movie review on the social network

Calls him an asshole, makes him a billionaire

“The Social Network” is about a young man who possessed an uncanny ability to look into a system of unlimited possibilities and sense a winning move. His name is Mark Zuckerberg, he created Facebook, he became a billionaire in his early 20s, and he reminds me of the chess prodigy Bobby Fischer. There may be a touch of Asperger’s syndrome in both: They possess genius but are tone-deaf in social situations. Example: It is inefficient to seek romance by using strict logic to demonstrate your intellectual arrogance.

David Fincher’s film has the rare quality of being not only as smart as its brilliant hero, but in the same way. It is cocksure, impatient, cold, exciting and instinctively perceptive.

It hurtles through two hours of spellbinding dialogue. It makes an untellable story clear and fascinating. It is said to be impossible to make a movie about a writer, because how can you show him only writing? It must also be impossible to make a movie about a computer programmer, because what is programming but writing in a language few people in the audience know? Yet Fincher and his writer, Aaron Sorkin , are able to explain the Facebook phenomenon in terms we can immediately understand, which is the reason 500 million of us have signed up.

To conceive of Facebook, Zuckerberg ( Jesse Eisenberg ) needed to know almost nothing about relationships or human nature (and apparently he didn’t). What he needed was the ability to intuit a way to involve the human race in the Kevin Bacon Game. Remember that Kevin Bacon himself need not know more than a fraction of the people linking through him. Same on Facebook. I probably know 40 of my Facebook friends well, 100 glancingly, 200 by reputation. All the others are friends of friends. I can’t remember the last time I received a Friend Request from anyone I didn’t share at least one “Mutual Friend” with.

For the presence of Facebook, we possibly have to thank a woman named Erica ( Rooney Mara ). “The Social Network” begins with Erica’s date with Zuckerberg. He nervously sips a beer and speed-talks through an aggressive interrogation. It’s an exercise in sadistic conversational gamesmanship. Erica gets fed up, calls him an asshole and walks out.

Erica (a fictional character) is right, but at that moment she puts Zuckerberg in business. He goes home, has more beers and starts hacking into the “facebooks” of Harvard dorms to collect the head shots of campus women. He programs a page where they can be rated for their beauty. This is sexist and illegal, and proves so popular, it crashes the campus servers. After it’s fertilized by a mundane website called “The Harvard Connection,” Zuckerberg grows it into Facebook.

In theory, there are more possible moves on a chess board than molecules in the universe. Chessmasters cannot possibly calculate all of them, but using intuition, they can “see” a way through this near-infinity to a winning move. Nobody was ever better at chess than Bobby Fischer. Likewise, programming languages and techniques are widely known, but it was Zuckerberg who intuited how he could link them with a networking site. The genius of Facebook requires not psychological insight but its method of combining ego with interaction. Zuckerberg wanted to get revenge on all the women at Harvard. To do that, he involved them in a matrix that is still growing.

It’s said there are child prodigies in only three areas: math, music and chess. These non-verbal areas require little maturity or knowledge of human nature, but a quick ability to perceive patterns, logical rules and linkages. I suspect computer programming may be a fourth area.

Zuckerberg may have had the insight that created Facebook, but he didn’t do it alone in a room, and the movie gets a narration by cutting between depositions for lawsuits. Along the way, we get insights into the pecking order at Harvard, a campus where ability joins wealth and family as success factors. We meet the twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (both played by Armie Hammer ), rich kids who believe Zuckerberg stole their “Harvard Connection” in making Facebook. We meet Eduardo Saverin ( Andrew Garfield ), Zuckerberg’s roommate and best (only) friend, who was made CFO of the company, lent it the money that it needed to get started and was frozen out. And most memorably we meet Sean Parker ( Justin Timberlake ), the founder of two legendary web startups, Napster and Plaxo.

It is the mercurial Parker, just out of work but basked in fame and past success, who grabbed Zuckerberg by the ears and pulled him into the big time. He explained why Facebook needed to move to Silicon Valley. Why more money would come from venture capitalists than Eduardo would ever raise with his hat-in-hand visits to wealthy New Yorkers. And he tried, not successfully, to introduce Zuckerberg into the fast lane: big offices, wild parties, women, the availability of booze and cocaine.

Zuckerberg was not seduced by his lifestyle. He was uninterested in money, stayed in modest houses, didn’t fall into drugs. A subtext the movie never comments on is the omnipresence of attractive Asian women. Most of them are smart Harvard undergrads, two of them (allied with Sean) are Victoria’s Secret models, one (Christy, played by Brenda Song) is Eduardo’s girlfriend. Zuckerberg himself doesn’t have much of a social life onscreen, misses parties, would rather work. He has such tunnel vision he doesn’t even register when Sean redrafts the financial arrangements to write himself in and Eduardo out.

The testimony in the depositions makes it clear there is a case to be made against Zuckerberg, many of them sins of omission. It’s left to the final crawl to explain how they turned out. The point is to show an interaction of undergraduate chaos, enormous amounts of money and manic energy.

In an age when movie dialogue is dumbed and slowed down to suit slow-wits in the audience, the dialogue here has the velocity and snap of screwball comedy. Eisenberg, who has specialized in playing nice or clueless, is a heat-seeking missile in search of his own goals. Timberlake pulls off the tricky assignment of playing Sean Parker as both a hot shot and someone who engages Zuckerberg as an intellectual equal. Andrew Garfield evokes an honest friend who is not the right man to be CFO of the company that took off without him, but deserves sympathy.

“The Social Network” is a great film not because of its dazzling style or visual cleverness, but because it is splendidly well-made. Despite the baffling complications of computer programming, web strategy and big finance, Aaron Sorkin’s screenplay makes it all clear, and we don’t follow the story so much as get dragged along behind it. I saw it with an audience that seemed wrapped up in an unusual way: It was very, very interested.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

Rashida Jones as Marilyn
Andrew Garfield as Eduardo
Justin Timberlake as Sean
Armie Hammer as Cameron/Tyler
Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg
Max Minghella as Divya
Rooney Mara as Erica
Aaron Sorkin

Directed by

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‘the social network’: film review.

"The Social Network" has as its protagonist a character drawn in a Shakespearean mode, a high-achieving individual who carries within him the seeds of his own destruction.

By Kirk Honeycutt

Kirk Honeycutt

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'The Social Network' Review: Movie (2010)

This would, of course, be young Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), the man behind the social-network phenomenon Facebook.

As the movie makes abundantly clear, the facts behind its founding are in dispute but, without a doubt, Zuckerberg did create Facebook. Yet far from celebrating this feat, the movie examines how a man who cares little about money became the world’s youngest billionaire yet lost his one true friend.

The Bottom Line A mesmerizing, bewildering and infuriating protagonist makes this movie about Facebook's creation a must-see.

At least that’s what the movie says happened. The film, written by Aaron Sorkin, is based on Ben Mezrich’s book “The Accidental Billionaires” and Sorkin’s own research yet neither writer, predictably, was able to talk to Zuckerberg to get his point of view. So it is as a fictional construct — based on ample public sources, however — that “Mark Zuckerberg” achieves its Shakespearean dimension. He gains the whole world but loses his most meaningful asset because of a fatal flaw on view in the very first scene.

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The Social Network Reviews

There's so much story in this and provided a great platform for Jesse Eisenberg. It definitely feels like a lot of liberties with this true story but that doesn't make it less entertaining.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 1, 2024

This is a "Top Ten" film for me. The performances, direction, cinematography, score, and of course, the incredible Aaron Sorkin screenplay make this film a classic.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Jul 1, 2024

The Social Network has the potential to be a classic, a masterpiece for our times that captures early 21st century life, while still offering robust, mature entertainment.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | May 7, 2024

A film by Fincher that, with a brilliant aesthetic, functions as the voice of expression of a generation silenced by the social isolation behind computers. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | Feb 24, 2024

There are plenty of pop psychology motivations seeded through the film... but they explain the protagonist about as much as Rosebud does in 'Citizen Kane.' This is a story of hubris and ambition, of friendship and jealousy, of class and cultural cache...

Full Review | Sep 8, 2023

[David Fincher and writer Aaron Sorkin] elevate what could have been popular fodder into a serious, entertaining, and engaging drama that, through its depth and insight, regards business and social existence in the digital age with a critical eye.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Aug 3, 2023

The Social Network will go down as one of the best movies of the 21st century, and potentially one of the best movies of all time. It’s Sorkin, Fincher, Eisenberg, and Garfield all at the top of their game.

Full Review | Jul 25, 2023

The Social Network is another masterful piece of cinema, this time delivered by not one but two magnificent filmmakers. David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin employ their mutual perfectionism and meticulousness to create an extraordinarily engaging narrative.

Full Review | Original Score: A | Jul 24, 2023

Equally absorbing are its themes of friendship and loyalty in a playground of petty politics. A superb Jesse Eisenberg as the insensitive, conflicted genius was a revelatory match for Fincher's technical talent.

Full Review | Apr 20, 2023

The Social Network is an electrifying look into Frankenstein's laboratory. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Jul 20, 2022

The craft on display is impeccable like every Fincher production, and there’s an equally brilliant screenplay to support him.

Full Review | Original Score: 10/10 | May 27, 2022

A perfectly poignant and cautionary tale about how the biggest influencers in tech began and continue to operate today.

Full Review | Jul 28, 2021

An emotional and suspenseful story...a moral tale about the sweet smell of success.

Full Review | Jul 23, 2021

Much, much better than a film about Facebook has any right to be...

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | May 21, 2021

The Social Network posits that perhaps the tastiest cinematic treat is one that renders its audience gleefully captivated until they transcend into a fugue dream state.

Full Review | Feb 17, 2021

Who knew coding and depositions could be exciting? Fincher's direction is surgical, Sorkin's script is a thing of beauty and the young cast is superb. The Social Network is outstanding. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Feb 5, 2021

The combination of rapid fire dialogue, driven performances, and impeccable editing give The Social Network an incredible sense of energy.

Full Review | Original Score: 10/10 | Jan 3, 2021

A decade later, it plays more like a supervillain origin story. It's There Will Be Blood if Daniel Plainview was a dweeby computer programmer who drank lots of Mountain Dew.

Full Review | Dec 24, 2020

Decent intrigue, rivalrous backstabbing, and a little courtroom-style contention.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Nov 30, 2020

The best of Aaron Sorkin's razor-sharp writing and David Fincher's visual style come together to bring to life the riveting true story...

Full Review | Oct 28, 2020

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The Social Network: movie review

'The Social Network:' A story of betrayal on the road to glory. The knockabout beginnings of Facebook gets a fast-paced spin in the new movie 'The Social Network.'

By Peter Rainer Film critic

October 1, 2010

" The Social Network ," about Mark Zuckerberg and the knockabout beginnings of his creation, Facebook , is a prime example of an op-ed movie – a film so topical it transcends mere movieness.

Does this also mean it's great? Well, no, although you wouldn't know it from all the advance critical hoopla. Most movies are unconcerned with the real, roiling world of commerce and communication. "The Social Network," by contrast, depicts the Facebook enterprise as, like it or not, a cosmic cultural shift.

Director David Fincher and his screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (creator of " The West Wing "), loosely adapting Ben Mezrich 's nonfiction book "The Accidental Billionaires," are not uncynical about the ways in which this enterprise and its instigator racked up the betrayals on the road to glory. More often than not, Mark comes across as a soulless savant. (A more accurate title for this film might be "The Revenge of the Nerds .")

FACEBOOK FACTS, Hollywood fiction: Four things the move got wrong

These jaundiced filmmakers are nevertheless awed by the system that made Facebook possible. "The Social Network" is a warts-and-all celebration of visionary capitalism and of the moxie required to realize the vision. Mark is both the unlikeliest and likeliest of heroes – or, more precisely, antiheroes – for our time. He's a wolf in geek's clothing.

The problem is, the geek in question, at least as Jesse Eisenberg plays him, doesn't have the emotional expansiveness to fill out a movie. Perhaps sensing this, the filmmakers play out the story line from multiple points of view and crowd the stage with a pageant of voluble supporting characters. At times, Mark seems like a bit actor in his own fantasia, and although this dramatic ploy is no doubt intentional, it makes for a rather unwieldy (and overlong) odyssey.

It begins in the fall of 2003, when Mark, having just been dumped by his girlfriend and licking his wounds, retreats to his Harvard dormitory and hacks into the university's computers to create the site Facemash – a database of all the women on campus. Photos are lined up two at a time and users are asked to choose who is "hotter." The site is instantly so popular that Harvard's entire system crashes.

From these unseemly beginnings is born what eventually becomes Facebook, which quickly spreads beyond Harvard to become a global phenomenon. Along the way, Mark, who drops out of college after his sophomore year to run the business from Palo Alto , Calif. , inevitably runs a gantlet of accusations and recriminations.

He alienates his closest friend and Facebook's cofounder, Eduardo Saverin ( Andrew Garfield ), who sues him, and is likewise sued by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss , identical twin Harvard BMOCs who, with a whiff of WASP-ish disdain, claim Mark stole their idea. (In an amazing feat of filmic prestidigitation, Armie Hammer , with the assistance of Josh Pence as a body double, plays both brothers.) He also attracts the attentions of Napster founder Sean Parker ( Justin Timberlake ), who functions for Mark as a cross between Svengali and Eddie Haskell .

Fincher periodically intercuts his straightforward chronology with deposition scenes involving Mark and both Eduardo and the Winklevosses. In flashback, he presents " Rashomon "-style versions of what really happened and leaves it up to us to sort out the truth, or truthiness, of the claims.

