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The Social Network poster

The Social Network

year 2010decade 10sdirector David Finchergenre Dramagenre Biography

120 minutes

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Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Jesse Eisenberg Mark Zuckerberg
Andrew Garfield Eduardo Saverin
Justin Timberlake Sean Parker
Armie Hammer Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss
Max Minghella Divya Narendra
Brenda Song Christy Lee
Rashida Jones Marylin Delpy
Denise Grayson Gretchen

The Social Network | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Sean Fennesseyhost Chris Ryan
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Producer credits not yet identified.

Casting What-Ifs

Shia LaBeouf declined Zuckerberg; Jonathan Groff nearly played Sean Parker; Aziz Ansari also auditioned; Eisenberg and Timberlake preferred

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 00:43:18Read transcript
  • Shia LaBeouf turned down Zuckerberg.
  • The panel believes Fincher’s take-heavy method would have made LaBeouf a poor fit.
  • Jonathan Groff nearly played Sean Parker.
  • Groff’s later Fincher work on Mindhunter is connected to the audition history.
  • Timberlake’s existing stardom is credited with helping the movie reach a wider audience.
  • Ansari reportedly auditioned unsuccessfully for the role played by Minghella; the response is that he was not ready at that stage.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Substitute campuses, the referenced movie star, the second twin performer, weight loss, the opening scene’s takes and an unidentified Gates impersonator

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 00:47:18Read transcript
  • Harvard scenes were filmed at multiple other schools.
  • Natalie Portman is identified as the movie star referenced by a deposition line.
  • Josh Pence played the body double for the second Winklevoss and appears visibly in another scene.
  • Timberlake lost roughly fifteen to seventeen pounds to appear younger.
  • The opening breakup reportedly required 99 takes across eight script pages.
  • The Gates performer is described as an unidentified impersonator; the following aside does not establish the actor’s identity.

Picking Nits

Accuracy, diversity, casting, college life, and the roles of Dustin Moskovitz and Eduardo Saverin drive the nitpicks.

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:20Read transcript
  • The film’s invented emotional origin for Facebook is questioned.
  • The debate asks whether a dishonest relationship origin holds the movie back.
  • Harvard is depicted as whiter and less international than reality.
  • Andrew Garfield plays Brazilian Eduardo Saverin.
  • Minghella’s casting as an Indian character is questioned.
  • Ansari reportedly tried out for the role played by Minghella.
  • A reported Oprah interview describes a less dramatic life focused on working hard and coding Facebook.
  • Dustin Moskovitz’s role is minimized while Eduardo’s is enlarged.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Did Zuckerberg steal the idea? Was the movie too harsh? Is it the decade’s best film?

In the discussion (12)
Approx. transcript time · 01:03:41Read transcript
  • Did Zuckerberg steal Harvard Connection?
  • Some argue execution matters more than ownership of the idea, while another objects on grounds of honor.
  • Was the movie too harsh on Zuckerberg?
  • The panel answers no and argues it could have been harder on the consequences.
  • Is The Social Network the best movie of the 2010s?
  • Get Out emerges as the strongest rival.
  • The panel also considers Gravity as a different kind of contender.
  • Boyhood, Mad Max Fury Road, 12 Years a Slave, Django Unchained and Whiplash are offered and rejected as superior decade choices.
  • The Tree of Life, Black Swan, Before Midnight, Arrival and Looper are rejected; Moonlight gets more attention but is also declined.
  • Birdman is rejected, and The Master is considered too narrowly appealing for this comparison.
  • Get Out is treated as a genuine contender; Sicario is dismissed and Miami Vice belongs to the previous decade.
  • Spotlight is acknowledged as a possible choice for others, The Martian is uncertain and Skyfall is rejected.