The Social Network opens this Friday. We’ll admit that we’re more than a little bit excited about this movie. We’re excited because it stars Jesse Eisenberg and features Justin-Superstar-Timberlake. We’re excited because it’s written by Aaron Sorkin, who wrote not one but two of our favorite television shows ever (Sports Night and The West Wing). We’re excited because we’ve heard rumors that the story behind Facebook is pretty salacious good drama, which is sure to be even more evident in a fictionalized movie meant to dramatize it. But we’re also trying to keep it in perspective. The Social Network is a movie that is about more than the creation of the force that is Facebook.
It’s also an exaggerated movie about how the quest to constantly have more can change people and destroy friendships.
If you’re not familiar with the story of Facebook, or at least the high drama version that’s the basis of the script of The Social Network, the story revolves around a well-intentioned college student (some would say genius) who develops Facebook during his spare time. After he does, for a while, he’s very happy. He becomes popular. The friends that he founded Facebook with and he enjoy their newfound wealth and freedom as well as popularity. Everything is good.
But, of course, that all changes. As Facebook grows and becomes a hugely popular website worth billions of dollars, the well-intentioned youth abandons his friends (so the story goes), and his friends abandon him right back. People are sued. Enemies are made, and the boy who had it all remains the boy who has it all. He might just be a less happy boy who has it all, and he’s a different person than when he started out.
The story may sound like an urban myth, but in reality it’s played out across the world over and over again. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were not always older men who had reflected on their lives and then gone on to do amazing things to help better the world. They were once in a deep battle over industry domination and power. Without fail, well-intentioned and often very smart youths lose themselves in the success of business ventures. And though it will most likely not deter the next young genius who creates a billion dollar product from making the same mistake, The Social Network clearly lays out a fabricated future for those who get too wrapped up in wealth and power.
Still, we’re excited to see the film regardless of how the message may depress us! Got an opinion on the movie or Facebook in general? Tell us on, well, Facebook! Friend us and share your views.
