Academy Awards in 1981, where he was nominated for Ordinary People (1980).
Accolades
+ Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result AACTA International AwardsFebruary 24, 2023 Best Direction Steven Spielberg Best Actress Michelle Williams AARP Movies for Grownups AwardsJanuary 28, 2023 Best Movie for Grownups The Fabelmans Best Director Steven Spielberg Best Supporting Actor Judd Hirsch Best Screenwriter Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner Best Intergenerational Film The Fabelmans Best Time Capsule The Fabelmans Academy AwardsMarch 12, 2023Best PictureKristie Macosko Krieger, Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner Best DirectorSteven SpielbergBest ActressMichelle Williams Best Supporting ActorJudd HirschBest Original ScreenplaySteven Spielberg and Tony KushnerBest Original ScoreJohn WilliamsBest Production DesignProduction Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Karen O'Hara Alliance of Women Film JournalistsJanuary 5, 2023 Best Picture The Fabelmans Best Director Steven Spielberg Best Original Screenplay Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner Best Cinematography Janusz Kamiński American Film Institute AwardsDecember 9, 2022 Top 10 Films of the Year The Fabelmans Art Directors GuildFebruary 18, 2023 Excellence in Production Design for a Period Film Rick Carter Artios AwardsMarch 9, 2023Big Budget - DramaCindy Tolan and Nicholas Petrovich (associate casting director) British Academy Film Awards February 19, 2023 Best Original Screenplay Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner California On Location Awards November 21, 2022 Location Team of the Year - Studio Feature Film The Fabelmans Chicago Film Critics Association December 14, 2022Best Supporting Actress Michelle WilliamsBest Original ScreenplaySteven Spielberg and Tony KushnerCinema for Peace Awards February 24, 2023 Cinema for Peace Dove for The Most Valuable Film of the Year 2023 The Fabelmans Critics' Choice Awards January 15, 2023Best Picture The Fabelmans Best Director Steven Spielberg Best Actress Michelle Williams Best Supporting Actor Paul Dano Judd Hirsch Best Young Actor/Actress Gabriel LaBelle Best Acting Ensemble Cast of The Fabelmans Best Original Screenplay Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner Best Cinematography Janusz Kamiński Best Production Design Rick Carter and Karen O'Hara Best Score John Williams Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association December 19, 2022Best Picture The FabelmansBest Actress Michelle WilliamsBest Supporting Actor Paul DanoBest Director Steven SpielbergBest Musical Score John Williams David di Donatello Awards May 10, 2023 Best Foreign Film The Fabelmans https://news.italy24.press/local/438783.html Directors Guild of America February 18, 2023 Outstanding Directing – Feature Film Steven Spielberg Dorian Awards February 23, 2022Film of the Year The Fabelmans "We're Wilde About You!" Rising Star Award Gabriel LaBelle Florida Film Critics CircleDecember 22, 2022Best Picture The Fabelmans Best Director Steven Spielberg Best Actress Michelle Williams Best Supporting Actor Paul Dano Best Ensemble Cast of The Fabelmans Best Original Screenplay Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner Best Cinematography Janusz Kamiński Best Score John Williams Georgia Film Critics AssociationJanuary 13, 2023 Best Picture The Fabelmans Best Director Steven Spielberg Best Actress Michelle Williams Best Supporting Actor Judd Hirsch Best Original Screenplay Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner Best Cinematography Janusz Kamiński Best Original Score John Williams Best Ensemble The Fabelmans Breakthrough Award Gabriel LaBelle Golden Globe Awards January 10, 2023Best Motion Picture – Drama The Fabelmans Best Director Steven Spielberg Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Michelle Williams Best Screenplay Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner Best Original Score John Williams Grammy Awards February 4, 2024 Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media John Williams Heartland Film Festival October 16, 2022 Truly Moving Picture Award Steven Spielberg Hollywood Critics AssociationFebruary 24, 2023 Best Picture The Fabelmans Best Director Steven Spielberg Best Actress Michelle Williams Best Original Screenplay Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner Star on the Rise Award Gabriel LaBelle Artisan Achievement Award Rick Carter Hollywood Critics Association Creative Arts Awards February 17, 