7.7/10
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887 user 574 critic

The Social Network (2010)

Trailer
2:31 | Trailer
As Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg creates the social networking site that would become known as Facebook, he is sued by the twins who claimed he stole their idea, and by the co-founder who was later squeezed out of the business.

Director:

David Fincher

Writers:

Aaron Sorkin (screenplay), Ben Mezrich (book)
Reviews
Popularity
295 ( 79)
Won 3 Oscars. Another 171 wins & 184 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jesse Eisenberg ... Mark Zuckerberg
Rooney Mara ... Erica Albright
Bryan Barter Bryan Barter ... Billy Olson
Dustin Fitzsimons ... Phoenix Club President
Joseph Mazzello ... Dustin Moskovitz
Patrick Mapel Patrick Mapel ... Chris Hughes
Andrew Garfield ... Eduardo Saverin
Toby Meuli ... Phoenix Member Playing Facemash
Alecia Svensen ... Girl at Phoenix Club
Jami Owen Jami Owen ... Student Playing Facemash
James Dastoli James Dastoli ... Student Playing Facemash
Robert Dastoli Robert Dastoli ... Student Playing Facemash
Scotty Crowe ... Student Playing Facemash
Jayk Gallagher ... Student Playing Facemash
Marcella Lentz-Pope ... Erica's Roommate
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Storyline

On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history... but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications. Written by Columbia Pictures

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

You don't get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies See more »

Genres:

Biography | Drama

Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Justin Timberlake lost 15-17 pounds for his role in this movie. He felt that making himself look skinnier would make him look younger. See more »

Goofs

After the opening breakup scene, Zuckerberg rushes back to his dorm at Harvard, tapping his wallet against the keyless entry system to his dorm. At the time the movie takes place, all Harvard dorms required the ID card to be swiped. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Mark Zuckerberg: Did you know there are more people with genius IQs living in China than there are people of any kind living in the United States?
Erica Albright: That can't possibly be true.
Mark Zuckerberg: It is.
Erica Albright: What would account for that?
Mark Zuckerberg: Well first, an awful lot of people live in China. But, here's my question: how do you distinguish yourself in a population of people who all got 1600 on their SATs?
Erica Albright: I didn't know they take SATs in China.
Mark Zuckerberg: They don't. I wasn't talking about China anymore, I was talking about me.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #1.25 (2011) See more »

Soundtracks

In the Hall of the Mountain King Op. 23
Music by Edvard Grieg
Arranged, Produced and Performed by
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
See more »

User Reviews

Just as Fincher gave us the definitive Generation X film with "Fight Club", he and Aaron Sorkin give us a definitive Generation Y film...
11 October 2010 | by KennethWasHereSee all my reviews

...and that's "The Social Network".

It joins the ranks of his best, and just like many of his his previous works, has been reviled before it was properly understood.

For months before it came out, it was the laughing stock of people who were off-put by the idea of a "movie about Facebook" (even though it's easy to look and see that it's about the founding of Facebook and the people behind it), just like "Fight Club" is dismissed as a violent film about people fighting, or that "Se7en" is just a serial killer movie.

Not to get sidetracked, though.

"The Social Network" is filmmaking and storytelling of a high order, that shows the grand irony of a socially inept Harvard student named Mark Zuckerberg who ended up creating one of the largest social phenomena of the twenty-first century (and love Facebook or hate it, it most certainly is that). The story works as an engaging, fascinating character study; at the beginning of the story, Mark is a socially maladjusted reject, and even after several million 'friends' and a few billion dollars later, he remains pretty much the same.

The outstanding acting, style and direction, as well as the great script armed to the teeth with sharp dialogue is what people are likely to miss by dismissing it as a mere 'Facebook movie'.

Even if it were just a "movie about Facebook", why is such subject matter off-limits? Things that have become a large part of our culture shouldn't be reflected in our art? Or, is it because of that? That technology is such a scary thing and needs to be dismissed? The indisputable fact is that everything that's going on with social networking and the world of the Internet is incorporated into the ideas of a certain corner of history, this one, which will be remembered as such, and "The Social Network" may very well be remembered as a film to define that era.

So please, this is one of the films to see this year. Don't get hung up on the idea that it's just a silly "Facebook movie", or else you'll be missing out on an excellent picture.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook | Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Release Date:

1 October 2010 (Canada) See more »

Also Known As:

Le réseau social See more »

Filming Locations:

Andover, Massachusetts, USA See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$22,445,653, 3 October 2010

Gross USA:

$96,962,694

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$224,920,315
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1
See full technical specs »

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