From a legal standpoint, this is probably the only way that the filmmakers could have told this story without getting sued by everybody under the sun, but it also conveniently absolves them from taking a stand on the Facebook hoo-ha one way or the other. Since Mark is presented as a human cipher anyway, the deliberate ambiguity of the flashbacks registers as just one more blur in a fuzzy landscape.

The filmmakers trumpet the irony that an essentially friendless dweeb – the "Mark Zuckerberg" they created for this movie – founded the world's preeminent aggregator of friends (or, to be more exact, "friends"). But why is this such a surprise? If Mark had a raft of real friends he probably would not have felt the need (or had the time) to create a social-network engine. The virtuality of his life gave rise to the reality of Facebook.

Despite the whiz-bang topicality, the headlong intelligence, and the many sharp collegiate scenes – a testy meeting between the Winklevoss twins and Harvard president Lawrence Summers ( Douglas Urbanski ) is a classic – this new-style movie hews pretty closely to an old-style playbook. The filmmakers have talked it up as a classic story of friendship, loyalty, betrayal, and jealousy, but, with the exception of Eduardo, the cast of characters – beginning with Mark – are all aggressively one-dimensional. I scrutinized their scrimmages rather than becoming emotionally invested in them.

The filmmakers were probably thinking of Orson Welles 's Charles Foster Kane when they created their own soulless mogul. They even provide Mark with his own version of "Rosebud," the key that supposedly unlocks his psyche. Mark, it seems, created Facebook to get back at a girl he still pines for in the end. This faux Freudian soppiness is a disservice to Mark's rapacity, but still it gave me pause: How many other jilted geniuses are out there poised to unleash their newfangled networking whammies on us? Grade: B+ ( Rated PG-13 for sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and language.)

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Movie Review | 'The Social Network'

Millions of Friends, but Not Very Popular

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By Manohla Dargis

Sept. 23, 2010

What makes Mark Zuckerberg run? In “The Social Network,” David Fincher’s fleet, weirdly funny, exhilarating, alarming and fictionalized look at the man behind the social-media phenomenon Facebook — 500 million active users, oops, friends, and counting — Mark runs and he runs, sometimes in flip-flops and a hoodie, across Harvard Yard and straight at his first billion. Quick as a rabbit, sly as a fox, he is the geek who would be king or just Bill Gates. He’s also the smartest guy in the room, and don’t you forget it.

The first time you see Mark (Jesse Eisenberg, firing on all cylinders), he’s 19 and wearing a hoodie stamped with the word Gap, as in the clothing giant, but, you know, also not. Eyes darting, he is yammering at his girlfriend, Erica (Rooney Mara), whose backhand has grown weary. As they swat the screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s words at each other, the two partners quickly shift from offline friends to foes, a foreshadowing of the emotional storms to come. Soon Mark is back in his dorm, pounding on his keyboard and inadvertently sowing the seeds of Facebook, first by blogging about Erica and then by taking his anger out on the rest of Harvard’s women, whose photos he downloads for cruel public sport: is she hot or not.

(“The Social Network” opens the 48th New York Film Festival on Friday and opens in theaters next Friday.)

Although the names have remained the same, “The Social Network” is less of a biopic of the real Mr. Zuckerberg than a gloss on the boot-up, log-on, plug-in generation. You don’t learn much about him other than the headlines, beginning with Facebook’s less-than-humble start in 2003. Despite its insistently unsexy moving parts (software, algorithms), the movie is paced like a thriller, if one in which ideas, words and bank books blow up rather than cars. It’s a resonant contemporary story about the new power elite and an older, familiar narrative of ambition, except instead of discovering his authentic self, Mark builds a database, turning his life — and ours — into zeroes and ones, which is what makes it also a story about the human soul.

The price of that ambition, at least as dramatized here, is borne by those around Mark, who remains a strategic cipher throughout: a Facebook page without a profile photo. Charmless and awkward in groups larger than one, he rarely breaks into a smile and, if memory serves, never says thank you. He seems wary at some moments, coolly calculating at others: when his eyes haven’t gone dead, you can see him working all the angles. One of those angles, according to Mr. Sorkin’s script, which follows the outline of “The Accidental Billionaires,” Ben Mezrich’s book about Facebook, was one of the site’s co-founders, Eduardo Saverin (a very good Andrew Garfield), a fellow student of Mark’s as well as his first big check writer and personal chump.

Eduardo strides in early, his collar turned up against the Cambridge winter, and quickly moves in on our sympathies, which Mr. Eisenberg, guided by his supremely confident director, never does. Mr. Garfield can sometimes wilt on screen as if in surrender, but here his character merely sways, held up by an essential decency that makes Eduardo so appealing and such a contrast to the sometimes appalling Mark. (When Mr. Eisenberg makes Mark’s face go blank, the character seems scarily emptied out: it’s a subtly great, at times unsettling, performance.) Mark might be the brains in this unlikely friendship, but Eduardo is its conscience and slowly bleeding heart. Though he knows better, he hangs on even after he’s been cut loose.

The plot thickens after Erica dumps Mark, and he meets a pair of near-comically-perfect supermen, the identical twins and future Olympic rowers Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss. (An amusing Armie Hammer plays both brothers with wit and the aid of different hairstyles, special effects and a body double.) The Winklevosses emerge as unlikely objects of Mark’s interest and, much like Erica, his eventual contempt. The twins and their friend Divya Narendra (Max Minghella), have a Web site idea and need Mark’s programming help. They’ll pay (and how!), but the gig, they grandly explain, will also rehabilitate Mark’s reputation on campus after the hot/not scandal, a patronizing moment that echoes Mark’s breakup with Erica. “You’d do that for me?” he asks the twins flatly, recycling a line Erica once used on him.

The conspicuous paradox that “The Social Network” plays with is that the world’s most popular social networking Web site was created by a man with excruciatingly, almost pathologically poor, people skills. The benign view of Facebook is that it creates “a community,” a sense of intimacy, which is of course one reason it also creeps out some of its critics. As the virtual-reality visionary Jaron Lanier puts it bluntly in his manifesto “You Are Not a Gadget,” Facebook also reduces life to a database. In “The Social Network,” a character lashes out at both Mark and “the angry” who haunt the Internet, but Mr. Lanier takes the view that it’s fear that drives the idolizers of what he calls the “new strain of gadget fetishism.”

Beyond the obvious (money, sex, fame) it’s hard to know what truly pushes Mark, whose personality emerges in furtive smiles, gushes of words and painful pauses. Eventually everyone does pay: the Winklevosses, Eduardo, even Mark. The filmmakers have their ideas about who did what to whom, but they don’t try to fill in all the blanks or, worse, soften Mark’s edges with a Psych 101 back story. You see what turns him on: software, revenge and, in several lightly comic and darkly foreboding scenes, Sean Parker, the flamboyant co-creator of Napster, who’s played by Justin Timberlake as a jittery seducer. Sean oozes into Mark’s life for a piece of the action and instantly dazzles the younger man with his bad-boy ways (coke and Champagne for everyone!), sexy dates and big, brash talk of riches.

Shooting in digital and working with the cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth, Mr. Fincher turns down the lights and tamps down his visual style, deploying fewer special-effects sleights of hand than he did in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” with its wizened and baby Brad Pitt, while also maintaining the familiar Fincher atmosphere of dread. Harvard has rarely been represented to such dolorous effect as in “The Social Network,” where even the colors seem leached of joy. A restrained, somber palette and the shallow depth of field express the limits of Mark’s world, while the rapid, seamless cutting among different times and spaces — scenes of him creating Facebook are woven together with scenes of him in separate depositions — evokes the speed of his success, giving the narrative terrific momentum.

Mr. Fincher pointedly abandons his smudged browns for a gauzily lighted sequence of the twins rowing at a tony British club that, with the edges of the image blurred and movements slowed, looks like a dream. This is a world of rarefied privilege in which men still wear straw boaters, and royalty blathers within earshot. Mark isn’t invited, not because he’s poor (he isn’t), but because this is a closed, self-reproducing system built on exclusivity and other entitlements, including privacy. (The movie refers to Mark’s being Jewish, and the twins look as if they crewed for the Hitler Youth, but that’s just part of the mix.) Mark doesn’t breach this citadel, he sidesteps it entirely by becoming one of the new information elite for whom data is power and who, depending on your view of the Internet, rallies the online mob behind him.

“The Social Network” takes place in the recognizable here and now, though there are moments when it has the flavor of science fiction (it would make a nice double bill with “The Matrix”) even as it evokes 19th-century narratives of ambition. (“To be young, to have a thirst for society, to be hungry for a woman,” Balzac writes in “Le Père Goriot.”) The movie opens with a couple in a crowded college bar and ends with a man alone in a room repeatedly hitting refresh on his laptop. In between, Mr. Fincher and Mr. Sorkin offer up a creation story for the digital age and something of a morality tale, one driven by desire, marked by triumph, tainted by betrayal and inspired by the new gospel: the geek shall inherit the earth.

“The Social Network” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). The usual college high jinks, drugs, drinking and semi-naked women.

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

The film, to be shown on Friday on the opening night of the 48th New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center, opens nationally next Friday.

Directed by David Fincher; written by Aaron Sorkin, based on the book “The Accidental Billionaires,” by Ben Mezrich; director of photography, Jeff Cronenweth; edited by Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter; music by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross; production designer, Donald Graham Burt; costumes by Jacqueline West; produced by Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Cean Chaffin; released by Columbia Pictures. At 6 and 9 p.m. at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center. Running time: 2 hours.

WITH: Jesse Eisenberg (Mark Zuckerberg), Andrew Garfield (Eduardo Saverin), Justin Timberlake (Sean Parker), Armie Hammer (Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss), Max Minghella (Divya Narendra), Josh Pence (Tyler Winklevoss), Rooney Mara (Erica Albright), Brenda Song (Christy), Rashida Jones (Marylin Delpy), John Getz (Sy), David Selby (Gage), Denise Grayson (Gretchen), Douglas Urbanski (Larry Summers), Aaron Sorkin (Ad Executive) and James Shanklin (Prince Albert).

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The social network.

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 24 Reviews
Kids Say 123 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Fantastic performances, compelling story for teens and up.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

College students drink like fish. Mark and his sophomore roommates get drunk and

Obviously, the movie is a huge promo for Facebook, even if the tale of its origi

Lots of casual use of words like "s--t," "a--hole," "screw," "hell," and "bitch,

Sexuality is one of the main themes (and one of the major motivations for Facebo

A couple of men nearly come to blows but are stopped by their friends before an

Any Positive Content?

On the one hand, seeing all these young entrepreneurs be creative and innovative

They're big thinkers with great ideas, but many of the characters make questiona

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

College students drink like fish. Mark and his sophomore roommates get drunk and stoned in their dorm rooms and at frat parties, dinners, and nightclubs. There's lots of beer, cocktails, and champagne drinking, as well as pot smoking and even lines of some drug (probaby cocaine) about to be consumed.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Obviously, the movie is a huge promo for Facebook, even if the tale of its origins is at times deeply unflattering toward founder Mark Zuckerberg. Many other brands are also featured, including Gap, Livejournal, Heineken beer, and schools like Harvard, Stanford, Boston University, Columbia, and Yale.

Lots of casual use of words like "s--t," "a--hole," "screw," "hell," and "bitch," and even a couple "f--k"s. Also "goddamn" and "oh my God."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Sexuality is one of the main themes (and one of the major motivations for Facebook) of the movie. No graphic is sex depicted, but in one scene two young women take Mark and Eduardo to bathroom stalls, where they kiss passionately before the women take off the guys' belts and perform oral sex (you see one woman squat down before the camera cuts to the guy's ecstatic face). In another scene, a couple wakes up together but neither can remember much about the other -- including their names. The girl walks around in panties and a cutoff top. There's a scene of strip poker, and lots of women come on to the guys, make out with them, and dance around them while scantily clad. In an online pre-Facebook stunt, Mark pits women against each other for others to rank according to "hotness."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

A couple of men nearly come to blows but are stopped by their friends before an actual punch is thrown. In one scene, security comes to escort a character after he violently destroys a laptop.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

On the one hand, seeing all these young entrepreneurs be creative and innovative is a great example for teenagers, but some of the actions that lead to Facebook's success are shady and unfortunate.

Positive Role Models

They're big thinkers with great ideas, but many of the characters make questionable, borderline unethical decisions. Mark alienates and forces out his best friend, and he's accused of stealing the overall idea of Facebook from three other Harvard students. The character of Sean Parker is egomaniacal, parties a lot, and is the main catalyst for some of the uglier wheeling and dealing that goes on behind the scenes.

Parents need to know that this movie about the creation of Facebook will appeal to media-savvy tweens and young teens, but there's so much sexuality, drug use, drinking, and swearing (lots of "a--hole," "bitch," and "s--t") that it's a better fit for older high schoolers. The sexual content includes scenes of strip poker, a scene set the morning after a one-night stand, bathroom-stall trysts (with implied oral sex), girls dancing nearly naked, and more. College students party a lot, so it's no surprise that there's plenty of drinking -- often to excess -- and drug use (mostly marijuana, but also cocaine). While teens will learn the value of being innovative, there are some very negative messages and role models in the movie. Ultimately, The Social Network isn't the typical "genius entrepreneur" biopic, because it's really a story about the personal price of success. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

Parents say (24)
Kids say (123)

Based on 24 parent reviews

Phenomenal movie, but I wouldn't recommend for young teens

Outstanding film has language, sex and heavy drugs, what's the story.

