I don't normally go for autobiographical films at all, as they can be predictable and a bit of a yawn. But I ended up seeing this one a long time after release and was pretty much blown away.

Spielberg has employed all his expertise and vast experience to move this along nicely; it never dragged for me even though the usual tropes of growing up are present. How could they not be?

The acting is great, the humour is gently satirical, the writing and craftmanship somehow sidestep family and adolescent clichés by embedding scenes in a larger social context with other themes thrown in.

For example, the scene where the teenage aspiring film director (i.e. Spielberg) shows his recording of a beach party to his high school prom just after his girlfriend has dumped him and his bullying classmates circle around is a masterclass in combining storylines, themes, relationships, as he watches his audience respond to his small film with delight.

It must have been hugely disappointing that the film wasn't a box office success. It deserves more.