I went into this film expecting some backlash, figuring maybe people were being overly critical because the director had achieved so much or because he stepped outside his usual action and sci-fi comfort zone. It's hard to understand how anyone could give it just one star, honestly. I’m giving it six stars, which is about as low a rating as I’d ever award a Spielberg film. The movie felt disjointed at times. We see where he experienced his first cinematic moment, then there's a glimpse of him with his initial camera, followed by a difficult realization about his parents’ relationship, and some typical adolescent bullying—you know, the scene where a girl shows interest in the young protagonist. I can only dream that ever happened to me! Certain moments felt predictable too. Also, and this might give something away, there's a point when his mother insists she hasn’t been involved with Bennie and claims her love for her children and husband surpasses everything, but still feels unable to do without him. That part was difficult to accept. However, it wasn’t all bad. I found the performances generally quite good, although there were a few exceptions, and most of the writing was solid. But maintaining consistency over two and a half hours is challenging, so there were some noticeable flaws along the way. The sequence involving John Ford was interesting, but they didn't fully explore its potential. I appreciated the portrayal of the two sisters as characters, though they deserved more development; it felt like a missed chance.

Source on TMDB