In his sophomore year at Harvard, computer-science genius Mark Zuckerberg ( Jesse Eisenberg ) and his best friend, Eduardo Saverin ( Andrew Garfield ), create a site ranking their female classmates' hotness. It gets the attention of rich, entrepreneurial seniors Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss (both played by Armie Hammer) and their business partner, who hire Zuckerberg to create a social networking site for Harvard students. But instead of working on the Harvard-only site, Zuckerberg asks Saverin to front him the start-up costs to launch what they call "thefacebook," which starts at Harvard but eventually spreads to other elite universities across the country. After the site hits Stanford, Zuckerberg and Saverin meet Napster co-founder Sean Parker ( Justin Timberlake ), who ingratiates himself into the founders' circle, usurps Saverin, and helps Zuckerberg get the funds to transform "thefacebook" into Facebook. In the process, Zuckerberg faces lawsuits from his Harvard rivals and his former best friend.

Is It Any Good?

There was a lot of pre-release hype for THE SOCIAL NETWORK -- and for once, the buzz is well-deserved. This is truly an enthralling film; all of the pieces -- writing, plot, direction, acting, soundtrack -- create a memorable, timely movie that couldn't be more relevant to the current zeitgeist. If a story about a business' Ivy League founders or Harvard social intrigue or young billionaires in the making doesn't sound compelling, this movie will surprise you. And the credit must go to director David Fincher and writer Aaron Sorkin, who've taken what sounds like a very boring premise -- boy genius possibly steals an idea to create one of the dominating media forces of the decade -- and turned it into an award-worthy film that even Facebook objectors will enjoy.

Eisenberg plays Zuckerberg as a socially awkward computer genius who isn't an adorable geek (like many of Eisenberg's previous roles). He's a huge jerk -- or, as his date tells him in the first scene, a first-class "a--hole" -- obsessed with status and, later, getting back at said date for rejecting him. How many multibillion dollar ideas started out as a way to show up someone who rejected the innovator? And how many business are built on the backs of broken friendships? As Saverin, British import Garfield is pitch perfect. He exudes the confidence that comes with wealthy, but unlike Zuckerberg or the Winklevoss twins, he's not condescending. In many ways, he's the heart of the movie, because his character is so much more likable than Zuckerberg -- so much so that you want him to win his lawsuit against Facebook. The movie's biggest scene-stealers are Timberlake -- who's all slimy and paranoid charm as Parker -- and the Winklevoss brothers, who are played by Hammer so well that you'd swear it was twin actors. Each twin is patrician perfection personified, and the fact that their social networking idea is the seed that Zuckerberg turns into Facebook serves as a slap in the face to their entitlement. What's true and what isn't doesn't quite matter for the purposes of this film; in the end Facebook's "status" is bigger than all its players.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Facebook and social networking . How have people's -- especially teens' -- lives changed as a result of Facebook's creation?

How accurate do you think the movie is? Why might filmmakers bend the facts (or take liberties in how a person is portrayed) when making a movie based on real life? How could you find out more if you wanted to?

What was the cost of Facebook's success for its founders? What is the movie's message about starting a huge enterprise? What does it take? What does it cost to succeed?

Does the founder of Facebook seem like a likable guy? Does this drama make you think less or more of him? Which of his many questionable choices makes him look the most unethical?

Movie Details

In theaters : October 1, 2010
On DVD or streaming : January 11, 2011
Cast : Andrew Garfield , Jesse Eisenberg , Justin Timberlake
Director : David Fincher
Studio : Columbia Pictures
Genre : Drama
Run time : 121 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : sexual content, drug and alcohol use and language
Last updated : January 18, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

All the President's Men

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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

The Social Network (2010): Film Review

Joshua Stevens
March 19, 2023

The Social Network explores the origins Facebook and examines its founder, and remains a defining David Fincher film due to its direction, script, and score.

The Social Network accomplishes the near-impossible feat of defining both past and future generations . This David Fincher outing encapsulated the decade leading up to its release in 2010, while also serving as a warning for the decade that would follow. The message of how social media can be used to the detriment of others shines through the film’s direction, script, and music . This specific message about the potentially negative consequences of social media pinpoints the movie’s more universal themes: connection and isolation.

The drama follows young Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), beginning with his time as a student at Harvard. Over the course of the movie, Zuckerberg and friend Eduardo Saverin (an excellent Andrew Garfield) develop what would become Facebook, the most famous social media platform in the world. The film also sees Zuckerberg in the midst of two lawsuits , one from the Winklevoss twins (both played by Armie Hammer), who claim Zuckerberg stole the idea of Facebook from them, and one from Saverin himself, who feels his former best friend had betrayed him.

David Fincher’s usual genre explorations made him a somewhat odd pick to direct The Social Network. Coming off projects like Se7en (1995) , Fight Club (1999), and Zodiac (2007), Fincher was able to channel the dark energy from those projects and apply it to the story of Facebook’s founding. Fans have come to expect certain traits when viewing a Fincher film, including a thematic exploration of the human psyche . Here, he combines those explorations with the role technology has played, and will continue to play, in society. He utilizes a non-linear structure to examine Zuckerberg’s rise to prominence, his flaws, and his virtues.

The film, based on 2009 book “The Accidental Billionaires”by Ben Mezrich (with Saverin serving as a main source), takes liberties with this true story : the real Zuckerberg took issue with the film’s depiction of himself, particularly the party scenes, while Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz has called it “a dramatization of history.” Though it may not be 100% accurate, the movie triumphs in another way: looking into the complex nature of intellectual property, friendship, and social media.

loud and clear reviews the social network review film 2010 movie fincher

The script , written by the legendary Aaron Sorkin, acts as the glue holding the entire film together. One may look no further than the opening scene between Zuckerberg and his date, Erica Albright (Rooney Mara) to get a flavor for Sorkin’s rapid-fire dialogue and characterization. The scene, set to The White Stripes’ “Ball and Biscuit,” depicts Zuckerberg and Albright having a discussion over drinks. The conversation is fast paced, with Albright often struggling to keep up with Zuckerberg’s thought process. This leads to confusion, confrontation, and ultimately a break-up.

Sorkin’s script, in addition to driving the narrative, also serves an allegorical purpose: to showcase the confusion and confrontation that individuals may face in an online setting . He achieves this while also telling the audience something about the characters, especially Zuckerberg. The arrogance and detachment shown in this scene carries through to the end, where he sits alone at his computer screen, desperate for human interaction. There is much to dissect from this award-winning screenplay, but the core component is Sorkin’s ability to elevate this drama using clever dialogue and hidden messaging.

One overlooked aspect of The Social Network’s success lies in the film’s terrific score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross . The two men had done few scores at this point in their careers, and they were able to use their inexperience as an advantage, creating a truly unique musical sound for the film. Perhaps the most famous piece for the score is “Hand Covers Bruise,” a piece that consists mostly of a few simple piano notes, with persistent, lurking, buzzing strings sound in the background. “Hand Covers Bruise,” along with the rest of the score, accurately conveys both a need to prove oneself and a sense of profound loneliness . Zuckerberg’s loneliness is touched on throughout the entire film, and the score accurately reflects his status.

Fincher’s direction, Sorkin’s script and the musical score are just three examples of the mastery on display in The Social Network. This is a film that warrants further analysis, as the ramifications of social media have become even more clear since the movie’s release in 2010. How human beings connect, and how they can become isolated based on a variety of factors, is the key question at the heart of The Social Network. As time changes, and technology continues to evolve, these universal questions will continue to live on. This fact alone makes the film a timelessly relevant classic .

The Social Network is now available to watch on digital and on demand . Find out why The Social Network explores a side of college life not usually seen in movies .

Loud and Clear Reviews has an affiliate partnership with Apple, so we receive a share of the revenue from your purchase or streaming of the films when you click on the button on this page. This won’t affect how much you pay for them and helps us keep the site free for everyone.

TAGS: David Fincher , genre: biopic

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Movie review: ‘The Social Network’

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Could it be that the person who founded Facebook, the man who connected so many individuals that the total defies belief (500 million and counting), is himself incapable of close personal friendship? Is it possible that the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, a 26-year-old whose creation unites people in 207 countries using 70 languages, is the loneliest guy on the planet?

If that sounds like a hell of a premise, you don’t know the half of it. Smartly written by Aaron Sorkin, directed to within an inch of its life by David Fincher and anchored by a perfectly pitched performance by Jesse Eisenberg, “The Social Network” is a barn-burner of a tale that unfolds at a splendid clip.

Yet, while nothing is more au courant than the Facebook phenomenon, “Social Network” succeeds because its story is the stuff of archetypal movie drama. It marries the tradition of present-at-the-creation epics like “Dr. Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet,” “Madame Curie” and “Edison, the Man” with the familiar story of the corrupting power of ambition and success that allows audiences to feel, and not for the first time, that their ordinary lives have more meaning than those of the rich and famous.

Where “Social Network” departs from those earlier biopics is that, as played by Eisenberg, protagonist Mark Zuckerberg is introduced as extremely unlikable rather than heroic, a self-absorbed and arrogant 19-year-old Harvard sophomore who is as socially maladroit as he is fearsomely smart.

An actor who has nailed every discontented role he’s had, including “Roger Dodger,” “The Squid and the Whale” and “Adventureland,” Eisenberg excels as someone whose success is fueled, in classic movie fashion, by resentments of all shapes and sizes. His Zuckerberg is so consumed by the drive to get even and gain status that no one is a match for the combination of ruthless focus and disinterested frigidity he brings to the table.

The opportunity to simultaneously portray and dissect this kind of compelling yet distant individual is an ideal fit for Fincher. Presented with an involving central character cold enough to suit his chilly but considerable filmmaking talents, the director does his best work, convincingly presenting a story about conflicts over intellectual property as if it were a fast-paced James Bond thriller.

“Social Network” is fluidly shot by Jeff Cronenweth with convincing production design by Donald Graham Burt, both Fincher regulars, and the director also has the benefit of working with Sorkin’s strong and persuasive script. As fans of TV’s “The West Wing” well remember, Sorkin writes great crackling dialogue that dramatically represents the dynamics of power relations, and he puts that gift to great use here. Both his writing and the unnerving music by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross bring so much propulsive energy to the project that resistance is all but futile.

Although the film is based on Ben Mezrich’s “The Accidental Billionaires,” Sorkin did his own research into the story and his treatment doesn’t have an ounce of fat on it. Though there has been talk of “Social Network” having Rashomon elements, that is something of a red herring. The film’s characters naturally have differing viewpoints and details are argued over, but the basic thrust of this tale never wavers, no matter whose eyes events are being told through.

“The Social Network” begins by positing that it was a very specific social resentment that got Zuckerberg started on his road to billions. The film opens at an undergraduate bar near the Harvard campus in the fall of 2003 with Zuckerberg getting dumped by his girlfriend Erica ( Rooney Mara, soon to be Lisbeth Salander in the Fincher-directed versions of the Stieg Larsson trilogy). Going out with him, she says tartly, is “like dating a Stairmaster.”

Furious at this rejection, Zuckerberg stomps back to his dorm and, with the help of roommate and best friend Eduardo Saverin (the gifted shape-shifter Andrew Garfield), takes revenge by doing some adroit hacking and coming up with Facemash, a site that enables students to vote on which Harvard women are the hottest. It gets 22,000 hits in two hours and crashes the university’s system.

That stunt attracts the attention of two of the school’s elite, rowers and identical twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (played, with the help of computer wizardry, by two unrelated actors, Armie Hammer and Josh Pence). They and friend Divya Narendra (Max Minghella) hire him to work on a university dating service they have in mind called Harvard Connection. Almost simultaneously, Zuckerberg, funded by best friend Saverin, starts “thefacebook,” which eventually morphs into you know what.

After these dynamics are established, “Social Network” jumps us a few years into the future, to separate but equally acrimonious lawsuits brought against Zuckerman by the Winklevosses and by Saverin, all of whom, albeit for different reasons, are upset enough with their erstwhile colleague and friend to drag him into legal proceedings.

Part of “Social Network’s” energy comes from the alacrity, courtesy of the brisk editing of Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter, with which it jumps between the taking of two sets of depositions and the film’s depiction of the events that led to Facebook, and Zuckerberg, getting rich and famous. This includes the eventual involvement of Napster co-founder Sean Parker (a quite-convincing Justin Timberlake), a personality as seductive as he was divisive.

Another red herring about “Social Network” is how true to life these characterizations and this film are. It’s a red herring because movies, even well-intentioned documentaries, distort reality by their very nature. Zuckerberg’s adherents say the film is unfair to their man, and it may or may not be, but given that a New Yorker writer who interviewed him characterized the Facebook founder as “distant and disorienting, a strange mixture of shy and cocky,” Eisenberg’s characterization doesn’t seem that far off the mark.

All that really matters about “Social Network” is that it be convincing in movie terms, and it very much is that. Very likely gritting his teeth and agreeing is Zuckerberg himself. Someone who donated $100 million to the Newark, N.J., public schools just as this film was opening the New York Film Festival is probably worried that with all his billions he may forever be a prisoner of the film’s uncharitable portrayal, just as gifted actress Marion Davies was similarly blindsided by the talentless character based on her in “Citizen Kane.” Facebook may be powerful, but impressive movies have a force that cannot be denied.

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The Social Network Review

15 Oct 2010

120 minutes

Social Network, The

Since making his debut with the disastrous Alien 3, David Fincher has struggled to find material worthy of his indisputable technical talent. This is nothing new; after Stanley Kubrick released Barry Lyndon in 1975 his assistant recalled hearing the nightly thud of books hitting the wall, until at last there was silence: Stanley had picked up Stephen King's The Shining, and the rest, of course, was history. Like Kubrick, Fincher has dabbled in a variety of genres too, but after the mixed reception afforded Benjamin Button, a respectable but strangely lightweight Oscar bid, The Social Network seems an unusual choice, even for him. It's talky, it's dorky, there's very little action, and, in the grand scheme of things, it's almost literally yesterday's news. But it has a quiet power, and, beneath the surface, there's perhaps more going on here than immediately meets the eye.

