The Social Network
The Social Network is a 2010 American biographical drama film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, based on the 2009 book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich. It portrays the founding of social networking website Facebook. It stars Jesse Eisenberg as the Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, with Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin, Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker, Armie Hammer as Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, and Max Minghella as Divya Narendra. Neither Zuckerberg nor any other Facebook staff were involved with the project, although Saverin was a consultant for Mezrich's book.
Plot
On October 28, 2003, 19-year-old Harvard University sophomore Mark Zuckerberg is dumped by his girlfriend, Erica Albright. Returning to his dorm, Zuckerberg writes an insulting post about Albright on his LiveJournal blog. He creates a campus website called Facemash by hacking into college databases to steal photos of female students, then allowing site visitors to rate their attractiveness. After traffic to the site crashes parts of Harvard's computer network, Zuckerberg is given six months of academic probation. However, Facemash's popularity attracts the attention of twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss and their business partner Divya Narendra. The trio invites Zuckerberg to work on Harvard Connection, a social network exclusive to Harvard students and aimed at dating. Zuckerberg approaches his friend Eduardo Saverin with an idea for the Facebook, a social networking website that would be exclusive to Ivy League students. Saverin provides $1,000 in seed funding, allowing Zuckerberg to build the website, which quickly becomes popular. When they learn of the Facebook, the Winklevoss twins and Narendra are incensed, believing that Zuckerberg stole their idea while misleading them by stalling development on the Harvard Connection website. They raise their complaint with Harvard President Larry Summers, who is dismissive and sees no value in disciplinary action on the Facebook or Zuckerberg.
Awards
Cast
- Aaron Sorkin
- Adina Porter
- Andrew Garfield
- Armie Hammer
- Barry Livingston
- Brenda Song
- Caitlin Gerard
- Caleb Landry Jones
- Cherilyn Wilson
- Dakota Johnson
- David Selby
- Douglas Urbanski
- Dustin Fitzsimons
- Emma Fitzpatrick
- Felisha Terrell
- James Shanklin
- Jesse Eisenberg
- Jesse Heiman
- Jessica Franz
- John Getz
- Joseph Mazzello
- Josh Pence
- Justin Timberlake
- Malese Jow
- Mariah Bonner
- Mark Saul
- Max Minghella
- Nancy Linari
- Natalina Maggio
- Pamela Roylance
- Patrick Mapel
- Rashida Jones
- Riley Voelkel
- Rooney Mara
- Scott Lawrence
- Shelby Young
- Steve Sires
- Trevor Wright
- Wallace Langham