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Spielberg

  • TV Movie
  • 2017
  • TV-MA
  • 2h 27m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
7.9K
YOUR RATING
Steven Spielberg in Spielberg (2017)
DocumentaryBiography

A documentary on Steven Spielberg, filmmaker. Includes interviews with relatives, film critics, peers and people who have worked with him.A documentary on Steven Spielberg, filmmaker. Includes interviews with relatives, film critics, peers and people who have worked with him.A documentary on Steven Spielberg, filmmaker. Includes interviews with relatives, film critics, peers and people who have worked with him.

  • Director
    • Susan Lacy
  • Stars
    • Steven Spielberg
    • Martin Scorsese
    • Richard Dreyfuss
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.7/10
    7.9K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Susan Lacy
    • Stars
      • Steven Spielberg
      • Martin Scorsese
      • Richard Dreyfuss
    • 31User reviews
    • 27Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy
      • 3 nominations total

    Photos34

    Spielberg (2017)
    Spielberg (2017)
    Spielberg (2017)
    Spielberg (2017)
    Spielberg (2017)
    Spielberg (2017)
    Spielberg (2017)
    Spielberg (2017)
    Spielberg (2017)
    Eric Bana in Spielberg (2017)
    Daniel Craig in Spielberg (2017)
    Ralph Fiennes in Spielberg (2017)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Steven Spielberg
    Steven Spielberg
    • Self
    Martin Scorsese
    Martin Scorsese
    • Self - Director
    Richard Dreyfuss
    Richard Dreyfuss
    • Self - Segment "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"
    Bill Butler
    Bill Butler
    • Self - Cinematographer, Jaws
    John Williams
    John Williams
    • Self - Composer
    David Edelstein
    David Edelstein
    • Self - Film Critic
    Michael Phillips
    Michael Phillips
    • Self - Producer
    Nancy Spielberg
    Nancy Spielberg
    • Self - Sister
    Anne Spielberg
    Anne Spielberg
    • Self - Sister
    Janet Maslin
    • Self - Film Critic
    Sue Spielberg
    • Self - Sister
    Leah Adler
    Leah Adler
    • Self - Mother of Steven
    Arnold Spielberg
    Arnold Spielberg
    • Self - Father of Steven
    J.J. Abrams
    J.J. Abrams
    • Self - Director
    Sid Sheinberg
    Sid Sheinberg
    • Self - Former President, MCA Inc.
    • (archive footage)
    • …
    James Brolin
    James Brolin
    • Self - Segment "Marcus Welby, M.D."
    David Geffen
    David Geffen
    • Self - Co-Founder, Dreamworks SKG
    Roger Ernest
    • Self - College Friend
    • Director
      • Susan Lacy
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Around 30 hours of interviews with Steven Spielberg were shot.
    • Goofs
      A clip of "Wayne's World 2" (1993) that parodies "Jurassic Park" is incorrectly labeled as "Wayne's World" (1992). The first "Wayne's World" film could not have included a parody of "Jurassic Park," since "Jurassic Park" had not yet been filmed when "Wayne's World" was released in 1992. The end credits, however, correctly identify the clip as being from the sequel.
    • Quotes

      Herself - Film Critic: He speaks cinema as if it's his native language.

    • Connections
      Features Today (1952)
    • Soundtracks
      Original Score Excerpt from the Motion Picture 'The BFG'
      Music Composed and Conducted by John Williams

      Courtesy of Amblin Partners

    User reviews31

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    On making Drew Barrymore cry.
    "Spielberg" is an HBO-produced documentary by documentarian Susan Lacy. You'll never guess who the subject is?!

    Steven Spielberg is a product of one of the most surprising revolutions in Hollywood in the late 70's: one of a set of wunderkind directors alongside such luminaries as George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, John Milius, Brian De Palma and Martin Scorcese. These men (only men, it should be noted!) were ready to cock a snook at Hollywood's traditional studio system to break rules (case in point, Star Wars' lack of opening credits) and move cinema into the format that would last to this day.

    As this excellent documentary makes clear, Spielberg was one of the least rebellious of the movie-brats. Even though (astoundingly) he blagged himself a production office at Universal (after hiding during the Tram Tour toilet stop!), his path to the top was through hard graft on multiple Universal TV shows, after recognition of his talents by Universal exec Sidney Sheinberg who speaks in the film.

    Before we get to that stage of his life, we cover his childhood back-story as a reluctant Jew living in a non-Jewish neighbourhood, driven to fill his time with tormenting his sisters and movie-making with a Super 8 camera. Scenes of home videos, photos and his early attempts at special effects are all fascinating. The impact of his Bohemian mother Leah and workaholic father Arnold, and particularly the very surprising relationship breakdown that happened between them, go a long way to explain the constant return to 'father issues' in many of his films such as "E.T.", "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", "Hook" and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade".

    The majority of the film though settles down into a roughly chronological review of the highlights of his movie career, with particular emphasis justly being placed on some of the key watershed moments in that career. Most of his films get at least a mention, but "Jaws", "E.T.", "Schindler's List", "The Color Purple", "Jurassic Park", "Munich" and "Empire of the Sun" get more focus. It is such a wonderful trip down my cinematic memory lane. I also forget just what cinematic majesty and craftsmanship is present in these films: I just hope that at some point this will get a Blu-Ray or DVD release so it can be properly appreciated (rather than viewing it on a tiny airplane screen which is how I watched this): the combination of film clips in here is breathtaking.

    As might be expected for a documentary about the great director, there is plenty of 'behind the camera' footage on show, some of which is fascinating. Spielberg could always get the very best performances out of the youngsters on set, from Cary Guffey ("Toys!!") in "Close Encounters" to a heartbreaking scene where he reduces the young Drew Barrymore to howls of emotion in "E.T.". A master at work.

    All of the movie scenes are accompanied by new interview footage from Spielberg himself, as well as warm platitudes from many of the luminaries he has worked with in the past. Directors involved include many of the the directors referenced above, as well as those modern directors influenced by him such as J.J. Abrams; his go-to cinematographers Vilmos Zsigmond and Janusz Kaminski; his 'go-to' composer John Williams; and stars including his go-to 'everyman' Richard Dreyfuss, Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Bob Balaban, Tom Hanks, Opray Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Bale, Dustin Hoffman and James Brolin. Some of these comments are useful and insightful; some are just fairly meaningless sound bites that add nothing to the film. What all the comments are though is almost all uniformly positive.

    And that's my only criticism of the film. Like me, Susan Lacy is clearly a big fan. It is probably quite hard to find anyone who isn't.... but perhaps Ms Lacy should have tried a bit harder! There is only limited focus on his big comedy flop of 1979, "1941", and no mention at all of his lowest WW grossing film "Always". And there are only a few contributors - notably film critic Janet Maslin - who are willing to stick their head above the parapet and prod into Spielberg's weaknesses; ostensibly his tendency to veer to the sentimental and away from harder issues: the omitted "Color Purple" 'mirror scene' being a case in point.

    This is a recommended watch for Spielberg fans. On the eve of the launch of his latest - "Ready Player One", a film that I am personally dubious about from the trailer - it's a great insight into the life and works of the great man. It could though have cut a slightly harder and more critical edge.
    helpful•8
    2
    • bob-the-movie-man
    • Mar 17, 2018

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 7, 2017 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Spilberg
    • Production companies
      • HBO Documentary Films
      • Pentimento Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 27 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 16:9 HD

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