Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine (2015)

A look at the personal and private life of the late Apple CEO, Steve Jobs.

Director:

Alex Gibney

Writer:

Alex Gibney

Stars:

Steve Jobs, Alex Gibney, Steve Wozniak

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Jobs	...	Self - Co-Founder, Apple Computers (archive footage)
Alex Gibney	...	Self - Narrator (voice)
Steve Wozniak	...	Self - Co-Founder, Apple Computers (archive footage)
Michael S. Malone	...	Self - Tech Journalist
Nolan Bushnell	...	Self - Co-Founder, Atari
Regis McKenna	...	Self - Hi-Tech Marketing Consultant
Michael Moritz	...	Self - Venture Capitalist
Sherry Turkle	...	Self - Director, MIT Initiative on Technology and the Self
Bob Belleville	...	Self - Director of Engineering, Macintosh
Chris Espinosa	...	Self - Manager, User Education (archive footage)
Michael Murray	...	Self - Director of Marketing (archive footage)
Rony Sebok	...	Self - Software Engineer (archive footage)
Bud Tribble	...	Self - Software Manager (archive footage)
Daniel Kottke	...	Self - Friend & Apple Technician
Kobun Chino Otogawa	...	Self - Job's Spiritual Adviser (archive footage)

Storyline

In his signature black turtleneck and blue jeans, shrouded in shadows below a milky apple, Steve Jobs' image was ubiquitous. But who was the man on the stage? What accounted for the grief of so many across the world when he died? From Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney, 'Steve Jobs: The Man In The Machine' is a critical examination of Jobs who was at once revered as an iconoclastic genius and a barbed-tongued tyrant. A candid look at Jobs' legacy featuring interviews with a handful of those close to him at different stages in his life, the film is evocative and nuanced in capturing the essence of the Apple legend and his values which shape the culture of Silicon Valley to this day.

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Plot Keywords:

business ethics | zen | father daughter relationship | family relationships | businessman | 

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Taglines:

Bold. Brilliant. Brutal.

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Apple senior executive Eddy Cue was quick to express his disappointment in this documentary, describing the film on Twitter as "an inaccurate and mean-spirited view of my friend" and "not a reflection of the Steve I knew."

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Quotes

Himself - Narrator: In the end I was left with the same question with which I began this journey: Why did so many strangers weep for Steve Jobs? It is just simple to say it was because he gave us products we love, without asking why we love them the way we do. It is too simple even to conclude that we love them because they connect us to a wider world and the people in our lives that are far away. Because these machines isolate us too. Perhaps the contradictory nature of our experience with these gadgets, narrates...

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Connections

References The Godfather (1972)

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Soundtracks

Dreams
(uncredited)
Written by Noel Hogan and Dolores O'Riordan
Performed by The Cranberries
Played during Apple iPhone segment

User Reviews

The good, the bad and the ugly -- a balanced look at Steve Jobs

I feel that a lot of content about Steve Jobs, whether film or TV interviews or books or written articles, often present a simplistic, one-sided, view of Steve Jobs. Many present just a portion, such as the technological achievements; others just cover certain time periods--the resurgence of Apple after 2000--and doesn't clearly convey the character of Steve Jobs and his history.

This documentary is something unique: it presents a balanced view of Steve Jobs. It is mostly about Steve Jobs as a person and less about Apple or technologies he was involved in.

Steve Jobs: Man in the Machine covers not only the good side, including his spiritual journey, but also his terrible personality, some serious ethics lapses (such as the options backdating scandal or the secret deal with other companies to prevent tech workers from getting jobs elsewhere), and some controversial manufacturing practices sanctioned by Apple (regarding its suppliers in China and elsewhere). This coverage of the controversial issues is what makes this a great documentary; it doesn't whitewash anything at all.

If you are looking for something more about the technology or how he made Apple into a success, you should check out other material. But if you are looking to learn about how Steve Jobs was as a person, I highly recommend this documentary. I have seen or read quite a bit about Steve Jobs (since the 90's) and this probably does the best job of covering his complex personality and his decisionmaking.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 September 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$140,064, 6 September 2015

Gross USA:

$494,506

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$494,506

Company Credits

Production Co:

CNN Films, Jigsaw Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Color:

Color