The Social Network is, first and foremost, about a paradox. It covers the founding of Facebook, a pioneering internet tool that, while bringing the world together, drove five individuals apart, and in doing so made its instigator, 26-year-old former Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg, recent history's youngest billionaire. Zuckerberg is played here by Jesse Eisenberg, who is simply superb as the conflicted genius, an emotionally isolated, social-climbing outsider with an unpredictable set of motivations and allegiances. Zuckerberg sets up his groundbreaking website for a number of reasons, partly out of spite, partly out of competition and partly because it's “cool”. But not, it seems, with anything as mundane, or forward-thinking, as a mission statement or a business plan.

Whether the real Zuckerberg is anything like this is another matter, and one that the filmmakers don't much care about (as a minor player says at the end, every creation story needs a demon). But if Zuckerberg is the moustache-twirling villain of this piece, the equally 'real' characters around him function with a similar degree of shorthand. Primarily, there is Andrew Garfield as the fresh-faced Eduardo Saverin, who is Zuckerberg's best friend at Harvard. Saverin gives Zuckerberg the money to start the operation, a loan of £1,000, but as the Facebook project grows, Saverin gets increasingly ostracised by his one-time best bud. In the meantime, also on Zuckerberg's elbow list are the Winklevoss twins (Armie Hammer and Josh Pence). The twins are star Harvard rowers who employ Zuckerberg to help them develop their own website, but instead of doing what's asked of him, he leads them a merry dance, apparently stalling their project to give himself time to advance his own.

Into this maelstrom of conflict steps Napster founder Sean Parker, played with seductive relish by Justin Timberlake as a louche libertarian who appeals to all of Zuckerberg's most reckless instincts. Parker is presented as the catalyst that turns Zuckerberg from amateur to pro, which he does, over cocktails, with a single anecdote: the sad story of Roy Raymond, the bankrupt 47-year-old founder of Victoria's Secret who committed suicide in 1993 after the company he sold for $4m became a billion-dollar business. Zuckerberg seems to be drinking this in, or as much as he ever seems to be drinking anything in. In fact, part of the fun of Eisenberg's performance is that he never gives anything away, which works nicely alongside the wistful Garfield and Machiavellian Timberlake.

The Social Network's plus points are immediately visible, notably in a long pre-credits scene that sees Zuckerberg in a bar with his soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend, Erica (Rooney Mara): Aaron Sorkin's rat-a-tat dialogue is established right there, and it never lets up. Likewise, Fincher's direction – comparatively restrained, except for an exhilarating, kinetic rowing sequence at the Henley Regatta – mostly aims for clarity and tight control. His colour palette is vital to this, being warm, sunny at times and even cosy in darkness, which comes in handy when zig-zagging between two potentially confusing timelines and two distinct court cases. The film's flaws, however, take a little longer to reveal themselves. For one thing, there isn't really that much to invest in; although Fincher gives it the adult veneer of a modern-day All The President's Men, the stakes aren't that high. This is a story in the public domain that's not about the public domain: its key players come from a rarefied world (indeed, the very first incarnation of Facebook, ironically enough, was deliberately exclusive and only available to subscribers with a Harvard email address). There's also the fact that Eisenberg, having dominated the first hour, suddenly steps back to make way for Garfield, and his presence is much missed.

That there's not a vast amount really going on here is beyond dispute, since there are no deaths or murders (so far) in this case, and not only are Zuckerberg's legal woes well documented, they barely add up to a paragraph on his rather skimpy Wikipedia page. So what would attract Sorkin and Fincher, 49 and 48 respectively, to such a slight story? The feeling that leaves the cinema with you is that The Social Network is intended as a portrait of the times, and its understatement is deliberate. Just 20 years ago, Wall Street was doing the same thing but bigger, with giant egos and huge deals. Now, although the payday-potential is even higher, the politics are those of the sandpit not the boardroom. Zuckerberg wants to be special, the centre of attention. Saverin is peeved that his best friend has a new best friend, and won't play with him any more. Meanwhile, the Winklevosses are stamping their feet because can't get a break: why, just because they're rich, they're handsome and they're excellent sportsmen, can't they be smart too? (Fincher has a lot of fun with that.)

It's hard to say how Fincher's film will be received today; indeed, Sorkin's last script, the concise and insightful Charlie Wilson's War still hasn't had its due, and in the UK, The Social Network's allusions to the social hierarchies within the US college system may not strike home. But it does have some interesting things to say, not just about the astonishing power that young people wield in the computer age (remember the line in In The Loop: “You know they're all kids in Washington. It's like Bugsy Malone, but with real guns”) but about the perspective that comes with youth.

The Social Network might even be a black comedy about that; Zuckerberg is obsessed with being cool, popular, first, but is he doing a good thing, and what about the social repercussions of his invention, which has since spread to every corner of the globe? Is he a crook? A rip-off artist? An arch manipulator? Fincher and Sorkin never close the book on any of these allegations, but they don't really need to because, in their version of the story, it doesn't matter. The closing song says it all: The Beatles' Baby You're A Rich Man, which asks the question, “How does it feel to be one of the beautiful people?” Zuckerberg doesn't know. But then, as the film slyly suggests, why would he? He's from a logged-in, left-out generation that knows little of beauty and even less of feeling.

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Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, Andrew Garfield

David Fincher

Aaron Sorkin, Ben Mezrich (Book, "The Accidental Billionaire")

Rated PG-13

121 Mins.

Columbia Pictures

Audio Commentary with David Fincher; Audio Commentary w/ Aaron Sorkin & The Cast; How Did They Ever Make a Movie of Facebook?; Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter and Ren Klyce on Post; Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and David Fincher on the Score; In the Hall of the Mountain King: Reznor's First Draft; Swarmatron; Jeff Cronenweth and David Fincher on the Visuals; Ruby Skye VIP Room: Multi-Angle Scene Breakdown

is the "film of the year."

Rest assured, they are wrong.

is a good film. is a very good film, almost a great film. Beautifully intertwining the written words of Aaron Sorkin with the visual mastery of Fincher, may very well be this year's most intellectually satisfying film right alongside Christopher Nolan's is stimulating, energetic, entertaining and wondrously written and acted across the board.

is still not, however, the "film of the year" and the gut tells me that audiences are going to feel exactly the same way.

In case you've been trapped in a cave over the past several months or somehow managed to avoid the seemingly endless onslaught of promos for the film, follows, with varying degrees of historical accuracy, how a Harvard undergrad named Mark Zuckerberg created what has become, almost undeniably, the ultimate social network experience and simultaneously turned himself into the world's youngest billionaire. Ever.

It's a bit surprising how well the combo of Fincher's direction and Sorkin's writing weave themselves together, Fincher's visual presentation a storytelling kaleidoscope of spiritual and otherworldly symbolism from the most miniscule image to epic landscapes and Sorkin's verbal chess matches seemingly mismatched. Yet, for the most part, the two fit together perfectly and when the original score created by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is tossed in, well, it's a full-on, intellectual orgy of sight and sound.

As Zuckerberg, Jesse Eisenberg ( is so eerily spot-on with how most of us likely picture the rather elusive Mark Zuckerberg. Over the past few days, we've been seeing the Facebook founder in the news with his $100 million donation for New Jersey schools, but for the most part Zuckerberg avoids the spotlight and, if we're to believe mostly avoids anything resembling a crowd unless it involves fund-raising or writing code. Eisenberg has always been an actor in search of the perfect project, and offers him the perfect chance to emphasize his acting strengths while stretching himself by playing a man who is impossible to like but equally impossible to hate. Eisenberg's facial expressions are so quietly observed you may not fully realize how brilliant the performance is until you leave the theatre and find it impossible to forget his words, his looks, his eyes and the way his body shifts from person to person and setting to setting. Eisenberg, likely at Fincher's direction, never gives us an ounce of true sympathy for the difficult to peg Zuckerberg. Instead, he's portrayed as withdrawn, observant, calculating, self-assured and, yes, vengeful with even a touch of sociopathic tendencies.

In other words, he's destined to become a billionaire.

What's amazing here is that Eisenberg doesn't really even offer the film's finest performance, instead being matched note for note by Justin Timberlake's spin on Zuckerberg's semi-faux mentor and Napster founder Sean Parker and perhaps even moreso by Andrew Garfield's Eduardo Saverin, Zuckerberg's academic peer and early financier and patsy. Garfield has the uneasy task of providing with its emotional resonance, a not so easy task given the overwhelming aloofness of Eisenberg's Zuckerberg and the relative debauchery of Timberlake's Parker.

Based largely upon a book by Ben Mezrich, "The Accidental Billionaire," may prove to be an interesting sell to American audiences with its largely being marketed as "The Facebook Movie" despite largely being disowned by Zuckerberg himself and the film's difficult decipher movie trailers and darker tone and camera work courtesy of D.P. Jeff Cronenweth.

may serve to support social networking naysayers who emphasize that all sites like Facebook, Myspace and others really do is create a sense of faux community, a world that is neither based on neither reality nor any semblance of humanity. Zuckerberg's world is mostly a world of connection by code and community is primarily constructed on an "as needed" basis, a common assertion by those who argue for less social networking.

Yet, at the same time, Fincher may have captured more perfectly than we're even comfortable admitting the birthing of the redefining of human relationships and community and family to allow for the penetration of technology into the equation. The fact that such an equation allows equal time for the likes of a socially awkward yet brilliant future billionaire like Zuckerberg, a social conscience such as Saverin and a, well, a deviant such as Parker may, in fact, support the notion that it is a social network such as Facebook where any true hope of peaceful diversity truly exists.

Fact or fiction? Who knows? I don't know Mark Zuckerberg and it's doubtful he'd return my calls. is an extraordinarily good film featuring a more disciplined Fincher, a more visual Sorkin and a cast that works together to bring it all to vibrant, electrifying and disturbing life.

Is Mark Zuckerberg an asshole? Or is he just trying so hard to be one?

The guy has 500 million friends and we still don't know the truth.

Suggestions

Review: the social network.

The Social Network is at once a snapshot of a particular era and a universal story about trying to fit in.

A portrait of the prick as a very young man, The Social Network uploads a fictionalized account of the birth of Facebook and the monumental success it reaped for noxious billionaire co-creator Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg). David Fincher’s film is, of course, concerned with the already-clichéd topic of “how we live now,” yet unlike a fraudulent poseur like Catfish , it occupies itself less with underlined questions about “the online experience” than with the relationship between the site and its forefather, a Great Gatsby-lite Harvard undergrad driven by a need for acceptance from the school’s elite, an ego consumed with Big Idea aspirations, and a nagging need to compensate for his personality failings through unbridled ambition.

As written by Aaron Sorkin (loosely based on Ben Mezrich’s The Accidental Billionaires ) with his trademark brand of blistering rat-a-tat-tat verbal volleys, it’s a story ultimately rooted in Zuckerberg’s own personal Rosebud, Erica Albright (Rooney Mara), who in the borderline-fast-forward opening scene becomes so repulsed by not just his arrogance but the condescension that accompanies it (a dig at her B.U. education proves the final straw) that she dumps him, albeit not before explaining that, when he’s rich and famous, women won’t hate him because he’s a nerd: “It’ll be because you’re an asshole.” That slur scars Zuckerberg deeply, propelling him that evening to drunkenly produce a cruel online girl-rating game called Facemash (made with student profile pics stolen from the university’s databases), and soon afterward to design Facebook itself, a site that—as articulated by co-founder, CFO, and Zuckerberg’s symbolic conscience Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield)—revolves around the simple desire to meet a girl. A subsequent encounter with, and brush-off from, Erica, who’s still smarting from Zuckerberg having called her a “bitch” on LiveJournal, doesn’t lead him to introspection and change but, rather, to immediately feel that “we have to expand.” Expand Facebook naturally does, morphing from a college campus niche service to a global goliath and, along the way, prompting two separate lawsuits from spurned former partners.

Throughout, the director cross-cuts back and forth from past events to present litigious depositions partly as a means of exploring and challenging his subject’s justifications for his actions. Yet Zuckerberg largely remains a static figure, or at least a man for whom revelations regarding his own character and behavior arrive only after the damage has been irreparably done. In that sense, Fincher and Sorkin’s study of success functions as a tragicomedy about a socially repugnant person who, in the film’s central irony, created a ubiquitous venue for friendship while achieving merely alienation for himself. Whereas Zodiac immersed itself in serial-killer case-file details, Fincher’s latest speeds along a veritable information superhighway, flying through conversations, scenes, locations, and time frames with an alacrity that evokes modern ADD media interfacing: consume, process, respond, move on!

Fleetness doesn’t mean glibness, however; Fincher segments and layers his material at a pace befitting the meteoric ascendancy of Facebook itself, and without the grandstanding that’s sometimes marked his work. The auteur can direct the holy hell out of a movie, yet in this case he refuses to indulge in vertiginous tracking shots and look-at-me CG tomfoolery, placing the focus less on overt aesthetic showmanship than on an atmosphere of impending doom born from Zuckerberg’s warring urges to erect and destroy—though cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth’s sleek, shadowy-brown high-def cinematography is to swoon over, as is Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s sexy, malevolent score. Fincher’s sumptuous evocation of Ivy League privilege is inviting and unnerving and his pacing is both zippy and sly, with the film swinging and popping so smoothly that it’s almost possible to overlook the fact that certain incidents, including Eduardo’s fiery quarrel with a possessive girlfriend (Brenda Song), border on broad sitcom terrain otherwise generally avoided by Sorkin’s sarcasm-overloaded script.

