Even if you don’t have the history of Hollywood written on the back of your hand, the name Steven Spielberg should ring a bell or two. Those who grew up in the 1980s and 90s would know him as the guy at the helm of many classic childhood films.

Wannabe adventurers have him to thank for the “Indiana Jones” franchise; fantasy lovers can credit him for “E.T. the Extra Terrestrial”; history buffs appreciate “Saving Private Ryan” and “Schindler’s List”; and even casual moviegoers would be familiar with “Jaws” and “Jurassic Park”.

Clearly this man has a knack for visualisation and storytelling, and the mark he has thus far left in Hollywood is undeniable. Still, no one is born a filmmaker, and many who achieve greatness often start with little to their name.

“The Fabelmans” gives audiences an insight into the beginnings of the person who would become one of the modern era’s most famed filmmakers. While the names of the characters have been changed, the main character is basically Spielberg himself.

This semi-autobiography, written by him and “Angels in America” playwright Tony Kushner, was the winner of two Golden Globes last month, for best director and best motion picture (drama).

It has also clinched Spielberg a ninth best director Oscar nomination and his 12th overall for best picture. In total, “The Fabelmans” is up for seven Academy Awards during the ceremony on March 12.

So, what’s it about? The story follows one Sammy Fabelman, who is introduced as a young boy visiting the cinema for the first time. While initially apprehensive of his maiden moviegoing experience, he is captivated by a scene depicting a train crash, which he seeks to create at home with a toy locomotive.

With the support of his parents, Mitzi (best actress Oscar nominee Michelle Williams) and Burt (Paul Dano), he receives his first video camera and, thus, the foundation for his future filmmaking is laid.

Fast forward a few years and Sammy is now a teenager, played by Gabriel LaBelle, who has honed his cinematography skills and is creating legitimately good amateur movies.

However, all is not well. For one, his parents – despite appearing to be a loving couple – are having a serious marital crisis. You see, while Mitzi and Burt love each other, she has even more love for his best friend, Bennie (Seth Rogen).

And after his family is uprooted in a move to California, Sammy finds it difficult to fit into his new high school courtesy of some anti-Semitic bullies.

With all of this going on and his graduation approaching, the young Fabelman has to decide whether to continue pursuing his passion for filmmaking or to drop it altogether.

An ordinary life

Despite being semi-autobiographical, Spielberg thankfully doesn’t use “The Fabelmans” as a vehicle to brag about his skills. Instead, it is a depiction of an ordinary life of an ordinary Jewish-American family, one fraught with relationship issues, parenting challenges, and ethnic discrimination.

The Fabelmans are a talented family for sure – apart from Sammy’s eye for movie making, his dad is a computer engineer and his mum a pianist.

The combination of these influences on the lad is clear: Burt is of a practical scientific mind and believes one’s creations are one’s greatest pride; Mitzi, being artistic one, deems movies as “dreams” to be fulfilled.

Both perspectives shape Sammy as a person, and if you are familiar with Spielberg’s works, you would be able to observe these qualities in his filmmaking.

At one point, Sammy’s granduncle Boris (supporting actor Oscar nominee Judd Hirsch) visits him and tells him something important: that when one has talent for the arts, one must commit to it.

He warns, however, that such a pursuit often results in the neglect of one’s loved ones, or the guilt associated with the belief that one is doing so.

“Art will give you crowns in heaven and laurels on Earth, but it will tear your heart out.” This is the curse of any artist, Boris says.

Indeed, “The Fabelmans” shows just how powerful film can be as a medium: it makes people hate you or love you, it glamourises or ridicules, it reveals truths or conceals them.

Ultimately, the movie asks viewers who they are and what brings them the most happiness in life, and if they are willing to pursue it no matter the cost.

And instead giving a definite answer, “The Fabelmans” leaves it to the audience to decide, making it a quintessentially Spielbergian product.

As of press time, ‘The Fabelmans’ is playing in cinemas nationwide.