M. MCLAUGHLIN

It’s hard to list all that’s wrong with this movie because there are so many things I disliked; for starters, it’s waaay too long. The Fabelmans is an overly ambitious script that needs heavy editing. There are a number of scenes that could have completely been eliminated, but seemingly Spielberg indulged a nostalgic whim and kept them in at the expense of the audience’s time, attention and ability to sit for two and a half hours. If I hadn’t seen The Fabelmans with a friend, I would have left after 20-30 minutes because, as I had correctly sensed, it never got any better. This truly is one of the worst movies and over-the-top acting I have ever seen. I know I am in the minority for having rated it so poorly, but it was complete schmaltz, with predictable storylines and humor that was straight out of a tired 1950s movie. Much of the time The Fabelmans seemed more like bad community theatre rather than a first-run film. The movie’s characters were one-dimensional and consistently unlikeable. I HATED the smug, cloying mother, as played by Michelle Williams. I will never again look at Williams as an actor in the same way for compromising her talent in that role, played much like a comic book character come to life. It was a joke. The film’s father, actor Paul Dano, was equally bad, but in a pathetic sort of way. His performance reminded me of bad high school drama that lacks any resemblance to human emotion. He continually came off as flat and stilted. The characters throughout the movie were overacted caricatures of themselves, as if the audience was incapable of picking up on subtlety. It was exhausting. The Fabelmans is an underwhelming film that attempts to breathe life into a mostly unremarkable story.