David Lynch made many tremendous works of art over his staggering career. His 2001 film Mulholland Drive is often cited as one of the greatest films of the 21st century. His television series, 1990’s Twin Peaks and 2017’s Twin Peaks: The Return has received similarly titanic praise.

Steven Spielberg knew what he was doing when he cast David Lynch as John Ford in The Fabelmans; already, in 2022, the director had become, like Ford, bigger than his movies, a living monument to cinema.

The late director’s unique vision and the love that his persona inspires make it easy to forget how winding his path to greatness was.