Spielberg's autobiographical love letter to the film industry seems like a mixed bag for a long stretch but there are early signs of promise that eventually come to fruition. It ultimately blooms into something truly wholesome and in keeping with the director's trademark soulfulness. It's the story of a boy growing up in the early 1950s whose passion for film drives his ambitions. His dreams get inconsistent support from his engineer father (Paul Dano) but wholehearted encouragement from his more artistic mother (Michelle Williams). It's a depiction of the germinating early stages of one's life goals and the minefield that is a challenging family.

Watching the account of the director's childhood is a lot like watching a child grow up. In the early going, it's full of vexations and is sometimes exhausting but as the story develops and the protagonist's life direction starts to crystallize, we too become fixated. The film begins to take off when Judd Hirsch infuses the narrative with brio. He's the one who eloquently dares the boy to challenge himself and reach for the stars. From that point on, the vitality builds to the point where we get to the young man's high school years in which his gumption and true skill as a filmmaker get honed and tested. In the end, it leads to a truly inspired conclusion.

Dano and Williams are quite good as the boy's parents. Seth Rogen is creatively deployed as the boy's father's best friend. Without giving away too much, it's a good idea to go in mostly cold. You don't have to know Spielberg's personal story to get invested in this. A film that makes one overlook or discount its manifest flaws in the beginning is a hard-earned achievement and Spielberg earns his way back to the top with this one. Strongly recommended.