Aaron Sorkin admits visual instinct eluded him in Social Reckoning
The playwright called himself a second-choice director for the $40 million film, which has earned $15 million globally, and expressed worry that his core weaknesses cannot be trained away.
By Javier Morales ·
Aaron Sorkin told The Hollywood Reporter that he lacked the visual intuition required for successful filmmaking. The 65-year-old screenwriter made the assessment while accepting the Maverick Director Award at the Newport Beach Film Festival last week.
Sorkin described his position on the film as a backup option. He said he would have preferred David Fincher to helm the project, but Fincher holds an exclusive agreement with Netflix. The picture was owned by Sony, which released it in theaters on Oct. 9.
The studio spent $40 million to produce the movie. It has generated $15 million in worldwide box office revenue. Audience reception has been mixed, with the film currently holding a 54 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The story follows a Facebook whistleblower, played by Mikey Madison, who alerts a journalist, played by Jeremy Allen White, to the company's knowledge of its harmful social effects. Jeremy Strong portrays Mark Zuckerberg.
This marks the second time Sorkin has written a film centered on the social media giant. He wrote The Social Network 16 years ago, a project that Fincher directed. Sorkin won a screenplay Oscar and a Golden Globe for that earlier script.
Sorkin has written feature films for 35 years. His credits include A Few Good Men, The American President, Charlie Wilson’s War, Moneyball, Steve Jobs, Molly’s Game, The Trial of the Chicago 7, and Being the Ricardos. He also wrote every episode of the first four seasons of NBC’s The West Wing.
Over the last decade, Sorkin directed four projects, including Molly’s Game and The Trial of the Chicago 7. He acknowledged that his work behind the camera has received criticism. He compared his situation to a football coach explaining a loss, noting that the components for success were present but did not align.
Sorkin stated that he is not finished wanting to collaborate with established directors. He cited his previous partners, including Rob Reiner, Bennett Miller, Mike Nichols, and Danny Boyle, as sources of informal education. However, he admitted he was surprised by how little he understood about the technical science of filmmaking.
He said he has no visual sensibility. He expressed concern that the aspects of directing where he struggles are the ones that cannot be taught, which he defined as talent. He asked for one more chance to put all the elements together.
Sorkin also discussed the current state of the industry. He noted that this is his 11th movie and suggested that, except for A Few Good Men, none of his other scripts would likely be produced as theatrical features today. He said they would probably exist as streaming series. He added that he is rewriting A Few Good Men for a new Lincoln Center production, having written the original play at age 25.
The screenwriter expressed a desire to revive The West Wing. He said he misses the cast and the show, but noted that the ensemble has aged. He also stated that he requires a substantive story to write the dialogue, rather than just creating conversation.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
