While the idea of a "Facebook movie" sounded like a bad idea to many people, the combined talents of David Fincher, Aaron Sorkin, and a talented cast made The Social Network into one of the best movies of the 21st century.
The movie stars Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook. It is the story of how he became the world's youngest billionaire and the relationships he destroyed along the way. Fincher does some of his best work bringing Sorkin's extraordinary script to life. The sharp, clever, and poignant dialogue delivers endless quotes that audiences will remember forever.
It'll Be Because You're An A*****e
The opening scene of the movie really kicks things off on an incredible note. Mark is sitting in a bar with his girlfriend Erica (Rooney Mara) talking about his desire to get into one of Harvard's prestigious final clubs.
After making a condescending reference to the people Erica hangs out with, she finally decides to dump him. While Mark tries to make amends, he just makes things worse. Finally, Erica tells Mark she thinks he'll be very successful one day and spend his life thinking girls don't like him because he's a nerd, then she reassures him it's because he's "an a*****e."
We Lived On Farms, Then We Lived In Cities, And Now We're Going To Live On The Internet
It's interesting to see the early days of this company form when the potential of what the internet could be was still being figured out. One of the people who seems to understand where the future is heading is Sean Parker.
The creator of Napster, Sean sees himself as something of a revolutionary who gets involved with Facebook early on. He explains that the internet is the next stage of society's evolution. Even in the decade since the movie came out, this quote has become even more true.
I Like Standing Next To You, Sean. It Makes Me Look So Tough
When Sean comes into the fold at Facebook, he immediately begins butting heads with Eduardo Saverin, the company's CFO. Sean gets closer to Mark as Eduardo is gradually pushed out.
In the end, Sean seems to have won, keeping his share of the company while Eduardo loses the majority of his shares. As he rubs it in Eduardo's face, Eduardo cocks his fist making Sean awkwardly flinch. Eduardo gets a moment of victory, feeling tough next to the supposed big shot.
I Believe I Deserve Some Recognition From This Board
After breaking up with Erica, Mark gets drunk, blogs some vile comments about her, and then starts creating a website that is even viler. The site takes photos of all girls at Harvard and has them ranked next to one another.
After the site becomes a huge hit around the campus, it crashes the university servers and Mark is brought before the judicial board. After apologizing for the website, he claims he deserves recognition for pointing out flaws in Harvard's network. It is a perfect display of how Mark's arrogance makes him his own worst enemy.
You Have Part Of My Attention - You Have The Minimum Amount
Sorkin brilliantly tells the complex story using the framing device of the depositions from Mark's various lawsuits. The movie bounces back and forth from the past to the present and from one deposition to another.
As Mark is asked a question by one of the opposing lawyers, he begins looking out the window. The lawyer asks if he has his full attention and Mark bluntly tells him he does not. He then explains he is in the midst of several lawsuits and the rest of his attention is with his massive company instead of answering condescending questions.
How About Now? You Still Wired In?
The climax of the movie comes when Eduardo learns what his stake in the company will be with the new contracts. While none of the other founding members lost any of their existing shares, Eduardo's stake in the company decreases from nearly a third down to a fraction of a percent.
As Mark is busy coding, Eduardo storms over to confront him. Sean tells him Mark is wired in and Eduardo smashes his computer to pieces. It is a shocking moment of rage that marks the end of this friendship.
I'm 6'5", 220, And There's Two Of Me
Throughout the movie, Mark is also being accused of stealing the entire idea for Facebook from Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. The two twin brothers, along with their partner Divya Narendra, approach Mark about an idea for a dating website only for Mark to turn that idea into Facebook.
When they learn that Mark has launched this website they think is theirs, Divya is livid. He says he wants to hire some goons to beat Mark up but Tyler says he can do it himself since he is a massive Olympic rower and "there are two of me."
A Million Dollars Isn't Cool, You Know What's Cool?
It is up for debate how much Sean Parker actually contributed to the company, but there is no doubt that he saw the potential for what it could be long before anyone else did.
During his memorable first meeting with Mark and Eduardo, Sean explains that there is no limit to how big this thing could get if they are bold enough to let it grow. While Eduardo is not impressed with his swagger, Sean drops one possibility that stops everyone in their tracks – the possibility of this being a billion-dollar company.
You're Not An Ass**le, Mark. You're Just Trying So Hard To Be
Mark Zuckerberg has come out against his portrayal in the movie, insisting it is not accurate. However, the movie serves as a fascinating look at one of the most significant figures of the 21st century who has only gotten more controversial in recent years.
At the end of the movie, Mark is alone in the deposition room with one of the young lawyers, played by Rashida Jones. Before leaving, she offers her opinion on his behavior which could say a lot about the decisions he has made.
If You Guys Were The Inventors Of Facebook, You'd Have Invented Facebook
The movie leaves it open as to how much Mark can be blamed for "stealing" the Winklevosses' idea, it does make it quite clear that Mark thinks the idea was all his. He also doesn't like the idea of others trying to claim his work as their own.
While in the middle of the deposition, Mark finally has had enough. He claims the truth about think is far simpler than everyone is making it out to be. As he explains, if the Winklevosses had been the original inventors of Facebook, "you'd have invented Facebook."