Photo Credit: Michael Buckner/Getty Images, taken from www.life.com
You saw “The Social Network,” right? The critically acclaimed drama about Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was hard to not see, as it was the talk of the town. Exclusive Harvard social clubs, upper-class friendship drama, a significant amount of screen time for Justin Timberlake – the movie had all the makings of a quality film. But for SU students, “The Social Network” gives us not only an enjoyable movie but bragging rights. Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin graduated from our musical theater program in 1983.
Sorkin, who captured the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, started his career on the Syracuse Stage in a production of A Christmas Carol. After graduating from SU and dabbling in acting, Sorkin switched his interests from acting to writing. A wise choice: He penned the Broadway hit “A Few Good Men,” which he later adapted for the big screen. He then went on to write screenplays and eventually moved into TV series, creating “The West Wing,” “Sports Night” and “Studio 60.” His Oscar win for “The Social Network” only adds to his list of accomplishments.
Despite his fame, Sorkin does not forget his roots. The Scarsdale, N.Y. native has come back to ‘Cuse on several occasions, including a 1997 visit to deliver the convocation address for the College of Visual and Performing Arts. On the big screen, Sorkin keeps the Orange pride flowing. The term “jabberwock” is part of an email address in the movie, a nod to our own Jabberwocky Cafe. In the movie “The American President,” one line reels off a list of senators. All the senators are named after professors Sorkin had at SU.