Is ‘The Fabelmans’ based on a true story?

Movie fans are excited about legendary director Steven Spielberg‘s upcoming movie The Fabelmans. Many viewers, however, are curious if the film is based on actual events or if the story is fictional. 

What is The Fabelmans? 

Directed by Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans stars Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, and Paul Dano. The film follows Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle) between the ages of seven and 18 as he comes of age and deals with life’s challenges.

Sammy, however, is heavily affected by his parents’ decaying relationship, and the older he gets the worse it gets, as several family secrets are revealed. Sammy finds solace in movies, and The Fabelmans explores how his relationship with movies helps him learn about the world and navigate the most challenging moments of his life. 

The Fabelmans will arrive on cinema screens on November 11th, is already predicted to be one of the year’s biggest smash hits. 

Does The Fablemans tell a real story?

The autobiographical feel of the film’s synopsis and the trailer has many wondering if The Fablemans is based on a true story. In interviews and promotional material, Steven Spielberg has said that the movie is a fictional narrative about fictional characters, however it is highly inspired by Spielberg’s actual childhood.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Steven Spielberg explained why he opted to make the movie: 

I started seriously thinking if I had to make one movie I haven’t made yet, something that I really want to do on a very personally atomic level, what would that be? And there was only one story I really wanted to tell.

Spielberg went on to explain: “My life with my mom and dad taught me a lesson, which I hope this film in a small way imparts. Which is, when does a young person in a family start to see his parents as human beings? In my case, because of what happened between the ages of 7 and 18, I started to appreciate my mom and dad not as parents but as real people.”

So, during the movie, viewers will be treated to scenes that recreate moments from Steven Spielberg’s childhood, along with scenes specifically written for the film. These fictional scenes, however, are inspired by young Spielberg’s recollections of his time growing up. The Fabelmans is designed to capture the look and feel of the era Spielberg grew up in, giving the film a more personal feel, so the film is a semi-autobiographical piece.