Episode 56: The Trial of the Chicago 7 and The Social Network

Cinema in Context

Aaron Sorkin scripts. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss The Social Network (2010) and The Trial of Chicago 7 (2020). We start by speaking about the real-world impact of the real-life stories of both films, especially Facebook and how its impact has changed over time. Our conversation then moves into the work of Aaron Sorkin, highlighting his work on The West Wing, A Few Good Men and Molly's Game. We talk about the strengths and weaknesses of The Trial of the Chicago 7, especially the brilliance of the cast and script, but the misfires around the direction, pace and tone of the film. We then move onto a more focused discussion of The Social Network, praising the cast in this film as well and the music of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.