‘The Fabelmans’ Is Steven Spielberg at His Bravest

Many filmmakers are skittish about drawing overt connections between their work and their personal lives. You’ll never hear Paul Thomas Anderson say an unkind word about his dad, despite the complicated father-son relationships that drive Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, and The Master. And then there’s Steven Spielberg. For more than 50 years, critics and fans have pored over his work, noting the recurrent themes of absent fathers, community dissolution, and familial reunification, and unlike many of his peers, Spielberg has been eager to help.