Last weekend, my husband and I were lured to the movie theatres by a special deal. Marcus was celebrating its 75th anniversary and offering us movie tickets, popcorn (yes, buttered) and pop for only $7.50.
After discussing our options of which movie to watch, we finally settled on one I’ve been hoping to see – The Social Network. Though Troy isn’t a huge fan of Facebook, I saw the potential for the story behind the making of the social networking giant to be interesting, if nothing else.
We both found it fascinating. The story behind the story had our rapt attention through the very end. It was one of those films I continued to think about even days afterward.
But I’m not sure my reasons for being transfixed are the same as the typical movie-goer. For me, the questions that arose during and after the movie centered on faith. It’s become very hard for me not to scrutinize movies, songs and other media from that vantage point. The more I form my conscience in faith, the more my reactions to the outside world are influenced by that wider view.
Aside from a brief hint of Zuckerberg’s Jewish heritage, faith plays no obvious role in the emotion-charged story of how this young college student started Facebook, and what lengths he went to in order to grow the company, in a relatively short time, into what it is today.
More than a tale about how a company got its start, to me this film was about human nature, especially the kinds of things that can drive and tempt us. It was very much about human interactions and relationships, of strength and weakness and how one can look like the other at times. It was about the quest to find meaning in this life.
But within that premise, a problem emerges. There are limits to seeking our ultimate purpose in this world alone. And by the movie’s end, we glimpse that as we watch Zuckerberg sitting alone in a room with a laptop, hoping to hear back on a Facebook friend request after being sued for stealing ideas and making false promises during his hasty rise to the top. We sense that despite his phenomenal success, Zuckerberg does not have it all after all. In fact, he seems quite lacking in the essential human connections one needs to have true and abiding peace.
Nevertheless, I’m interested in his life, and I found myself wondering about his family background. What are his parents like? Did he grow up with siblings? What factors helped nurture his technical genius?
Anyone would be hard-pressed to not be impressed with Zuckerberg’s mind as it was portrayed in the film. What he pulled off was nothing short of astounding. Even without realizing the full implication of what he was undertaking, he helped fill a gap in our society and world; a gap of disconnect that has begun to be filled, even if imperfectly, with Zuckerberg’s contribution known as Facebook.
Through his efforts, Zuckerberg has become the youngest billionaire in the world, and Facebook continues to expand, but at what point will it be enough to satisfy Zuckerberg? At what point will he feel a sense of peace? When you’re at the top of the world at age 26, where is there to go? With this in mind, even while being impressed by Zuckerberg’s brilliance, I sense a steady darkness lurking below the surface of his life.
I can’t deny that Facebook has been mostly a positive force in my own life, that it has added dimensions to my relationships that would not have been possible even five years ago. But I’m also disturbed by the massive amount of power one young person has garnered, and whether he’ll really be able to use it to the greater good. If Zuckerberg isn’t able to acknowledge the source of his talents and gifts at some point, it’s all emptiness.
I cannot judge Zuckerberg’s heart. I don’t know what stirs him from within. But if the movie portrayal of this young man comes close to the truth, I can’t help but be concerned for Zuckerberg. It’s quite possible he’s heading for a fall; if not a financial one then the kind that follows a endless thirst for affirmation that cannot be quenched through worldly means.
Q4U: What worldly things do you see differently through the eyes of faith?
I’m glad you blogged about this! I know many people who have recommended this movie, and it sounds very interesting.
My time at Yale influences my perspective on this Harvard story. There was immense talent and immense ambition in the Ivy League, but also the emptiness that you describe so insightfully in this post. So I’m never surprised when I hear success stories from the Ivy League that end up with a hollow core. I hope Zuckerberg and others in his position will find more meaning and purpose than simply being brilliant and getting rich and famous. Those achievements do not bring happiness.
