The Social Network

When you look at The Social Network’s premise, the development of Facebook, you might think it would be a snooze. You would be wrong. Somehow this movie keeps you riveted from beginning to end even though there is very limited action.

The Social Network begins with a glimpse of Mark Zuckerburg (Jessie Eisenberg) while in his dorm room in Harvard. Most men would not be surprised to find the beginnings of Facebook, the social media behemoth, began with one man’s lust for a girl. We notice that Zuckerburg is unusually driven and serious for such a young man, as he dives headlong into the process of forming a social network where Harvard students can track other students by their pictures and relationship statuses.

Along the way, Zuckerburg meets and partners with several people including the Winklevoss twins, Cameron and Tyler (both played to creepy perfection by Armie Hammer). As the movie progresses, we discover that Zuckerburg’s quirkiness is far past that of the average, Ivy League, genius (oxymoron?). It’s ironic that a man with limited social skills should be the architect of a site based purely on social interaction.

As Zuckerburg tinkers with the program, Facebook expands and morphs into a new entity. This change leads Zuckerburg to cut the twins out of the deal. The twins don’t take this news well and use the full resources/connections afforded them by privilege to sue Zuckerburg.

Adding insult to injury, Zuckerburg is courted by Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), the biggest hotshot on the internet. Parker allows Zuckerburg the freedom and money to complete his vision without limits. In the end, Zuckerburg’s freaky attention to detail and analytical thought patterns help him prevail against the strange Winklevoss twins. However, he ends up a bit bloodied from the battle.

The Social Network earns a solid five stars. I was shocked I got so into the minutia of Facebook, but the acting, writing and direction were so solid you couldn’t look away. The story of Facebook is a morality play for the digital age.

Michelle D. Kieffaber