Directed by: David Fincher
“The Social Network”, written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher, is a pop culture feast. It is hard to imagine a story that better illustrates the fascination our society has with making all of life faster, easier, and more convenient, while it yearns for one of life’s most important elements—relationship. Good “relationships” (or should we call them “friendships”?) can only be gained over time by traveling hard roads together and by being willing to inconvenience oneself. The characters in “Network” need to learn that truth, and do, in the most difficult of ways. The film is ostensibly the story of the founding and development of Facebook, but it is really about the relationships of the twenty-somethings who were its founders and developers. Superbly written and paced to fit the frenetic personality of its main subject, Mark Zuckerberg, “Network” is that rarest of films–thoughtful at the same time as it is entertaining.
Discussion Questions
1. Who has the best relationships in TSN? Why do you think so?
2. What defines a nerd? Is it bad to be a nerd? Why or why not?
3. Which side of the Winkelvos/Zuckerberg dispute are you on? What does your answer say about the way you understand the nature of truth?
4. What elements of the film were distinctly in line with a Christian understanding of the world, and which were not? Why?
5. Which character in the film is the most human? Which the least? Why?
6. What does the film have to say about the nature of community? Defend your answer with reference to specific scenes and/or lines of dialogue.
7. Who is the most evil character in the film, if anyone? Why?
8. What formal elements of the film support its themes? Give some examples.
9. How is the music used to support the ideational content of specific scenes?
10. What line of dialogue particularly stuck with you? Why?
11. Who gave the best performances? Why do you think so?
12. Did any particular production elements make an impression on you? Which ones and why?
Drew Trotter