Jack Goes Confidential: Everything You’ve Heard About THE SOCIAL NETWORK—Is True!

It was the fall of 2003 when Harvard undergrad Mark Zuckerberg sat down at his computer and began heatedly working out the kinks on a new idea.

Facebook.

What started in his dorm room would soon become the global social network and a revolution in communication.

A mere 6 years and 500 million ‘friends’ later, the arrogant Zuckerberg became the youngest billionaire in history.

But the story behind the birth of FACEBOOK is as fascinating as the enormous popularity this friend-sharing network enjoys.

THE SOCIAL NETWORK squarely targets computer savvy 18 to 34 year olds and is one of the best movie you’ll see this year.

How it all got started?

Well, cocky, social misfit Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) gets dumped by his girlfriend then decides to get even by hacking into the University’s already established on-line directory and posting unflattering remarks.

Within hours, all of Harvard logs on—which eventually crashes the site.

Enter preppy blue-blood Harvard twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss who’ve got the financing but lack Zuckerberg’s programming knowledge to take their friend sharing network to the next level (which Zuckerberg allegedly then took on his own and ran with).

Within hours THE FACEBOOK was created and the revolution had begun.

There were other innovators. Like West Coast teen genius Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) who had turned the music business upsidedown by inventing NAPSTER and whongets behind Zuckerberg to take FACEBOOK to the next level.

The first piece of advice from Parker to Zuckerberg: Drop the word ‘THE’ from THE FACEBOOK!

But the prime emphasis of the film comes in the form of the multiple lawsuits and confrontations by those who contributed to the founding of FACEBOOK but were squeezed out by Zuckerberg.

For example, the preppy Wiklevoss twins settled for $65 million.

The picture’s main theme: You don’t get 500 million friends without making a few enemies.

Cult filmmaker David Fincher’s (ZODIAC, FIGHT CLUB, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON) direction is almost flawless as it focuses on the various talking heads of the screenplay which is based on the book THE ACCIDENTAL BILLIONAIRES by Ben Mezrich.

Is it fact, a True Story?

Let’s just call it dramatized non-fiction with likely Oscar considerations in its near future.

A ‘Best Actor’ nomination for Jesse Eisenberg is a definite possibility. And Justin Timberlake could get a ‘Best Supporting’ nod.

Better yet, don’t be surprised if THE SOCIAL NETWORK shows up as one of this year’s 10 nominated Best Pictures!

My take?

This is the GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS of its generation with a mesmerizing performance by Jesse Eisenberg.

So I’ll tap out 4 out of 5 online fingers for THE SOCIAL NETWORK which is executive produced by Kevin Spacey.

Jack Poessiger

Catch JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES Friday mornings on KMBZ / KUDL /