The Social Network

A million dollars used to be a lot of money. Enough that one might plan to retire comfortably when that plateau was achieved. But in today’s world, a million dollars isn’t nearly enough. Not for free thinkers. Not for dreamers. Not for our generation. David Fincher’s newest film, “The Social Network,” captures this feeling, this schism one can sense when comparing baby boomers to generations X and Y, and those of us who have almost always known the Internet, and, inherently, limitless possibilities.

The story behind “The Social Network” is a simple, yet intriguing one. Nearly everyone, about 500 million people actually, should know the story surrounding Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg. A Harvard undergrad, a computer programmer, and a genius who discovered how to turn the college experience (the parties, the relationships, the gossip, and the connections) into the greatest Internet sensation since, well, Myspace, but one that far surpassed all other “social networking” sites. Since its birth in a quaint dorm room on February 4th, 2004, Facebook has enthralled 1 in 14 people on the planet in hundreds of countries and is worth over 25 billion dollars.

Fincher’s precision in conveying the “college life experience” is brilliant. He draws you in with Zuckerberg’s first conversation (played by Jesse Eisenberg). The dialogue is taut, witty and often quite funny. The story is one of controversy, unfortunately, as it truly shows how a 20 year old is simply in over his head in a world in which everyone is trying to get his share of the pie; a pie that is essentially the product of one man.

Eisenberg not only portrays Zuckerberg, the smug, pessimistic genius who’s simply too smart for most of the people around him, but he even looks like him. The one liners that spew from his mouth are sarcastic and sensational, and, for some reason, you truly fall in love with him, perhaps because of his naiveté, but watching the decisions he makes, and those decisions he’s influenced to make over the course of the story, help you believe that this Hollywood version really does depict how quickly things can spin out of control to the point that a man, in effect, betrays his one and only friend and business partner amidst the pressure of a once in a lifetime opportunity.

The soundtrack is relentlessly appropriate and captivating. Composed greatly by Trent Reznor, known best for his part in the musical project Nine Inch Nails and his composition of the “There Will Be Blood” soundtrack, can take a bow for his work. The supporting cast is spectacular, particularly Andrew Garfield as Zuckerberg’s friend and Chief Financial Officer, Eduardo Saverin, and Justin Timberlake as Napster big-shot Sean Parker.

Objectionable content

Language and sexual themes are the main concern with “The Social Network.” A-hole, Bit*h, Basta*!d, Sh*t, the Lord’s name, and one key F-word clutter the script. Although, at times, the language could be construed as “realistic” for the college and business settings, but in this reviewer’s opinion it was more than necessary and more than expected. There are no actual “sex scenes” or “nudity.” That being said, there are some really provocative sections of the film: two parties in which girls are shown kissing, barely clothed, another where two girls are preparing to perform oral sex on Zuckerberg and Saverin in a bathroom, and another where a girl is just getting out of bed with Sean Parker. There is, also, repeated use of alcohol, one scene where cocaine is being used, and another where marijuana is being used.

To recommend this film on merit of it’s worth would be wrong. Truly I took little away from this film from a moral or positive perspective. The story is fascinating and intriguing, and its outstanding portrayal and representation of a world so foreign to most of us allows one to get captivated as a part of Harvard’s undergrad class, watching from a nearby dorm room. With the language and sexual content, however, it’s difficult to recommend without advising families and adults to tread carefully. David Fincher is certainly a talented director and has hit yet another social niche with this biographical-esque film, but it comes with a price. I suppose what you have to ask yourself is how much it’s worth watching a story you could find and read about by using another Internet phenomenon… like say, Wikipedia.

Violence: Mild / Profanity: Heavy / Sex/Nudity: Heavy

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.

• Positive
• Neutral
• Negative
• Young people