Steven Spielberg never had a film in competition at a festival until he put “The Fabelmans” in at Toronto.
This morning “The Fabelmans” won the People’s Choice award at the Toronto Film Festival, setting it on its way to the Oscars. The award is a bellwether for the Oscars, with movies like “Belfast,” “Nomadland,” “Three Billboards,” and “Green Book” among recent winners.
Spielberg has to be pleased. The autobiographical story was the highlight of the festival. “The Fabelmans” begins a limited run November 11th, with a bigger rollout Thanksgiving weekend.
“The Fabelmans” stars Michelle Williams in what should be her Oscar win, Judd Hirsch in a dynamic supporting role, also Oscar bound, plus the excellent Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, and breakout star Gabriel Labelle.
The first runner-up was “Women Talking,” directed by Sarah Polley, with an all star cast of actresses including Frances McDormand. The second runner-up was Glass Onion, the sequel to “Knives Out,” directed by Rian Johnson, starring Daniel Craig.
Winner of Best Documentary, by the way, went to “Black Ice,” which I told you last week is the subject of a major lawsuit.