In a telling juxtaposition, Fincher jumps between Zuckerberg creating Facemash and a decadent party at one of the Harvard “Final Clubs,” whose admission the geek covets. It’s an acute reflection not only of the motivations behind his inspired computer wonkery, but also of the way his work will replicate—and cannibalize, as further suggested by an animal-cruelty subplot involving chickens eating chickens— such social relations. Desperate to be liked, Zuckerberg begets Facebook so everyone can be president of their own exclusive club. The idea of “exclusivity,” though, is what draws the ire of WASPy twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss (both played by Armie Hammer) and their friend Divya Narendra (Max Minghella), who, after hiring Zuckerberg to work on their Harvard Connect (a Facebook-ish site that would court users via the esteemed Harvard.edu suffix), become enraged over Zuckerberg pilfering their idea. An ensuing debate over what truly constitutes intellectual property theft, however, never quite materializes. That’s because The Social Network ’s more pressing concern is Zuckerberg’s gargantuan sense of superiority, which is so rampant that he callously admits to a deposition lawyer that he’s paying the man little mind, and which is ultimately expressed by his triumphant attempts to circumvent Harvard’s exclusionary old-boy power structure (also spied in the Winklevosses’ U.K. rowing match) by creating a new Internet world order in which technology enables nerds to inherit the Earth.

Zuckerberg’s betrayal of the Winklevosses pales in comparison to that perpetrated against trusting Eduardo, whom he screws out of his share of the company, thanks, in part, to the influence of entrepreneur and Napster co-founder Sean Parker (a suavely sinister Justin Timberlake), who assumes the role of devil on Zuckerberg’s shoulder. “I was your only friend,” Eduardo mournfully tells Zuckerberg across a table surrounded by lawyers, and the sadness in both men’s eyes is compounded by the fact that Zuckerberg was compelled not by wealth, but simple jealousy—of Eduardo’s membership into the prestigious Phoenix Club, to be sure, but more fundamental still, of anybody more congenial than he was. Which was just about everybody. In this respect, The Social Network is at once a snapshot of a particular era and a universal story about trying to fit in, and the disastrous isolation such endeavors can entail. And at its core is Eisenberg’s bravura performance, which straddles a fine line between conveying the repugnance of his protagonist and making him pitiable, the actor capturing the intellectually domineering haughtiness of Zuckerberg as well as, in quick glances away from people and back to laptop screens, his comprehension of—and mild guilt over—his own reprehensible conduct.

In a final scene that mirrors its opening counterpart, a lawyer (Rashida Jones) tells Zuckerberg, “You’re not an asshole, Mark. You’re just trying so hard to be,” thereby raising the issue of perceived versus actual reality, and whether there’s any difference between the two. It’s a question The Social Network lets linger with regard to both Zuckerberg, a charmless, self-centered dickhead nonetheless capable, however slightly, of reflection and remorse, as well as to Facebook’s own status as some sort of culturally revolutionary institution. “We lived on farms, we lived in cities, and now we’re going to live on the Internet!” proclaims the cocksure Parker moments before he’s busted for cocaine possession, thereby ending his Facebook tenure. Yet Fincher confronts this potential 21st-century reality with ambivalence born not from the potential harmfulness of such a paradigm, but instead from the understanding that it affords no substantial step toward greater social evolution: In the end, in a pub or online, we’re all still waiting for our version of that desirable girl to see and validate our inner goodness and worthiness. In that astute uncertainty, his amusing, electric, keenly observed recent-history lesson proves a film to love, or to speak in Facebook’s lingua franca, to Like®.

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The social network movie review.

by Joel Amos

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The Social Network is more than a movie. It is a moment in time that befits our time in a way that no other film has achieved in a decade. The Social Network is also a coming-out party for its star, Jesse Eisenberg . If he isn’t nominated for a Best Actor Oscar, it would be the crime of the movie year!

The Social Network covers the birth of Facebook , but it is also a study in modern culture as defined by the cultural-changing explosion of the internet.

From every angle, The Social Network has Oscar written all over it. Written by West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin , the dialogue comes at the audience like machine gun bullets. Immediately it becomes clear from the opening scene that the viewer needs to be ready to truly listen to the action onscreen. The Sorkin verbal rollercoaster is priceless. And in a story as complex as The Social Network , his prose is patently perfect.

Also, in the hands of director David Fincher , Sorkin’s vision of the founding of Facebook and its collective aftermath is told by a man who made the almost-three-hour The Curious Case of Benjamin Button seem like a blip on the time pendulum.

Jessie Eisenberg portrays Mark Zuckerberg and we meet the Harvard student early in his Ivy League career. After the aforementioned opening scene conversation, Zuckerberg is compelled to use the socially expelled mojo of those first moments to simultaneously alienate and bring the world together.

Eisenberg lights up the screen with each frame. His terse portrayal of Zuckerberg is the stuff of legend. Yes it’s true, we don’t get to know Zuckerberg the man. There is little there in The Social Network to fill in the blanks beyond the headlines. But, by telling the story from all three sides of Facebook’s founding, Fincher and Sorkin have crafted a movie masterpiece for the ages.

The supporting cast in The Social Network is also top notch. Astonishing in the role as the Winklevoss twins, Armie Hammer portrays both twins with a Harvard fierceness that is blinding in brilliance. The culture of Harvard men in particular is painted masterfully and without prejudice.

Although he may be a headline-grabber himself for securing the role of Spider-Man , Andrew Garfield ‘s nuanced performance as Zuckerberg’s college best friend, Facebook co-founder and lawsuit plaintiff Eduardo Saverin, continues the UK actor’s intensely powerful roles of late including his turn in the astonishing Never Let Me Go .

Then, there is Justin Timberlake. The man has been honing his acting skills, and it shows. The promise Timberlake showed in Alpha Dog is on full display in his portrayal of Napster founder Matt Parker. Timberlake’s Parker, an outlandish dreamer who is also slightly troubled, falls in the grey area when it comes to film protagonists. Therein lays the luster in Timberlake’s performance. His casting is spot-on.

Whether to join The Social Network or not, is hardly a question. The film should sail to the top of your fall movie friends to accept and explore.

The Social Network movie review

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The social network: movie review.

I didn’t read the book the film is based on, Accidental Billionaires , as the author’s style of dramatization and invention (He also wrote Bringing down the house ) has earned him a reputation for stretching the limits of what can be called reporting. Its foolish to expect Hollywood films to have much interest in upholding literal truths.

However I have researched Facebook’s history and it’s clear Zuckerberg was not a good guy in his early years (The New Yorker profile suggests Zuckerberg conceeds this ). He managed to upset many people he worked with, was sued by some of his first employers and his best friend / co-founder of Facebook. The details of the movie are exaggerated as films, by their nature, tend to be, but the spirit seems not far from the Mark (pun!). And it’s this spirit that’s the most interesting aspect of the film.

Nearly everyone is portrayed as shallow, arrogant, selfish and superficial. Some are fools, others are brilliant, but the tone is youthful confusion over what matters most. And this reflects our dilemma over what to make of the worst elements of social media: a playing out of high school cliques, displays of ‘status’ to impress others, and a confusion over what a friend or authenticity actually are. The movie itself shows “a social network” with Mark at it’s center – but its a sad, broken and treacherous one.

The film has been criticized for poorly portraying women , which is true, but this misses how the film poorly portrays everyone. Nearly every character is an embarrassment in some significant way, and the movie is largely criticizing the shallowness of elites (Harvard, Silicon valley, lawyers, VCs, the upper class, etc.). The movie is a critique of the kinds of people who would choose to profit from changing the world based on the model of “facebooks” (e.g. yearbooks), relationship status, feeds and friending people. The point is: it’s a 19 or 20 year old’s view of the universe , for better and, as the movie emphasizes, for worse. It’s notable Zuckerberg’s fiancé, with whom he was dating the entire duration of the time shown in the film, isn’t mentioned much less seen. But otherwise it’s hard to find particular bias: I doubt anyone feels great about how they are portrayed in this movie.

I’ve never met Zuckerberg, but his portrayal is reminiscent of people I knew in my Computer Science classes at CMU and in the tech sector today: young men who are arrogant, shy, brilliant, awkward, angry, passive-aggressive, misunderstood and possibly vicious.You’ll find some people like this in any CS classroom or in any tech start-up or IT department. One appeal of computers is they do exactly what you tell them, much unlike people, which tends to attract people with particular abilities and disabilities. Bill Gates near cameo in the film is telling – go watch his deposition video and it’s clear he and Zuckerberg, as portrayed, have much in common (Of course anyone deposed is bound to be cranky, but still).

And more interesting, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Larry Ellision, Andrew Carnegie, Andrew Mellon, Henry Ford and dozens of others of captains of industry weren’t lovable, likable or ethical either early in their careers (if ever), despite how we lionize them later. Films of their early lives would have similarities to The Social Network. Simply put, no one is forced to be a CEO or start a company. Those who do are often fueled by greed, arrogance, pride, insecurity or a need to prove something to someone who probably isn’t even paying attention, a point it’s clear David Fincher intended to make.

But much like the film Wall Street , which showed the tragedy of the power brokers in finance but instead created a hero (Gordon Gecko) for a certain group of people, The Social Network, which was clearly designed as a tragedy, will have the same fate. Many young entrepreneurs will see having a business card with “I’m CEO, bitch” as a goal worthy of spending their lives chasing, missing how much personal carnage this psychology created for this particular CEO and everyone around him.

6 Responses to “The Social Network: movie review”

Perhaps there is something to be said about alternative goals in business and life to growth and profit for the sake of it.

Geez it would be nice if we could shift some thinking over time in schools about what it means to both give and have value (that does not always come back to money in the bank)

It’s notable that titans of industry have a clear philosophy on how to add value. Carnegie, Gates, Jobs and others certainly felt that what they do is the best way to improve the world – either by amassing enough wealth to do good, or by improving the world through products and employing people in industry to make those products.

Not saying I agree with them – but there are points to their argument.

I still haven’s seen the movie just yet..I am eager to check it out. I’ve been hearing all kinds of various review about it.

[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Cornelius Fichtner and Ric Hayman, Googlyfish Australia. Googlyfish Australia said: #Social #Networking The Social Network: movie review « Scott Berkun: And more interesting, Bill Gates, S… http://bit.ly/cmXtKY #Australia […]

[…] Scott Berkun on The Social Network: The film has been criticized for poorly portraying women, which is true, but this misses how the film poorly portrays everyone. Nearly every character is an embarrassment in some significant way, and the movie is largely criticizing the shallowness of elites (Harvard, Silicon valley, lawyers, VCs, the upper class, etc.). The movie is a critique of the kinds of people who would choose to profit from changing the world based on the model of “facebooks” (e.g. yearbooks), relationship status and friending people. The point is: it’s a 19 or 20 year old view of the universe, for better and, as the movie emphasizes, for worse. […]

[…] This is refreshing, as Invention is often like that scene in the Kirk Douglas film Spartacus, when everyone stands up saying “I am Sparticus! No, I am Spartacus”. When an idea succeeds there are often dozens of people claiming to be first, or to have righteous claims (See my review of The Social Network). […]

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My thoughts on “The Social Network” after rewatching it (Spoiler alert)

First time I watched this film, I really liked it. I thought it was great in fact! But there was something that made it not a 10/10 film. But I could never find what it was. But something about the second act made it feel longer.  But I think I figured it out now when I’ve rewatched it.

One of the big reasons why I love this film is the characters. We have some great cinematography, really unique music and an interesting structure (that we have seen can fail a lot of times). But it was the characters that made it what it was for me. Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin, the two main characters, are never shown as the good/bad guy. They are both assholes at times, but I could always empathize with them. They felt real.

And unfortunately, that’s where one of the characters fail. That is Sean Parker. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate Sean Parker in this movie. His dialogue is great, as is everyone else’s, and Justin Timberlake’s performance was as good! But what made him worse was the human part. Cause Sean was the bad guy.  He manipulates Mark, he’s an overall asshole and he almost ruins the company.  But he never seemed like someone who has made mistakes and learned from them, but just an asshole. I could never empathize with Sean, even with his realistic dialogue. Cause he never seemed human. He felt like a very one-sided character. And because of that, I didn’t find the second act nearly as interesting as the first and third. And that’s what I think annoyed me from the first watch I think.

In the end, the social network is an amazing film with an underwhelming second act.  I’ll give it a 9/10 as of now. I might change that later, but we’ll see

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The Social Network: A Movie Review From An Entrepreneur’s Mindset #SocialNetwork

Krista Abbott
Entrepreneurial Mindset , Facebook , Social Media , Uncategorized

Social Network Movie Review

A Look at The Social Network Movie from the Mindset of An Entrepreneur

To all of those social network fans out there, the movie, The Social Network, (aka #SocialNetwork for the Tweeples) about facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s rise to billionaire status, has been the buzz for several weeks now. On opening day, my facebook news feed was filled with post after post from people buzzing about the movie. OK, I get it. Facebook is a complete social phenomenon and a ton of people, entrepreneur’s included, use the massive social networking site to develop relationships with new “friends” from around the globe.

As an entrepreneur, I actually practice and teach social media marketing principles, so I admit I was a little bit interested to see how this movie was going to play out and what entrepreneurial elements I may be able to take away from it.

In this review of The Social Network, I want to share a few focus points that entrepreneur’s can take away from the film and apply to their own business for growth and success.

