Silver Screen Showdown: The Social Network

"You don't get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies," according to the tagline of The Social Network. This statement not only sums up the premise of "the Facebook movie," but also exemplifies its wittiness and entertaining look at the hollowness of Facebook use.

The Social Network is the story of the creation of Facebook, or at least one version of the story. The real life counterparts of the main characters deny that the movie accurately portrays the actual creation of Facebook, but it makes a good story. The film offers little in the way of action-packed excitement but remains entertaining.

The story is told through two different trial proceedings: The Winklevoss twins (Armie Hammer), are suing Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook (Jesse Eisenberg), claiming that he stole the idea for Facebook from them. Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), Zuckerberg's former best friend and co-founder of Facebook, is suing Mark to regain his share of the company out of which Zuckerberg tricked Saverin.

The court proceedings are made of testimony about Facebook's beginnings and the story unfolds through their reflections. It seems the Winklevosses approached Zuckerberg with a social networking idea but needed a computer genius to create the program. Zuckerberg took the idea and ran with it, ignoring the Winklevosses and turning the social networking site into "The Face Book." The site spreads like wildfire. Shawn Parker, inventor of Napster, takes notice and starts to get involved. Shawn, (Justin Timberlake), mesmerizes the young entrepreneurs but he, along with Zuckerberg's selfishness, will eventually come between them. Saverin rightfully claims that "Mark didn't care about the money," but Mark clearly cares about distinction. The more he is rejected—by elite clubs as well as by women—the more passion he has for expanding the impact of his website.

Zuckerberg has potential to be relatable for college kids: he is lonely, confused and wants to be accepted. Although we can identify with these feelings, most of us do not treat our friends the way Zuckerberg does: alienating and insulting everyone around him. As his girlfriend so accurately puts it right before dumping him in the first scene: "You're going to go through life thinking that girls don't like you cause you're a nerd...but that won't be true. It will be because you're a [jerk]."

Mark proves her to be correct throughout the movie. The only person he appears to have a connection with is Shawn Parker, whom Mark views as his superior. Mark is remarkably unlikable for a lead character, until the last scene when he is seen staring at his computer screen, repeatedly refreshing his ex-girlfriend's page. We are suddenly reminded that despite his fame, wealth and tough exterior, he is as desperate for relationships as are the rest of us.

The character development throughout the movie is deep and the dialogue is witty at times. The story is interesting, although not especially exciting. One thing that keeps the movie so dry is the lack of females in the film. The few that play minor roles are only there for support and sex. The male-dominated dialogue was, for the most part, boyish and shallow. Despite its slow pace, The Social Network won four Golden Globes, including Best Picture, and is nominated for eight Oscars.