The Fabelmans, directed by Steven Spielberg, took home the Golden Globe Award for Best Drama on Tuesday night, in addition to Spielberg's Golden Globe Award for Best Director. Previously thought of as a foreshadowing of the Oscars, The Golden Globes returned in 2023 following a two-year hiatus after public scandal and dysfunction in 2021. The film competed against a stellar list of nominated films, including Avatar: The Way of Water (20th Century Studios), Elvis (Warner Bros.), Tár (Focus Features), and Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount Pictures).
The Fabelmans story follows a young boy who falls in love with the silver screen and begins to make his own films at home, enlisting the support of his family. The story is heavily inspired by legendary director Steven Spielberg's own childhood growing up in Arizona and going through his parents' divorce. It is a very personal film for Spielberg, who said he saw his parents 'come back to life' while speaking about the film. Spielberg has also noted that this is the movie his late parents always wanted him to make. "My mom was really kind of pushy about, ‘Steve, when are you gonna tell our story? When are you gonna tell my story?'" says Spielberg.
The cast includes Michelle Williams as the boy's mother and Paul Dano as his father. Gabriel LaBelle plays the role of Sammy Fabelman. LaBelle brought a young Spielberg to life, and according to Spielberg, "I gave Gabe a lot of access to home movies, family movies of myself and my parents. So he was really a member of the family by the time we shot the movie." Spielberg enlisted Janusz Kaminski as cinematographer, co-writer Tony Kushner, and composer John Williams, with Universal Pictures bringing the autobiographical film to the big screen.
Steven Spielberg Has Been Nominated 27 Times for the Golden Globes, and The Fabelmans - Best Picture is His 9th Win
With a career spanning 47 years and 15 films, Steven Spielberg has been nominated for 27 Golden Globes. The Fabelmans marks Spielberg's ninth Golden Globe win, the eighth also being for The Fabelmans, in the category of Best Director. Spielberg, often called the most successful director of all time, also holds three Oscars and has been nominated for the Academy Awards 19 times.
“I don’t make films that I don’t consider to have something of myself left behind in them," Spielberg has said regarding his projects.
The Fabelmans charmed audiences and critics alike when it premiered in November last year. At this year's National Board of Review Gala, Spielberg was met with a standing ovation from the audience. The Film competed in one of the toughest award seasons at the Golden Globes, going up against box office sensations Avatar: The Way of Water, Top Gun: Maverick, and Elvis, but Spielberg proved at 76 years old, he's still got it. This legend of filmmaking isn't getting out of the spotlight anytime soon.