Be Laser Focused

The movie version of Zuckerberg was intense and laser focused. When he “wired in” working on the facebook code he was completely oblivious to the things going on around him. Headphones on, focus targeted to the project at hand. At several points in the movie, it was very apparent that regardless of where he was or what he was doing, his thoughts were focused on the project at hand.

The movie portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of facebook, is said to be fictional by in large and Zuckerberg is reported to have told Oprah, that he is actually much more hard working than the movie version of him. If that is true, then I am impressed because the movie version of Zuckerberg was intensely and almost obsessively focused on his work.

Take Fast Action

There is one scene in the movie where Zuckerberg’s character was speaking with a friend about the relationship status of one of the students when the idea hit him to add relationship status’ to the facebook profile specs. Zuckerberg, stopped mid-sentence, with a look of epiphany plastered across his face, gathered his belongings and raced to his dorm room where he furiously enters the code to add relationship status. This reminds me of the importance of taking fast action on not only your ideas as an entrepreneur, but on implementing the new information you learn.

Know How to Recognize the Right Timing

As the popularity of “the facebook” (as it was called in the beginning), grows, the movie demonstrates that Zuckerberg’s friend and business associate Eduardo Saverin began to press him to monetize the site. Zuckerberg was not comfortable with that and wanted to wait for it to spread more and gain popularity.

He wasn’t willing to compromise the “coolness” of the facebook in order to make a quick buck. Zuckerberg recognized, it was far more important to wait for the right time, grow the audience, and fan base before monetizing. This turned out to lead to facebook being a multi-billion dollar corporation rather than a multi-million dollar corporation.

Millions are good, but billions are better. 🙂

I see a lot of on-line entrepreneurs make the same mistake, they come out of the gate eager (or desperate…haven’t really decided which it is yet) to make money fast on-line. What many fail to realize is that before you can generate a business partner or a customer, you must first have earned their trust and respect. People are generally skeptical about on-line opportunities because of the massive amount of “scams” out there. So building the relationship with others should definitely come first. Sometimes waiting for the right time to “pitch your opportunity” to someone can make the difference between a “yes” and a “no”. You must carefully monitor and understand timing.

Keep Your Priorities In Line

This lesson from the movie comes, not from what the fictional Zuckerberg did correctly, but what he did wrong. Now I can’t speak to the character or the personality of the real Zuckerberg because I have never met him, nor have I done much research on him. He could totally be a super nice guy in “real life”. Only he and those closest to him know that. All I know is I’m glad he invented facebook. 😉

The fictional Zuckerberg, however, was a complete sell out when it came to relationships and well….frankly, he screwed over just about everybody who crossed his path. The movie portrays him as a guy with no “real friends” left at the end of the day. (that’s not a spoiler either). So, this leads me to my last and final take away from the movie – keep your priorities in line.

Your friends, your family, your relationships with those who love and care about you should always, always, always, take precedence over your ambitions.

You can have billions upon billions of dollars but if you don’t have the peace, joy, and satisfaction that comes from doing the right thing and keeping relationships first, then it’s all in vain.

So keep it real my friends.

Go see the movie and ask yourself what elements you can take away to help you be successful in your business. Your comments, retweets and facebook (yes I said facebook 🙂 ….) shares are always appreciated. Oh…and on those “re-tweets” please use the hashtag code #SocialNetwork (that’s be extra awesome of you!) Thanks!

Social Marketing For Your Success,

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Unfortunately I have not yet had the chance to watch the “Social Network”, however I have been in deep anticipation for it and when I get the chance I will definitely watch. I too have been thinking to myself based on the previews all along what can I get out of this movie that I can apply to my business? Well you seemed to have summed it up. Great post thank you for sharing.

It certainly didn’t hurt for Mark Zuckerberg to be named Time 2010 Man of the Year primarily for connecting 1/12 of the globe with one another. He was able to accomplish so much because of his Focus, Drive, and Persistence. These are qualities that sometimes can keep people from being “social.”

I will definitely see this movie more than once 🙂 The story was fascinating and the movie very well structured and paced.

I NEED to see this movie. Everyone is telling me how great and inspiring it is. I like how you explain the parts about how an entrepreneur should think and take action. I need to start picking it up after ready this.

Thanks again

Nice article. I have not seen the movie yet but I need to get out there and see it.

I like what you said here. Do the right thing and relationships first!

Awesome post here Krista!

I like your insight from the movie and noticed a similar thing when I watched the movie. One part that stood out was the relationship status thing. He literally left what he was doing to go to work. I have done this a few times while just hanging out with friends when an idea for a blog post/video hit me. However, on a smaller scale.

I agree 100% that you need to spend more time with friends than Mark did in the movie. It seemed like because he ended up with no friends at the end, can he truly be happy? What’s the true vision of success and why do we not have this as one of the core values for businesses?

It definitely was a good movie and an excellent post! -Chris

Hrmm.. I loved this post… This comment could be considered brash… so understand the ‘you’ I speak about is collective… not directed to just you, Krista.

I haven’t seen the movie.. and perhaps I shall this weekend on our family’s movie night because I know the judgements I make here are just an initial response.

Like most movies out there, it seems to me they are infecting the public with the lack-mentality-mind-virus that the rich screw over people who get in their way and once you ‘make it’ in the business world, it’s because you’ve sacrificed the ‘things that matter most’.

I always put my caution flags up whenever I hear things like this. It definitely doesn’t encourage an abundance mindset.

I’ve got family who love getting in my way all the time and would like nothing more than to see me ‘give up the wasteful endeavors and get a real job’.

The latest snide comment I got was “All that money you’re making… and none of it is an honest dime.”

My turn to be frank with all the readers out there.

I know that if some friends or family getting in your way of achieving your goals and dreams, you won’t achieve them.

Screw them.

Secondly… if people are so unfortunately stupid as to get in the way of a value-providing, mission-driven, passion-inspired, goal-orientated, vision-possessed, laser-like focus…. serves them right for getting screwed over.

They’d have better luck at standing their ground between a mamma bear and her cubs.

But this is me judging a movie I haven’t seen.

And it’s in defense of the ‘fictional’ (and non-fictional) Mr. Zuckerberg. Neither of which I’ve had the honor of meeting.

Great review Krista. You translated the lessons learned to entrepreneurial lessons expertly and seemlessly. Well done. I haven’t seen the movie yet, but now I know some of the important takeaways.

Good review on the movie.

There is a lot you can learn in that movie just from a business perspective.

On an entertainment level I thought it was magnificent. It really played well with the new themes happening in our culture as this technology continues to rise and rise.

It’s weird to think about not having Facebook now. It’s like the world was darker before it’s invention haha.

To life, -Gregory

Hey Krista That was a really cool review of the movie. You really got a lot of insights from the movie and it makes me want to go check it out to see what I can learn. Thanks for these great lessons. Steve

Unfortunately, I only get to watch movies in the theater that my kids want to see :-), so I’ll have to grab this when it hits video. I can’t wait til the movies come out about regular people ruining their lives from what they post on facebook…lol.

Fast action, I love it. Even though I am the only one on the planet who hasent seen the movie about one of the best marketing tools he uses by reading everyone’s reviews it almost feels spoiled. Still cant wait to see it though.

Right when we have a great thought or idea, write it down or drop what you are doing and hit it! It is amazing how much more we achieve and how much less procrastination we experience when we adopt this philosophy.

Thanks for sharing!

I really enjoyed the concept behind your review of the movie, because I’ve had to place my business which is ownership and promotions of my two traffic exchanges aside to help out family and friends in these hard times. But now the crisis is over I Need the man’s laser focus to get things back on tack.

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It seems these three businesses online or my main focus that and my blogging which I take a day off to do each week. The thing is how does one explain to family the business is how I can help them when they need it?

Sincerely Monty Ferbert

Great observations. Now I got to go see the movie.

Thanks for the review, enjoyed your post. I haven’t seen the movie yet, something I’ll take time to do soon. You may have given me the extra incentive on taking the movie storyline up for a view.

I enjoyed your review so very much. “Keep your priorities in line” and ” be laser focused” is one point we need to constantly remember daily. So many distractions in this world of ours.

Thanks for a great review.

Awesome post here Krista Abbott and I love the shirt you have on on your header. This is my first time visiting your blog, It is very very nice. You awesome have a awesome alexa ranking which is cool. I will be back to read more. thanks a million for this great read.

A friend just gave me the book 2 weeks ago. Then I came home to find that the movie he mentioned to me was already out! And now here is a review!

Thanks for your great thoughts derived from elements of the film version. (I see you took to heart the fast action part by getting this review out before the popcorn cup was empty.)

Hey Krista…very cool. I have been wanting to see the film and you piqued my interest even more. Great things to look for and take away from the film. Thanks so much for sharing.

Excellent post!

Social networks and Mr Mark

I agree, you need to build relationships and see what the persons needs are!

Loved the movie. Great post with business examples pertaining to the movie Krista! I learned some stuff that I did not know about in the movie that was quite interesting. Facebook has been an amazing journey so far.

Regards, Mike

Krista, I enjoyed your review of this movie. Really appreciate your statements about only knowing the “movie” version of the man, not jumping into judgment without a basis. “Real” life movies are a matter of perspective. But the underlying story sounds interesting.

This one will definitely stir up the pot! Welcome to Hollywood! Val 🙂

I absolutely love the way you took this movie and broke it up into life and business lessons that we can all benefit from. I’ve been looking forward to seeing this movie myself and now will look at it with different eyes.

Without knowing the storyline, I’m intrigued but not really surprised to learn that this young man was better at his work than he was at maintaining wholesome relationships. This can be a challenge to us, as it can be easy for us to lose balance when we’re first starting out building our futures. Definitely an important lesson, and one thing we all need to take away from your great post.

Aloha Kristal,

Thank you so much for this very informative review of the “Facebook” movie. I haven’t seen it yet, so I love your outline of points to consider when watching the movie.

I guess some of the points were the reason Mark wasn’t too happy with some parts of the movie.

I love learning from successful people’s journeys because we can all learn so much.

Thank you for sharing.

Much aloha, Kellie 🙂

Thanks for the review! We’ve not heard much about it here in Portugal!

Certainly sounds like an interesting movie – I’ll be checking it out!

Focus and near obsession seem to be a very common trait it successful people!

Kind regards,

thanks for sharing your insights. Taking action fast on the one hand and taking the time it takes when it comes to monetizing on the other is crucial. Most people are tempted by their need for instant gratification or greed.

Krista, How cool…you jumped right on this and got a post out as a review of what I’m guessing will be huge blockbuster of a movie. So, like the lesson you picked up on…you took fast action. I believe this will reward you well for your efforts. It sounds like there is some good principles to be gleaned from this movie and it is one I certainly want to see.

I see it making noise on Facebook as others check in for the theater and also seeing status updates from them afterwards. I typically wait a few weeks for the initial buzz and crowds to thin so I won’t be jumping on my blog with a quick review as you did.

Thanks for sharing your business insights with us.

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Dr. Krista Abbott is an Internet revivalist, author, speaker, creator, and coach spreading a message of love and hope. She is passionate about helping people discover and fulfill their purpose in life while equipping them with the resources they need to realize success. Through her business, Krista serves multiple international clients in the areas of publishing, writing, product development, social media management, internet marketing, and leadership training, as well as business and life coaching.

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10 Movies To Watch if You Love 'The Social Network'

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The Social Network is, by all parameters, a perfect movie. Written by Aaron Sorkin , directed by David Fincher , and scored by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross , it's the perfect encapsulation of great movies from the 2010s. This combination of talent and effort means The Social Network is unique, both cinematically and in terms of storytelling. Fincher's visually stunning symmetrical frames and emotionally charged close-ups are in perfect harmony with Sorkin's snappy and clever dialogue. They had made movies in their distinctive styles separately but never together, proving they're an exceptional writer/director combo .

Acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, The Social Network leaves a unique feeling in viewers as soon as the end credits roll, and it's why it's often considered Fincher's best movie. While none may be like it, several other movies can be as good, depending on what the viewers are craving. From biopics of similarly influential yet divisive figures to character-driven thrillers, these movies are perfect companions for The Social Network .

The Social Network

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10 'The Insider' (1999)

Directed by michael mann.

Russell Crowe and Al Pacino in promotional photos for The Insider

Russell Crowe delivers one of the best performances in a Michael Mann movie in 1999's The Insider as research chemist Jeffrey Wigand, a whistleblower who spoke about the inner workings of Big Tobacco on CBS's 60 Minutes . Marie Brenner of Vanity Fair first reported this in 1996, and Lowell Bergman, an executive producer at CBS, later looked into it more by chatting with Wigand.

The Insider is a thrilling and exciting movie that became appreciated much later in life and, today, is considered among the best movies of the '90s. The thrill of many of Michael Mann 's best movies lies in his immersive directing, which dives deep into the core of the matter. Its similarities with The Social Network lie in the fact that it's a true story about people who changed the course of history in one way or another. That, and exceptional dialogue courtesy of Mann and Eric Roth .

The Insider

Stream on Apple

9 'A Few Good Men' (1992)

Directed by rob reiner.

Tom Cruise as Lieutenant Kaffee saluting in uniform in A Few Good Men

A Few Good Men , one of Aaron Sorkin's plays, was made into a riveting feature film by Rob Reiner in 1992. The pairing, combined with powerhouse performances from the cast like Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson , made A Few Good Men into a multiple Oscar nominee and a cult classic . The story was inspired by a true event in which ten Marines heavily beat up and nearly killed one of their own after he reached out to numerous congresspeople about various issues at the base.

