The Fabelmans wins People’s Choice Award @TIFF2022

It was quite special for the city of Toronto to get back the full version of the Toronto International Film Festival after two years of pivoting the pandemic. It was even more special for the city knowing that the greatest filmmaker of all time Steven Spielberg would make his first ever appearance at the festival. The Fabelmans was his latest installment that focuses on his childhood and how he fell in love with filming. Toronto and audiences around the world were starving for real content that hits home and the heart. After a two year-pandemic, we have come to a realization that these are the stories that we need to absorb. Who better than Steven Spielberg to address this hunger rather than feeding us escapist short-term superhero solutions?

This is one of the reasons why The Fabelmans won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival 2022 because it focuses on family. A young Spielberg is played by Gabrielle Labelle named Sammy who discovers the art and technology of filmmaking. He also discovers much more about his parents Burt Fabelman played by Paul Dano and Mitzi played by Michelle Williams. His father Burt is an engineer who has his family’s best interests. He is supported by Uncle Bennie played by Seth Rogan who is loved and travels along with his family. But this starts to become a problem for young Sammy with his creative process and love for filmmaking. There are just too many parental figures including Uncle Boris, played by Judd Hirsch, who become involved with his passion.

During The Fabelmans press conference, Spielberg spoke of the struggles of childhood and growing up as a young adult. Not only within his family but at school as well. At the latter stage of his career, Spielberg had to get it all out of him. It even happens to the best of us, includeing the greatest of all time. The best therapeutic manner to handle this was by putting it all on film. But going back and telling the story of his own childhood was the way he brought you back to even your own childhood.

From the start of the film, you felt like you were a child again watching a Steven Spielberg film. It was like you were watching E.T., Gremlins or even Poltergeist because it all starts with the family at the home. With the help of composer John Williams, who just gives you that magical feeling being in a cinema. Watching The Fabelmans was like getting that holiday Christmas spirit. You never know what you are going to get but you know are getting something big.

But The Fabelmans was something different. There were no superheroes, special effects or CGI. Spielberg brings you a genuine love story that is not necessarily between or amongst people. It is about a boy who loved filmmaking and went to lengths to accomplish his passion and his goals within it. There were so many emotions you get from watching this magical film. This is why this film won the People’s Choice Award at TIFF. The Fabelmans is a turning point in cinema. Whether or not this film wins Best Picture at The Oscars, now is the time to rewrite history like Spielberg.