2023 Best Cinematography Janusz Kamiński Hollywood Post Alliance Awards November 30, 2023 Outstanding Color Grading – Feature Film Michael Hatzer International Cinephile SocietyFebruary 12, 2023 Best Picture The Fabelmans Best Supporting Actress Michelle Williams Best Ensemble Cast of The Fabelmans Best Breakthrough Performance Gabriel LaBelle London Film Critics' Circle February 5, 2023 Film of the Year The Fabelmans Screenwriter of the Year Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner Miami International Film Festival November 3, 2022 Precious Gem Award Paul Dano National Board of Review December 8, 2022Top Ten Films The Fabelmans Best DirectorSteven Spielberg Breakthrough Performance Gabriel LaBelle National Society of Film Critics January 7, 2023 Best Actress Michelle Williams New York Film Critics Online December 11, 2022 Top 10 Films of 2022 The Fabelmans Palm Springs International Film Festival January 5, 2023 Chairman's Vanguard Award Steven Spielberg, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Gabriel LaBelle and Judd Hirsch Paris Film Critics Association Awards February 4, 2024 Best Film The Fabelmans Best Director Steven Spielberg Best Supporting Actress Michelle Williams Best Male Revelation Gabriel LaBelle Best Original Screenplay Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner Best Cinematography Janusz Kamiński Best Original Score John Williams Best Production Design Rick Carter Producers Guild of America Awards February 25, 2023 Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures Steven Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger, and Tony Kushner San Diego Film Critics SocietyJanuary 6, 2023 Best PictureThe Fabelmans Best DirectorSteven SpielbergBest ActorGabriel LaBelleBest ActressMichelle WilliamsBest EditingSarah Broshar and Michael KahnBest CinematographyJanusz KamińskiBest Production DesignRick CarterBest Use of MusicJohn Williams San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle January 9, 2023 Best Film The Fabelmans Best Director Steven Spielberg Best Original Screenplay Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner Best Cinematography Janusz Kaminski Best Original Score John Williams San Luis Obispo International Film Festival April 29, 2023 Spotlight Award Judd Hirsch King Vidor Award Rick Carter Satellite Awards February 11, 2023 Best Motion Picture – Drama The Fabelmans Best Director Steven Spielberg Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Gabriel LaBelle Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Michelle Williams Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Paul Dano Best Original Screenplay Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner Best Film Editing Sarah Broshar and Michael Kahn Best Art Direction and Production Design Rick Carter Best Original Score John Williams St. Louis Film Critics Association December 18, 2022 Best Director Steven Spielberg Best Actress Michelle Williams Best Supporting Actor Judd Hirsch Best Ensemble Cast of The Fabelmans Best Original Screenplay Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner Best Costume Design Mark Bridges Best Score John Williams Best Scene Sam Fabelman meets one of his idols on the studio lot Screen Actors Guild Awards February 26, 2023 Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Jeannie Berlin, Paul Dano, Judd Hirsch, Gabriel LaBelle, David Lynch, Seth Rogen and Michelle Williams Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Paul Dano Set Decorators Society of AmericaFebruary 14, 2023 Best Achievement in Decor/Design of a Period Feature Film Rick Carter and Karen O'Hara Toronto International Film Festival September 18, 2022 People's Choice Award The Fabelmans Visual Effects Society AwardsFebruary 15, 2023Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal FeaturePablo Helman, Jennifer Mizener, Cernogorods Aleksei, Jeff Kalmus, Mark HawkerWashington D.C. Area Film Critics AssociationDecember 12, 2022 Best FilmThe Fabelmans Best DirectorSteven SpielbergBest ActressMichelle WilliamsBest Supporting ActorPaul DanoBest CinematographyJanusz KaminskiBest EditingSarah Broshar and Michael KahnBest ScoreJohn WilliamsBest Production DesignRick Carter and Karen O'HaraBest Acting EnsembleCast of The FabelmansBest Youth PerformanceGabriel LaBelle World Soundtrack AwardsOctober 21, 2023Film Composer of the YearJohn Williams Writers Guild of America AwardsMarch 5, 2023Best Original ScreenplaySteven Spielberg and Tony Kushner
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