The Social Network is a 2010 American biographical drama film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin. Adapted from Ben Mezrich’s 2009 book The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal, the film portrays the founding of social networking website Facebook and the resulting lawsuits. It stars Jesse Eisenberg as founder Mark Zuckerberg, along with Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin, Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker, and Armie Hammer as Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. Neither Zuckerberg nor any other Facebook staff were involved with the project, although Saverin was a consultant for Mezrich’s book. The film was released in the United States by Columbia Pictures on October 1, 2010.
The Social Network received widespread acclaim, with critics praising its direction, screenplay, acting, editing and score. Although several people portrayed in the film criticized its inaccuracies, the film appeared on 78 critics’ Top 10 lists for 2010; of those critics, 22 had the film in their number-one spot, the most of any film in its year. The film was chosen by National Board of Review as the best film of 2010 while Rolling Stone’s Peter Travers said “The Social Network is the movie of the year. But Fincher and Sorkin triumph by taking it further. Lacing their scathing wit with an aching sadness, they define the dark irony of the past decade.” It was also critic Roger Ebert’s selection for the best film of the year.
At the 83rd Academy Awards, the film received eight nominations, including for Best Picture, Best Director for Fincher, and Best Actor for Eisenberg, and won three; Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Film Editing. The film also received awards for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Original Score at the 68th Golden Globe Awards.
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