The Fabelmanscould have been a much more simplistic film than it ended up being. While the film is fictional on the surface, its overt parallels to director and co-writerSteven Spielberghave been well documented. But alongside co-writerTony Kushner, Spielberg delves deep into his past and psyche to present a story that is emotionally rich and complex throughout. Rather than delve into shallow hagiography or something tosmooth over the unpleasantness of his past, Spielberg and Kushner develop a fully realized drama with characters just as real asthe people who inspired them. Even the minor characters have more life in just a few scenes than some leads do in their own separate movies. This is perfectly exemplified byChloe Eastas Monica Sherwood.
Chloe East Brings Depth to the Girlfriend Role
Spielberg’s stand-in, Sammy Fabelman (Gabrielle Labelle), has his life uprooted when his family moves to Northern California. His mom (Michelle Williams) sinks into a depression (and buys a monkey), he faces antisemitic bullies at school, and it is not long before his parents announce their separation. But things look up in a surprising way when Monica takes an interest in him. Monica is a sweet and bubbly high schooler who happens to be a devout Christian. Her love for Jesus is revealed to not only be spiritual but physical too, when Monica shows Sammy the wall in her room with pictures of an attractive Jesus on display. Fortunately forthe young Jewish boy Sammy, this translates into Monica being attracted to him, and the two start a relationship.As silly as she may seem, Monica is notjusta quirky character.
Chloe East, former star ofGenera+ionand currently appearing inHeretic, plays Monica as silly, but without failing to take her seriously. East’s performance is funny, not because it mocks the character’s devotion, but because she brings a level of genuine charm and innocence that makes Monica feel like a real teenage girl. It’s a fine line that, in lesser hands, could easily make the character feel over the top or simply ridiculous, but East never leans that far into camp.East is even able to handle the dramatic shift with ease when asked to break Sammy’s heart.Some movies might make Monica the villain at this moment, but Speilberg and Kushner give Monica a sense of reality that Sammy is lacking. Struggling to accept his parent’s break-up, Sammy suggests Monica move to LA with him, to which Monica rebuffs.It is a moment played so gently but decidedly and works impossibly well. East’s performance is even more impressive given that Monica Sherwood does not exist.
While many of the characters inThe Fabelmansare based on people in Spielberg’s life, Monica is not.In an interview with Bazaar, East confirmed the character was not one singular person but an amalgam of people Spielberg had known. She said “I was asking Steven about the girl I was playing, and he’s like, ‘You’re actually a combination of two to three girls that I was close to or I dated or I had a relationship with growing up.'” While Spielberg did “date” a similarly devout Christian at thirteen,the character is largely a creation of the film. Despite this, East gives Monica agency and an authenticity that only adds to the rich portrayal of adolescence.
Chloe East Has Impressive Competition in ‘The Fabelmans’
Spielberg has a knack forbringing out the best from young performersand Chloe East is no exception. She takes a character that had only little basis in reality and makes her a stand-out part of the third act.The Fabelmanshas an impressive ensemble at the center, but is also made up of scene stealers. Ending witha terrific cameo fromDavid LynchasJohn Fordand anchored by anOscar-nominated appearance fromJudd Hirsch,The Fabelmanshas a cast full of people making strong impressions in a short amount of time. While she doesn’t have as legendary a status,Chloe East gives an equally memorable performance that could give Lynch and Hirsch a run for their money.
The Fabelmans
The Fabelmans is a film loosely based on the life of a young Steven Spielberg, with Gabriel Labelle playing the role of 16-year-old aspiring filmmaker Sammy Fabelman. Fictionalizing but treading essential moments in the director’s life, The Fabelmans is set in the 1960s with the titular family moving from New Jersey to California, where a dark secret begins to cause the life of young Sammy to unravel. To escape the reality he’s faced with, he turns to films and reinforces a new dream - the aspiration of becoming a filmmaker. The film allows the director and the audience to look back on the past and try to understand the motivations of family members’ various actions by contextualizing them through the lens of film.
The Fabelmansis available to watch on Amazon in the U.S.
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