The character stares off screen at something that has captivated their attention. Often the expression is one of wonder and awe. It is always a turning point in the story.
This is the Spielberg Face--a film narrative technique that Steven Spielberg has richly developed over the course of the five decades of his career. In this video, filmmaker, critic, and educator Kevin B. Lee explores the development of the Spielberg Face.
It is not a technique that Spielberg actually invented, but it is one that he brought to the fore of his medium, especially in his 1977 science fiction film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. His much-maligned 2001 film A.I. demonstrates the fulfillment of the Face and, in his post-9/11 films, the subversion of it as the Face transforms from one of wonder to fear.
Watch this entire video as Lee explains how Spielberg has mastered the Face over the course of his career.