Okay, let’s be honest. On paper, this doesn’t sound like a very interesting topic for a movie: the creation of a website by some nerdy college kids. Months ago when I first saw the trailer in the theater, I thought, “They must be kidding! Somebody made a movie about the invention of Facebook?”
Don’t get me wrong… I’m a voracious Facebooker. Long before I decided to make a career in social media, my friends called me “the Facebook Queen.” I love being able to post on Saturday that I’m under the weather, and then have 10 people ask me how I’m feeling the next day at Sunday School. My hubby and I enjoy having virtual conversations on Facebook (while sitting next to each other on our “dueling laptops”).
So, you get it. I truly love Facebook. But did that mean I wanted to see a movie about a couple of kids sitting in a dorm room writing HTML code? After the reviews started coming out, yes I did.
There’s plenty of in-depth reviews out there (and here’s a terrific fact vs. fiction analysis from the Daily Beast). Rather than rehash what others have said, I’ll just offer some observations:
(1) Kudos to David Fincher for taking what was basically an MBA case study and turning it into a very entertaining film. The movie is riveting, and I never once looked at my watch.
(2) People who like Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, The American President) will enjoy it… if you like fast, witty dialogue, this is for you.
(3) Andrew Garfield (who plays Eduardo Saverin) is adorable and I want to see him in more movies ASAP. I’m planning to read “The Accidental Billionaires” to see if Saverin really did get a raw deal (minus the massive settlement).
(4) The actor who portrays both of the Winklevoss twins (Armie Hammer) looks and sounds like a young, better-looking Brendan Fraser. The special effects were great too… nothing like the original “Parent Trap.”
(5) Anybody else notice the irony that Mark Zuckerberg, the loneliest character in the movie, is the driving force behind the world’s most successful social network?
(6) Jessie Eisenberg is fantastic in the movie… Oscar nomination is a sure thing. And he deserves it for having to wear flip-flops in the winter.
(7) Nice cameo by Rooney Mara as Zuckerberg’s girlfriend who dumps him in the opening credits… looking forward to seeing her as Lisbeth Salander in the upcoming “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.”
(8) It may be PG-13, but this movie is not for the kids. Even if they can understand the business and legal aspects, and if they can make sense of the time travel leaps so rapid they make “Lost” look lethargic, kids don’t need to see the drugs and sex scenes which are an inevitable part of college. They’ll get there soon enough on their own.
So if you are a social media geek like me (and even if you’re not), I definitely recommend this movie!
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Heidi
October 4, 2010Yes, yes, yes! Great post! What I found interesting is that Mark Zuckerberg was not only the loneliest character in the movie but that his driving force was the rejection he received (or felt he received) plus his lack of self esteem. Poor guy, even though he invented FB, I don't think he will find his self esteem in that! Oh and I had no idea that the Winklevoss twins were played by one actor! Now I have to see it again just for that element!
Cy Caine
October 4, 2010Karen and I saw it on Saturday and both really enjoyed it. A lot of the story elements were in line with the portrayal in David Kirkpatrick's "The Facebook Effect." However Zuckerberg came across much worse in the movie portrayal than he did in the book. Also, in Kirkpatrick's book he describes how Sean Parker coached Zuckerberg in his dealings with the VCs so that he wouldn't get diluted and lose control of the company. I didn't that this came across that clearly in the film and is a key reason why Zuckerberg is still in control. I did think Justin Timberlake was terrific in the Parker role.
amy israel
October 5, 2010Great blog Karen 🙂