Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999) (TV)

Director:

Martyn Burke

Writers (WGA):

Paul Freiberger (book) and
Michael Swaine (book) ...

Release Date:

20 June 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

Good artists create... Great artists steal.

Plot:

History of Apple and Microsoft.

Plot Keywords:

Apple | Apple Computer | College | Bill Gates | Computer

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Noah Wyle	...	Steve Jobs
Joey Slotnick	...	Steve Wozniak
J.G. Hertzler	...	Ridley Scott
Anthony Michael Hall	...	Bill Gates
Wayne Pére	...	Captain Crunch
Sheila Shaw	...	Mrs. Wozniak
Gema Zamprogna	...	Arlene
John Di Maggio	...	Steve Ballmer (as John DiMaggio)
Josh Hopkins	...	Paul Allen
Gailard Sartain	...	Ed Roberts
Allan Kolman	...	Therapist
Richard Waltzer	...	Homebrew Tech
Harris Mann	...	Longhair #1
Clay Wilcox	...	Longhair #2
Marcus Giamatti	...	Dan Kottke

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Iceland:L | Singapore:NC-16 | Germany:6 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Royce Hall - 340 Royce Drive, UCLA, Westwood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Haft Entertainment

Trivia:

At the 1999 Macworld conference, shortly after the premiere of this TV movie, the audience was stunned to learn that the introductory comments were made not by Steve Jobs, but by Noah Wyle, reprising his role in this movie. The real Jobs emerged and traded jokes with Wyle.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Bill Gates and Paul Allen are working out of the motel they are staying at in Albuquerque, there is a sign in the window that reads "Microsoft". At that time (1975), Microsoft was spelled as "Micro-Soft".

Quotes:

Paul Allen: Bill, why did you tell them we had an operating system? We don't have a thing to sell them now, you know? We're dead!
Bill Gates: We're not dead, you're going to give us that miracle, right, Paul?
Paul Allen: Huh? Oh yeah, right...
Bill Gates: Come on, I thought you said you knew a guy we could buy an operating system from!
Paul Allen: I said I "sort of" know one.
Bill Gates: Sort of? Don't tell me "sort of"! I just told IBM!
Paul Allen: Sort of...

Movie Connections:

References The Godfather (1972)

Soundtrack:

Burning Down The House

Character is Destiny

Even for TNT, this is a great movie. Could have been cut around the edges with scenes like the kid's birthday, Jobs' relationship with his daughter that never connected with his role as the founder of Apple, and Xerox's ignorance in the triumph of both Microsoft and Apple. The entire movie is filled with 'monsters' if you are the anti-businessman. Then again, most of the movie's audience is businessmen or computer freaks. Hall's performance is outstanding. HE makes Bill Gates love-able and hate-able at the same time.