Part of the reason that The Social Network resonates so strongly with me, besides the fact that it's an excellent movie, is that it brings back a lot of memories for me. As someone who is 28, I remember my own personal context for a lot of things that are referenced or that happen in the movie. I remember creating my "thefacebook" account in 2004. What I did not know is how quickly this was after the creation of the website. According to the timeline presented in the movie, the site went live February 2004. I graduated in May 2004 and I had a profile before I graduated. I remember sitting in the living room and my friend's girlfriend saying, "hey there is this new website..." At first I thought it was kind stupid, but then you find yourself checking it constantly. I wish I had it all through college. It would have been invaluable when I was living in Australia in 2002 and essentially cut off from the rest of the world. In effect, I wish Mark Zuckerberg had come along a few years earlier.
I would give anything to see my original profile. Outside of "in a relationship with Amy Rauf" I don't think I can think of a single thing it may or may not have said. Them pulling up the old blue website in the film brought back a lot of memories.
I had been familiar with the story that is mostly presented in this movie. Granted, it's not 100% accurate. But I had been reading valleywag.com, mostly interested in the facebook gossip. The site since got integrated into gawker.com, which is one of my favorite websites on the internet. So I was already familiar with the Winklevoss twins and the whole ConnectU scandal. The other part, with the other co-founder and all the Sean Parker stuff... didn't know about that. It was interesting.
As for Napster... that's another trip down memory lane. Freshman year in 2000. First experience with broadband internet, first experience with napster. "So you're telling me I can get whole songs within seconds FOR FREE?" My head was blown at the time.
As for the movie itself, the Oscar buzz is real, I think. It's just very well done. Written by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) and directed by David Fincher (Se7ven, Fight Club)... what did you expect? The real surprise of the movie is Jesse Eisenberg. Jesus christ, is he good in this. Just a riveting, believable, amazing performance. If you had asked me previously if I thought he had it in him, I would never have said yes. I, like most, kind of saw him as a second rate Michael Cera. Never again.
Some of the things he said and does in the film are so delightfully dickish in that oblivious engineer kind of way. But the entire opening scene with the girl who becomes the impetus for Facebook, so to speak is marvelous. He keeps telling her that she "doesn't need to study" and when she finally questions why he keeps saying that he dickishly sneers "because you go to BU." Loved that.
But the best part, the very, very best part was when he was being grilled by the opposing attorney, who asks Mark if he is paying attention to him. Mark says no. The lawyer then asks if he thinks he is worth paying attention to. Mark says something to the effect of "you have the smallest portion of my attention. The rest of my attention is with my team back at Facebook, who are currently doing things that no one in this room is intellectually or creatively capable of. That's what has my attention. Now does that answer your condescending question?"
Just brilliant. The way it was written and the way it was delivered.
And that's the whole movie. Executed from start to finish like a well oiled machine. It's two hours but it doesn't feel like it. The origin story of something that I use every day to connect with people and something that has changed the way I live my life is a movie I'd go to see all day, any day. But the fact that the movie is so god damn good made it all the better.
Highest of high recommendation.
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