In the movie, two Marines are charged with the murder of a fellow Marine, and their defense lawyer is an inexperienced Navy SEAL attorney, Daniel Kaffee (Cruise). A Few Good Men is one of the best courtroom dramas of all time , a captivating story that shows just how dialogue and nuanced acting can be as exciting as an action movie full of thrills. Rob Reiner's approach was meant to intensify the story, which he achieved with tight closeups and cuts that demonstrated the power dynamics in the courtroom.

A Few Good Men

8 'the rainmaker' (1997), directed by francis ford coppola.

Francis Ford Coppola wrote and directed The Rainmaker , based on John Grisham 's novel of the same name. This is another judicial drama revolving around inexperienced lawyers Rudy Baylor and Deck Shifflet ( Matt Damon and Danny DeVito ) taking on a big insurance company in a legal case. Though Baylor and Shifflet have only just started their practice, they decide to take on this massive case as one of their first, seeking justice at all costs.

Matt Damon and Danny DeVito make a great pair in this drama intertwined with humor. Interestingly, Coppola decided to use humor to cope with some greater storytelling, and adding DeVito to his main cast was the perfect choice for this combination. Coppola's storytelling mainly allows viewers to sympathize with the victims at the center of the case . In his review, Roger Ebert said : "By keeping all of the little people in focus, Coppola shows the variety of a young lawyer's life, where every client is necessary, and most of them need a lot more than a lawyer."

Stream on Hulu

7 'Tetris' (2023)

Directed by jon s. baird.

Taron Egerton as Henk Rogers with Nikita Efremov as Aleksei Pajitnov in Tetris

Tetris is a simple game where you stack blocks on top of each other, but the movie about it is anything but simple. Tetris follows Henk Rogers ( Taron Egerton ) on his quest to acquire a distribution license for the game. However, the game was created in 1984 in the USSR; getting into Moscow to get the Tetris license was no small feat. Rogers battles the Russian bureaucracy while having KGB agents watch every move he makes. However, his perseverance and bravery get him into ELORG, the company where Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov ( Nikita Efremov ) works.

Similarly to The Social Network , Tetris focuses on unlikely real events and people who made history with their ideas. A potentially unlikely political twist in the story helps it describe the human experience , centering around creative freedom, unlikely friendships, greed, and deception. The original score is great, Egerton is charismatic and lovable, and the occasional dive into pixelated frames makes for an interesting story overall.

6 'The Founder' (2016)

Directed by john lee hancock.

The two brothers who founded McDonalds look on in dismay as their small family restaurant is taken from them.

McDonald's is the largest and most valuable restaurant franchise in the world, but few know of its humble beginnings. Dick and Mac McDonald opened their fast food restaurant, McDonald's, in 1940 in San Bernardino, CA. In 1948, they invented a system that would speed up the burger-making process and the lines in front of their window. The Founder follows events around 1954, when Roy Kroc ( Michael Keaton ) approaches the McDonald brothers ( Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch ) about expanding and franchising their restaurant. The story continues with Roy Kroc's immense success in making McDonald's the big name it is today.

Though Kroc saw potential in California's best local burger shop at the time, he was also incredibly persistent about claiming the brand and making it his own. This exceptional true story is amplified by Michael Keaton's stellar performance as the ambitious and ruthless Kroc, whose goals can be summarized in one sentence from the movie : "That glorious name, McDonald's. It could be anything you want it to be; it's limitless; it's wide open; it sounds like America."

The Founder

5 'network' (1976), directed by sidney lumet.

Peter Finch as Howard Beale yelling in front of clocks in Network (1976)

Sidney Lumet 's Network deals with the exploitation of individuals and the pernicious, unchecked influence of the media . After being fired, Howard Beale ( Peter Finch ) goes off-script, essentially ranting about life and its troubles. His candid, furious speech inspires his producer, Diana Christensen ( Faye Dunaway ), to give him a time slot for such content. Beale agrees, simultaneously selling out for views and continuously ranting about everything bothering him. The anchor's downward spiral is further documented for entertainment, and while the network begins to see higher ratings, Beale's decline becomes concerning.

The legendary Sidney Lumet made numerous movies that focused on dialogue and storytelling, and Network is as elaborate in dialogue and discussion as any other film. In an interview for The American Cinematographer , the director of photography, Owen Roizman, described Lumet's directing as going from frantic camera movements to stillness. Peter Finch and Faye Dunaway received Oscars for Best Leading Actor and Actress that year, although Finch was awarded posthumously since this was his final movie.

4 'Molly's Game' (2017)

Directed by aaron sorkin.

Molly offering a stash of money to someone off-camera in Molly's Game

In his first directing attempt with Molly's Game , Aaron Sorkin creates a movie as quick-witted and clever as his writing. This story drew inspiration from actual events concerning Olympic skier Molly Bloom , whose profession later turned out to be running high-stakes poker tournaments. Bloom ( Jessica Chastain ) is a professional skier who must say goodbye to sports after breaking her leg. With not much left to do, Molly begins working for a real estate broker and poker night organizer who lets her do the event organization herself.

Molly becomes superb at reading players' needs and wants and ends up running a high-stakes poker event that soon becomes the target of an FBI investigation. Jessica Chastain gives one of her most underrated performances in this fast-paced action thriller that shows Aaron Sorkin has the directing chops as much as he does with the writing. Kinetic, insightful, and remarkably sobering, Molly's Game is a closer look into a world not many often get the chance to experience .

Molly's Game

3 'the big short' (2015), directed by adam mckay.

Mark Baum looking pensive in The Big Short

The Big Short is known for being overly complex to understand, Adam McKay ’s first venture into "serious" filmmaking, and Ryan Gosling ’s toilet phone call . Still, those elements make up just one part of why it’s so great. In fact, The Big Short is quite intelligent and very similar to The Social Network in its intensity, pace, and jaw-dropping facts squeezed into some fiction. It was based on the book of the same name by Michael Lewis , a financial journalist who interviewed several experts who predicted the crash of the housing bubble in 2008 ; many are portrayed in the movie, too, such as Steve Carell 's character, Mark Baum.

The greed and insatiable desires of a few affected millions in what was arguably the worst year of the 2000s for many. Adam McKay portrays this satirically, going through the facts with an exceptional ensemble cast. This movie is the perfect example of how filmmakers can get creative with the facts; despite the topic being heavy and financial terms not being in every moviegoer's dictionary, McKay used cameos from the likes of Margot Robbie and Selena Gomez to explain the more convoluted and complex ideas.

The Big Short

2 'whiplash' (2014), directed by damien chazelle.

JK Simmons yelling at Miles Teller's character as he drums in 'Whiplash.'

Story-wise, Whiplash is very different from The Social Network , but its pacing, cinematography, and intensity are much the same. Damien Chazelle directs an unexpectedly thrilling movie about an aspiring jazz drummer wishing to make it big in a NY-based music conservatory. Miles Teller stars as Andrew, who loves and lives music, enrolling in the Shaffer Conservatory in NYC. However, his music instructor, Terrence Fletcher ( JK Simmons ), is cutthroat, highly demanding, and verbally and physically abusive.

Whiplash is a story about being pushed to the limit for the sake of great talent and whether it's actually worth it . By the end of the movie, Fletcher and Andrew develop an unlikely mutual respect, but the heavy implication is that it comes at the expense of Andrew's empathy and self-preservation. Andrew's motivation to impress Fletcher is the driving force of the movie; paired with Fletcher's controversial personality and the incredible soundtrack, Whiplash is one of the best movies of the century.

1 'Steve Jobs' (2015)

Directed by danny boyle.

Joanna Hoffman staring intently in Steve Jobs

One of Aaron Sorkin's best screenplays is Steve Jobs , a story about Apple's founder and one of the most revered modern inventors. Danny Boyle directed the story's three defined eras with various lenses, creating a visually striking masterpiece with cinematographer Alwin Küchler . The first era, 1984, was shot in 16 mm; the second, 1988, in 35 mm; and the third, 1998, with a digital camera. These approaches helped put the wordy but minimal settings onto the screen with life and vigor. Lighting, acting, and different camera approaches helped make Steve Jobs one of the best movies of 2015.

The three segments show Steve Jobs just before a big launch — the Macintosh, the neXT launch, and the first iMac. All three eras also depict intense and defining moments in Jobs's life, amplified by the people around him. The film shows Steve Jobs's dedication and passion for his work; though he seems emotionless at times, Michael Fassbender said , "I played him with the utmost respect. I never tried to play him as a cruel person but as somebody who was passionate about his vision."

NEXT: Every David Fincher Movie, Ranked by Rewatchability

Screen Rant

Rashida jones' 10 best movies & tv shows.

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I Love You, Man: 9 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Paul Rudd Movie

The social network true story: 5 biggest things the facebook movie got wrong, the muppets: 10 best songs from the movies.

Rashida Jones shines in both comedic and dramatic roles, showcasing her versatility and talent on-screen.
From Parks and Recreation to #BlackAF, Jones delivers standout performances, bringing depth and humor to her characters.
Jones' documentary on her father Quincy Jones is a heartfelt and insightful portrayal of the music legend's life and career.

Actress Rashida Jones is a fantastic performer, writer, and director who has been in many amazing movies and TV shows. Since the late ‘90s, Jones has continued to make a name for herself on both the big and small screen, appearing in projects from all manner of genres. However, she is primarily a comical actress and has starred in some of the best sitcoms of all time , like Parks and Recreation and The Office .

Despite being so prominent in the world of comedy, Rashida Jones’ new Apple TV+ show has allowed her to explore sci-fi. Sunny demonstrates that her skills from TV and film are transferable, regardless of the story or character she takes on. Jones is also fantastic in several movies, too, especially rom-coms, and she’s fortunate enough to both write and appear in some of her best titles. While there are many TV shows and movies from Rashida Jones, some stand out more than others.

Rashida Jones has won several awards, including a Grammy Award in 2019, a Hollywood Film Award in 2010, and a Gracie Award in 2024.

Mixxy, Sunny and Suzie arrive at a shop in Sunny still

Sunny Review: This Rashida Jones & Apple TV+ Mystery Series Made Me Think More Deeply About AI

Sunny’s mystery drives its narrative and, though it begins to taper off after a while, the writing isn’t content to stay in a box of tropes.

10 Parks And Recreation

Role: ann perkins, parks and recreation.

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Jones’ most memorable role on television is easily in Parks and Recreation . While many believe that Parks and Recreation ’s writers fail Ann Perkins , there is no denying that Jones’ character has some of the best character development in sitcom history. Ann’s friendship with Leslie is a fantastic part of the show, and their wholesome bond carries on off-screen, as Amy Poehler and Jones are good friends in real life, too.

Ann starts the show as a mild-mannered nurse who simply wants the lot behind her house filled in, but by the Parks and Recreation finale , she is a strong-willed woman with a thriving life. Even though Jones isn’t the leading comedic talent in the Parks and Recreation cast, her subtle use of humor and hilarious facial expressions ensure the other characters don’t overshadow her. Jones’ performance as Ann is stellar, and this is the reason she is an NAACP Image Award nominee for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

9 I Love You, Man (2009)

Role: zooey rice, i love you, man.

Jones features opposite titan comedy actors Paul Rudd and Jason Segel in I Love You, Man as Zooey Rice. Zooey is the fiancée of Rudd’s Peter, who encourages him to become friends with Segel’s Sydney because of his lack of male companionship. However, their new friendship causes some conflict in Zooey and Peter’s relationship. Jones’ portrayal of the frustrated yet supportive Zooey highlights the actress’ incredible comedic talents despite appearing alongside several famous actors in I Love You, Man .

Even though the focus of the film is on Rudd and Segel’s characters, Jones holds her own and is a notable addition to the cast.

Even though the focus of the film is on Rudd and Segel’s characters, Jones holds her own and is a notable addition to the cast. She takes the trope of a monotonous and flat love interest, the type of character who is used as a plot device or to fill a gap in the story, and completely flips it. Even in moments when it seems that Zooey is about to become an obstacle or be antagonistic, like when Sydney makes Peter doubt himself, she is unexpectedly still understanding the situation, which makes her a unique and interesting character for Jones.

Collage of Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, and Andy Samberg in I Love You, Man.

I Love You, Man is a celebrated feel-good comedy. Viewers might not know it caused a lawsuit and reused Paul Rudd's Rolling Stone photos.

8 On The Rocks (2020)

Role: laura keane, on the rocks.

Jones stars in the 2020 movie On the Rocks with Bill Murray, and the pair make a fantastic father-daughter duo. Jones’ Laura Keane and her quest to discover if her husband is cheating or not is even funnier with Murray’s character, Felix, assisting her in her investigation. Their chemistry throughout the film is brilliant, especially in moments when the two are at their funniest, such as during the car chase scene. However, Laura is so much more than just a paranoid wife, and one of the best parts of the film is when the character fights with her father.

Jones conveys Laura’s frustrations with Felix beautifully. She adds depth to the character in a fascinating way, and in the moments in which Laura highlights Felix’s misogynistic views, it’s impossible to ignore that Jones is just as strong a dramatic actress as she is comedic. Even though On the Rocks is often considered to be one of Bill Murray’s best movies , Rashida Jones is the film’s true talent.

7 The Office

Role: karen filippelli.

Although Rashida Jones leaves The Office in season 3 , she still provides a memorable performance as Karen Filipelli, which has kept audiences discussing the character for years after its end. Karen is a sitcom character who isn’t really a villain , but The Office ’s viewers often dislike her because she is an obstacle in Pam and Jim’s eventual relationship. However, this doesn’t make her a bad character, and despite the backlash, Jones serves up a notable portrayal as Karen in The Office .

