David Lynch’s final on-screen performance couldn’t have been more perfect

“The Fabelmans” focuses on Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle), Spielberg’s avatar. Sami is a budding filmmaker who becomes obsessed with making his own films, all while the marriage of his parents (played by Michelle Williams and Paul Dano) falls apart. The movie is basically a Spielberg’s cinematic therapy session – His parents’ divorce has long had an impact on his work, and with The Fabelmans, he was able to deal with it head-on. While the film is often full of dramatic and depressing moments, and there is an implicit message that devoting your life to art can ultimately leave you alone and isolated, “The Fabelmans” is also a warm and funny film. The warmest and funniest scene comes at the end. As the film comes to a close, Sami considers dropping out of college. He desperately wants to become a film director but struggles to break into the financial world. He gets a life saver of sorts when he gets an interview to work on the TV series “Hogan’s Heroes.”

During the interview, Sami explained that films are where his heart lies, not television. The series’ creator accepts this, noting that he shares office space with a legendary film director. Does Sami want to meet him? Sami says yes of course. We quickly learn that the director is none other than John Ford, and while Sami waits nervously in Ford’s office, Ford eventually enters. And because David Lynch plays Ford, the role immediately carries a kind of heft. Here is a legendary exit Playing Legendary film director. Wearing an eyepatch and chewing a cigar, Ford notes that he heard Sammy wanted to “take pictures.” He then asks Sami what he knows about filmmaking – a question that understandably makes Sami nervous. Ford, the ever-present manager, gives Sammy a task: He asks him to walk up to a traditional Western-style painting on the wall and tell Ford what to say.

Sami stammers his way through, trying to describe what he sees in the painting. Ford, immediately upset, told him that’s not what he wanted. “No, no,” says Lynch as Ford, then asks, “Where is the horizon?” Lynch puts the perfect amount of inflection on the question, making it seem simple and loaded at the same time. Confused, Sami replies that the horizon in the painting is at the bottom. Ford directs him to another panel. Once again, Sammy awkwardly tries to describe what he’s seeing, but again, Ford makes it clear that he just wants to know where the horizon is. In the painting, he’s at the top. Satisfied, Ford Lynch is finally ready to impart some wisdom. “Now, remember this,” he says, “when the horizon is at the bottom, it’s interesting. When the horizon is at the top, it’s interesting. When the horizon is in the middle, it’s very boring. Now, good luck to you and get the motherfucker out of my office.” !