This article was inspired by Steven Spielberg’s movie, The Fabelmans.
It is a look back to his childhood inspirations and a nod to his family. As the pandemic worsened, Spielberg said:
“As things got worse and worse, I felt that if I was going to leave anything behind, what was the thing that I really need to resolve and unpack about my mom, my dad… This film is, for me, a way of bringing my mom and my dad back.”
I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I’ve read and watched interviews of Steven talking about his family.
He had an especially close relationship with his mother Leah Adler who he credits with his artistic interests. Her parents were a classical guitarist (dad) and linguist (mom) and she studied at a music conservatory in Cincinnati and also painted.
His mother encouraged his constant early filmmaking that ranged from home movies of The Mummy or simulated explosions using cherry pie filling that splattered all over her new kitchen cabinets (“But it was a glorious scene” – Leah Adler), but didn’t dwell on the fact the he was “schlepping through school with C’s.”
The film includes Steven’s “oddball uncle” who had been a circus performer in the past and could see the pain of an artist. His father, apparently a brilliant inventor and engineer, also had his stamp on Steven’s life although he may not have always seen how important filmmaking and storytelling would be for him.
After Steven decided he wanted to make the movie, he realized how difficult it would be and so enlisted Pulitzer Prize winning writer Tony Kushner to help. He said Tony was his “therapeutic counselor in getting this out of me.”
As we’re into this daunting season of being back to school, let’s remember those generous encouragers in our lives.
