I've had countless conversations over the last week about The Social Network, and why it's nominated for an Oscar. While I'm no awards analyst, I am a filmmaker. A story based on the development of Facebook may not be very entertaining to any other generation other than my own, since people who entered college circa~2004 were of the first to develop social networking addictions, but the film is something for the ages.
The film is not only iconic because the subject matter has changed the way humans interact with one another, but as many critics described it, The Social Network is a "perfect" film. Through the first viewing, I was blown away just at how convincing of a Zuckerberg, Jesse Eisenberg is, and how the script flowed. Every camera angle was perfect. The cast of this film brings you into the story, and keeps you captivated. While Aaron Sorkin's baby is far from a documentary on Facebook, it does what a film should do, tell a story in an incredibly entertaining way. Normally, it would be sinful for a film to have the amount of dialogue TSN does, however, Sorkin does it in an effective manner, while Fincher delivers. Although Tom Hooper (The King's Speech) is predicted to win Best Director at the Oscars, David Fincher took home the BAFTA for Best Director last Sunday. Take another look at The Social Network, and see that it deserves the Academy Award Nominations it has received, because it is not only a mark on cultural history, but an example of how seemingly mundane subject matter can be turned into a grade A portrayal on the silver screen.
Image Credit: Sony Pictures
Something has been brewing in the "House of Mouse" for awhile. Hollywood is seeing Disney stars go down faster than the log on Splash Mountain- but why? Bad parenting, fame, teen angst, and money only go so far to explain Hollywood's meltdown pot. Maybe the casting directors are hiring people who they feel have short showbiz shelf lives, but I doubt it. According to an Australian source, Disney is considering having Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake counsel their young stars, so as to avoid more breakdowns. It's always amusing when "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" and "Feaky Friday" are being played on Disney Channel for the hundreth time, while TMZ is reporting another Lohan DUI. The first time Miley Cyrus ever preformed her song "Robot," in Portugal earlier this year, speculation began that the lyrics were referring to the Disney Corporation.
"Its been like this from the start,
One piece after another to make my heart
You mistake the game for being smart,
Stand here, sell this and hit your mark...
Stop trying to live my life for me I need to breathe,
I'm not your robot,
stop telling me I'm part of the big machine,
I'm breaking free..."
Look at the daily schedule of any Disney star, and you have enough to keep all the Kardashian sisters busy for a couple of weeks. Rumors have been flying about Demi Lovato's future with Disney, due to her stint in rehab. "Sonny With A Chance" may resume production without Lovato, but no one would have known Demi was in rehab if it weren't broadcast on Good Morning America. Part of the Mouseketeer curse may lie in the ruthless press, and Disney's desire to remain "the happiest place on earth" through your television screen. Troubled stars have been more of a lesson in integrity for fans than a loss of dollars for Disney, so it's a win- win situation. Hopefully Disney has learned that their stars are human, not machines.
