Steve Jobs (2015)

Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution, to paint a portrait of the man at its epicenter. The story unfolds backstage at three iconic product launches, ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac.

Director:

Danny Boyle

Writers:

Aaron Sorkin (screenplay), Walter Isaacson (book)

Stars:

Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 7 wins & 79 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Fassbender	...	Steve Jobs
Kate Winslet	...	Joanna Hoffman
Seth Rogen	...	Steve Wozniak
Jeff Daniels	...	John Sculley
Michael Stuhlbarg	...	Andy Hertzfeld
Katherine Waterston	...	Chrisann Brennan
Perla Haney-Jardine	...	Lisa Brennan (19)
Ripley Sobo	...	Lisa Brennan (9)
Makenzie Moss	...	Lisa Brennan (5)
Sarah Snook	...	Andrea Cunningham
John Ortiz	...	Joel Pforzheimer
Adam Shapiro	...	Avie Tevanian
John Steen	...	Mike Markkula
Stan Roth	...	George Coates
Mihran Slougian	...	John Jandali

Storyline

His passion and ingenuity have been the driving force behind the digital age. However his drive to revolutionize technology was sacrificial. Ultimately it affected his family life and possibly his health. In this revealing film we explore the trials and triumphs of a modern day genius, the late CEO of Apple inc. Steven Paul Jobs.

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Plot Keywords:

apple computer | computer | box office flop | 1990s | 1980s | 

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Taglines:

Can a great man be a good man?

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 October 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jobs

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$521,522 (USA) (9 October 2015)

Gross:

$17,750,583 (USA) (4 December 2015)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Legendary Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS Datasat

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film takes place in 1984, 1988 and 1998.

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Goofs

The launch of the NeXT Computer was at the War Memorial Opera House in 1988. The movie showed a pristine, beautiful opera house with sparkling chandeliers and painted walls. The opera house in 1988 was dirty, used and dingy in 1988. The light fixtures were all smoky and dingy. In 1989, after the Loma Prieta Earthquake, the opera house was cleaned and redecorated. The movie showed the opera house to be too pristine for the year 1988.

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Quotes

Steve Jobs: What if the computer was a beautiful object? Something you wanted to look at and have in your home. And what if instead of it being in the right hands, it was in everyone's hands?
John Sculley: We'd be talking about the most tectonic shift in the status quo since...
Steve Jobs: ...ever.

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Crazy Credits

The film's title is never shown in the opening or closing credits.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Clive Owen/Gabrielle Union/Neon Indian (2015)

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Soundtracks

Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
Written and Performed by Bob Dylan
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

Steve Jobs

According to technology reporters such as John Dvorak and Leo Laporte (both "old school" ones, who personally lived many of the events portrayed in this film), it seems that Steve Jobs is more fiction than reality; fortunately, it's a perfectly acted, well written and solidly directed fiction, all of which is conjugated with each other in order to compensate its curious narrative decisions. But, does it really offer us a "real" vision of the genuine Steve Jobs? Probably not; for that, there are numerous books and documentaries. What screenwriter Aaron Sorkin attempted was capturing the essence of the man and his moment in time, examining his nature through the interaction with friends, relatives and colleagues during three stressful moments. As I said, "curious narrative decisions"... but with an interesting result. The unusual structure designed by Sorkin requires an excessive chronological manipulation, suggesting the fact that all the personal and labor problems from Jobs exploited (or were solved) in the previous minutes to his famous presentations... not only once, but three times. Even Jobs himself mentions that (well, the idealized version brilliantly played by Michael Fassbender), but that doesn't excuse the forced narrative juggling of the screenplay. Fortunately, the whole cast makes an exceptional work, transcending those tricks and bringing fluid and absolutely credible performances. Besides, Steve Jobs precisely captures the ideological separation and fraternal compatibility between Jobs and Steve Wozniak, the adored patron saint of hackers who knew what people wanted... but not what they needed. That's where Jobs shined... imposing his taste and will on the consumers, even though many years went by before the economic success validated that arrogant attitude. In conclusion, I don't think Steve Jobs works as an apocryphal History lesson about the digital revolution we currently enjoy/suffer; however, I found it quite an interesting biopic, not only due to the phenomenal performances and Danny Boyle's elegant direction, but also because of its intentional rejection of the biographical clichés which almost always feel superficial and incomplete. Sometimes, the fragments of a portrait end up being more interesting than the whole picture. Nevertheless, my indifference for the Apple products remains.