Karen is one of the few characters who is actually a voice of reason in The Office . Her use of humor is subtle but intelligent, which is a fascinating contrast in comparison to over-the-top and loud characters like Andy Bernard and Michael Scott. Jones has a tough job when she becomes a member of The Office cast , especially as it’s always hard for an actor to join a show mid-way through its run, but she amazingly blossoms into a prominent character rather quickly.

6 Angie Tribeca

Role: detective angela tribeca, angie tribeca.

Jones plays the titular character in Angie Tribeca , a creation of husband-and-wife team Steve and Nancy Carell. Angie is Jones’ most significant leading role, and while she is the most memorable factor of Angie Tribeca , it is also known for hilariously parodying many tropes from the best crime procedural TV shows . Jones presents some amazing absurdist comedy throughout the show , which is an interesting change of pace in comparison to some of her other sitcom characters.

The actress fabulously keeps up with Angie Tribeca ’s non-stop use of ridiculous one-liner jokes, visual gags, and ironic commentary. Angie’s dedication to her job at the Really Heinous Crimes Unit is hysterical, but Jones’ enthusiasm in playing the role makes her character even funnier. Jones is celebrated for her comedic timing and overall charm in Angie Tribeca , and her performance in the show proves that she deserves to be cast as a protagonist more often.

Role: Joya Barris

#BlackAF is a rather different project for Jones, but one that she thrives in. Jones plays Joya Barris, the fictionalized interpretation of Black-ish writer Kenya Barris’ wife. It’s great to see Jones in #BlackAF , especially as she’s already a part of the Black-ish universe, starring as Santamonica Johnson. #BlackAF is based on events from Kenya Barris’ actual life , set during the peak of his success writing Black-ish . Jones’ astonishing performance of Joya is funny but also heartbreaking at times.

She takes the sensitive source material and translates it to screens in a way that is both dramatized and truthful. Jones’ ability to convey the struggles of Joya and Kenya’s marriage is perfection, but she never fails to hit the mark when it comes to being witty, either. It’s a shame that #BlackAF season 2 has been canceled , as it is one of Jones’ best TV shows and is an overall enjoyable watch.

4 The Social Network (2010)

Role: marylin delpy, the social network.

Even though Jones only plays a small role in The Social Network , she is still a captivating addition to the film. Jones plays Marylin Delpy, a junior lawyer for the defense. The character only appears at the very end of The Social Network , but despite this, Jones is at the heart of one of the best moments in the film. The Social Network is one of the most inaccurate movie biopics , but Marylin has an interaction with Jesse Eisenberg’s Mark Zuckerberg that fantastically encapsulates audiences’ thoughts.

Marylin abruptly tells Zuckerberg that he needs to settle with Eduardo Saverin because the Facebook founder’s attitude is atrocious, and she doesn’t believe he’ll get any sympathy in the proceedings. This straightforward and honest discussion between Zuckerberg and the law associate is a powerful and massively impactful moment in The Social Network . Jones’ minimal appearance encapsulates the message of the film, and despite her limited screen time, her last-minute arrival makes the actress unforgettable.

The Social Network Winklevoss twins Mark Zuckerberg Eduardo Saverin

David Fincher's The Social Network chronicles the founding of Facebook, and while it got many things right, it changed a couple of details.

3 Celeste And Jesse Forever (2012)

Role: celeste martin, celeste and jesse forever.

In Celeste and Jesse Forever , Jones and Andy Samberg serve as the titular couple in a story about the pair navigating a complicated divorce. Despite their split, the two attempt to stay friends. Her performance as Celeste is solid, but Jones is also the co-writer of Celeste and Jesse Forever , which makes it easier for her to slip into the character’s shoes and understand her motivations and feelings. Celeste’s transformation throughout the film is remarkable, and Jones’ chemistry with Samberg is outstanding.

Celeste and Jesse Forever offers Jones an opportunity to showcase her dramatic talents once again. Playing Celeste is a nice alternative for Jones, considering many of her characters are comedy-based. While Jones and Samberg are undoubtedly funny in the film, they both successfully switch up their typical acting styles. Celeste and Jesse Forever ’s soundtrack makes Jones’ performance even more impactful, especially in the opening scenes , which invites audiences to understand why the characters’ marriage falls apart.

2 The Muppets (2011)

Role: veronica martin, the muppets.

2011’s The Muppets sees Jones as CDE Network’s high-ranking executive, Veronica Martin. Every Muppets movie includes a star-studded cast, and Jones appears alongside many massive names in this film, such as Ken Jeong, Jim Parsons, Amy Adams, and Jack Black. Despite only appearing for a short while, Veronica plays a big part in The Muppets ’ story. The top-notch businesswoman gives the Muppet group the time slot they need to try and save the Muppet Theater, which is the primary storyline of the film.

Despite only appearing for a short while, Veronica plays a big part in The Muppets ’ story.

Jones’ strict and stern demeanor when it comes to communicating with the Muppets is brilliant, and her interactions with them help set up the events of the second half of the movie. In an interview with MovieWeb , Jones confirms that she also briefly appears as one of the Muppet extras, Trumpet Girl, in a musical performance scene (via MovieWeb ). Even though Veronica is a rather small-scale character for Jones to play, she’s still a fabulous addition to one of the best movie franchises of all time.

Split image of Muppet Treasure Island and The Muppet Movie

Each of the Muppet movies has a number of beloved songs that have been adored by fans across a number of generations. Which songs are the best?

1 Quincy (2018)

Role: herself, quincy (2018).

One of the best music documentaries ever is Quincy , in which Jones recounts the details of her father’s life and career. Her interpretation of Quincy Jones’ incredible experiences as one of the most critically acclaimed record producers of all time is both entertaining and educational. Jones’ point of view is completely unique compared to other documentary hosts because she brilliantly encapsulates the truth about her father, but she also ensures that all of the information she provides is factual and unbiased.

Quincy is a Grammy winner, receiving the award for Best Music Film in 2019, which is no surprise, especially considering how influential and moving the piece is. Jones’ role as Quincy ’s co-director proves that her talents behind the camera are just as strong as when she is in front of it. Rashida Jones ’ framing of topics like Quincy’s health issues and personal battles in the industry is profound and stunning to watch, and she depicts just how complex life is for one of the biggest music moguls of all time.

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ESL Movie Guide Worksheets on "The Social Network"

Subject: English language learning

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

25 August 2024

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This Fantastic English Second or Foreign Language Teaching Resource is an ESL Movie Guide Worksheets Activity (3 PDF Printable pages) on “The Social Network” .

This ESL Teaching Resource can be ideal for post-movie activities related to “The Social Network” .

Ideal participants for this ESL Activity are English Foreign Students at High School and Middle School (7th -12th Grade) .

Newcomers or any English Language Learner can be more than suitable for this ESL Activity!

This Product can also be Great for English Second Language Centers or any ESL tutor around the world.

This ESL Movie Guide Activity on “The Social Network” (Facebook - Social Media) can be great for Intermediate-Advanced English as a Second Language Learners.

Within this ESL Movie Guide on “The Social Network” , there are included:

1 space for general information related to this movie (Film director, genre etc)
1 part dedicated to New Vocabulary learned
1 part dedicated to Characters’ Description
1 Movie Timeline (line where students are asked to chronologically order scenes)
1 part dedicated to your favourite scene (scene description and reasons why student liked this scene)
1 part dedicated to Movie review
1 writing activity (imagining being a character you personally liked and writing 3 diary pages for 3 scenes as if you were this character)

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Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 2 (Anatomy of a Murder / Oliver! / Taxi Driver / Stripes / Sense and Sensibility / The Social Network) - SET (BD-14) [4K UHD]

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Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 2 (Anatomy of a Murder / Oliver! / Taxi Driver / Stripes / Sense and Sensibility / The Social Network) - SET (BD-14) [4K UHD]

Blu-ray from $378.88
4K from $379.99

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Genre	Drama
Contributor	Various
Language	English
Number Of Discs	6
UPC	602318670410 043396573741

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The Ascension Legacy: Book 2: A Legend Confirmed

From the manufacturer

Columbia classics volume 2:.

Celebrate six iconic films from six visionary directors.

Limited Edition gif set includes fully remastered 4K UHD disc debuts for Anatomy of a Murder, Oliver!, Taxi Driver, Stripes, Sense and Sensibility and the Social Network
Gift set also includes an exclusive 80 page full color collectible book with rare photos and insightful history of the included films
Over 30 hours of special features: a mix of rare archival materials and exciting new content, including cast & filmmaker anniversary reunions for Stripes and Sense and Sensibility
Also includes an extra disc featuring 20 acclaimed short films from the studio's library - exclusive to this set

Films included in Columbia Classics Volume 2


Directed by Oscar nominee Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), this Academy Award-winning adaptation by Emma Thompson of Jane Austen's classic novel tells the story of the Dashwood sisters: pragmatic Elinor (Thompson) and passionate Marianne (Kate Winslet). When their father dies unexpectedly, his estate must pass by law to his son from his first marriage, leaving Mr. Dashwood's current wife and daughters without a home and with barely enough money to live on. As both sisters struggle to find romantic fulfillment in a society obsessed with financial and social status-Elinor with shy, charming Edward (Hugh Grant), and Marianne with either the dashing Willoughby (Greg Wise) or the haunted Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman)-they must learn to mix sense with sensibility in their dealings with both money and men.	When Army officer Lieutenant Frederick Manion (Ben Gazzara) admits to murdering his wife Laura's (Lee Remick) it falls to a local prosecutor-turned-defense attorney, Paul Biegler (James Stewart) to defend him. Aided by his alcoholic, yet resourceful, mentor, Parnell McCarthy (Arthur O'Connell), and a wisecracking secretary played by Eve Arden, Biegler goes head to head with a formidable big-city prosecutor, Claude Dancer (George C. Scott). With a loutish, uncooperative client and his alluring wife forcing him to navigate some tricky legal shoals, Biegler uses both the reluctant testimony of the victim's daughter and a novel defense of "murder by irresistible impulse" as he fights to convince the jury to acquit the unsavory Lieutenant Manion.	was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor (Robert De Niro), Best Supporting Actress (Jodie Foster) and Best Original Score (Bernard Herrmann). Solitary, alienated, and emotionally scarred from Vietnam, taxi driver Travis Bickle (De Niro) works the night shift in Manhattan.Though the world around him is teeming with life, Travis is unable to connect with anyone. Travis's pent-up anger and misplaced loyalty finally boil over in a paroxysm of revenge and violence.


When John Winger (Bill Murray) loses his job, his car, his apartment and his girlfriend -- all in one day -- he decides he has only one option: volunteer for the army. And he talks his friend Russell (Harold Ramis) into enlisting with him. Where else, they figure, can they help save the world for democracy... and meet girls! John and Russell find basic training a snap: they are arrested twice, have endless run-ins with their drill sergeant (Warren Oates) and get into a bit of a mess at a female mud wrestling match. They even manage to steal a top-secret government vehicle and accidentally wind up behind the iron curtain. Bill Murray has joined the Army, and the Army will never be the same.	Oliver (Mark Lester), a runaway orphan, meets the Artful Dodger (Jack Wild), who takes him to Fagin (Ron Moody), a wily old fence who tutors young boys in the art of crime. Caught on his first assignment, Oliver is arrested but his intended victim, Mr. Brownlow (Joseph O'Conor), takes a liking to the child and brings him into his home. Bill Sikes (Oliver Reed), Fagin's partner, is worried Oliver will talk, so he and girlfriend Nancy (Shani Wallis) kidnap the boy. Knowing Sikes will kill Oliver, Nancy returns him to Brownlow, but is murdered by Sikes, who himself is killed while trying to escape. Oliver's revealed to be Brownlow's great nephew and lives happily ever after.

Product Description

Limited Edition gif set includes fully remastered 4K UHD disc debuts for Anatomy of a Murder, Oliver!, Taxi Driver, Stripes, Sense and Sensibility and the Social Network Gift set also includes an exclusive 80 page full color collectible book with rare photos and insightful history of the included films Over 30 hours of special features: a mix of rare archival materials and exciting new content, including cast & filmmaker anniversary reunions for Stripes and Sense and Sensibility Also includes an extra disc featuring 20 acclaimed short films from the studio's library - exclusive to this set

Product details

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 11.34 x 7.17 x 2.64 inches; 3.46 Pounds
Audio Description: ‏ : ‎ English
Director ‏ : ‎ Various
Actors ‏ : ‎ Various
Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ Hungarian, Japanese, French, Thai, Portuguese, Turkish, Czech, German, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Italian
Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ Dutch, Norwegian, Thai, Hungarian, Czech, Romanian, Slovene, Italian, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, English, German, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, French, Swedish, Japanese, Portuguese, Korean, Bulgarian, Croatian, Spanish, Turkish, Polish, Greek, Slovak, Hebrew, Hindi
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B096WV4447
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 6
#4,352 in Drama Blu-ray Discs

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August 23, 2024 (United Kingdom)
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This Fantastic English Second or Foreign Language Teaching Resource is an ESL Movie Guide Worksheets Activity (3 PDF Printable pages) on "The Social Network".. This ESL Teaching Resource can be ideal for post-movie activities related to "The Social Network".. Ideal participants for this ESL Activity are English Foreign Students at High School and Middle School (7th -12th Grade).
Amazon.com: Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 2 (Anatomy
Celebrate six iconic films from six visionary directors. Limited Edition gif set includes fully remastered 4K UHD disc debuts for Anatomy of a Murder, Oliver!, Taxi Driver, Stripes, Sense and Sensibility and the Social Network; Gift set also includes an exclusive 80 page full color collectible book with rare photos and insightful history of the included films
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