We just saw this movie also! While I don’t have a comment to your specific question about faith, I do have a few comments about the movie. Interesting that this movie made you consider faith. I don’t say “interesting” in that condescending Midwestern passive-aggressive way of passing judgment on you, because you know I would never do that 🙂 But in a way that it is a whole other angle I would have never thought of and you bring to light some great points. The one thing I do have to share is that this movie is fictionalize. Zuckerberg had no part in it and does not comment on it, except to say it’s totally fictionalize. With that said, it is a good character study in drive and ambition. And also about how someone like him tries to fit in and find a place for himself in the world. A world such as Harvard. Also, in the end scene, the woman whose friend request he was waiting for was the “girlfriend” who told him off in the bar at the beginning. Her spurning him was the impetus of Facebook – among other factors. Broken hearts have incited many great things in people. So much of our culture is built on it! While that part may or may not be true, the fact that he did get sued by the twin brothers (who were actually played by ONE actor in the movie!) and by his best friend is true. So, that illustrates a little of what’s inside the heart and mind of a brilliant 20 something kid with a great idea and more importantly, ambition. Zuckerberg has three sisters and his mom is a psychiatrist and his dad is a dentist and yes, they are Jewish, but he isn’t religious. And to speak about what’s in his heart, he just donated $100 million to the Newark Public School system. He wanted to do it anonymously, but the governor convinced him otherwise. He was on Oprah, not because of the movie or anything else, the show was about the state of education and he was convinced to make the announcement there. He seemed shy and humble. Anyway, I think he’s a private guy and lives with his long-time medical school girlfriend in a rented house in CA. He’s only 26. I think he can and will do great things. He might be the next Bill Gates. I have hope for him. Although, I shake my fists at him lately because he made the font size on Facebook too small my aging eyes!!
Rosslyn, thanks for shedding light of your own on the reality of Ivy League existence. It was fun to receive that comment so soon after the post went up. 🙂
And Lori, firstly, I went in and revised a paragraph based on the error you pointed out about the subject of his friend request at the end. I stand corrected there — my error.
Also, in my original post (before revision) I had made more of the fact that the movie is fictionalized, but that definitely was the premise of my post — that I was basing it on the movie version of Zuckerberg, not the real person, who I obviously don’t know (but am curious about – thanks for providing a little background on his personal life). Actually, when I looked at his photos online, I noticed in so many of them an apparent light shining from within him. It definitely did not match up with the actor who played him in the movie. So I have hope for him too, of course. And though I didn’t know about the donation he announced through Oprah, I’m not surprised. I guess I would hope that anyone with that kind of cash would be stirred to do something philanthropic. All that aside, I think it’s important still to hold up others and examine them in the light of faith, not to judge them, but because it can help us better take stock in ourselves. When I look at others and question their motives, it’s because I want to understand more about my own, and I am really questioning myself. Because in truth, we all have a propensity toward greed, we all act selfishly at times, we all have the capacity to use our God-given brilliance for the good or not, and we don’t always succeed in making the best choices. So taking a look at a movie character who is based on a real person and scrutinizing his/her actions (based on the movie) is helpful to me, because it informs me about human nature and what I’m capable of (or not) as well. So, to me the discussion is valid either way. I agree he has the potential to do good, but I think it would be such a challenge to have so much power at such a young age. He might be brilliant but whether he is also wise is another question. Nevertheless I’m rooting for him with you, because I always want to believe that good will prevail.
Well done, Roxane, thank you for this. As you say, we’re responsible for forming our consciences, and I do think that gives us a basis on which to evaluate art, music, books, film…I won’t see this film but it sounds like the poor guy is being consumed by his success…
Heather, I appreciate your taking the time to stop by, as well as your post discerning something similar. I find such comfort in the backbone offered by our faith, by our God, to look at the world in a way that makes so much sense that we can only conclude it comes from the most intelligent mind of them all — the one who set us into being.
My older boys saw this movie with their dad and were fascinated by it, especially Bobby. I haven’t seen it. Sometimes we look at celebrities and think they have it all, then put them on a pedestal and think they aren’t flawed. Then, we’re sent back to reality when tragedy strikes them, or we learn of their addictions and infidelity. You can’t help but be fascinated by a young man who found a creative technological niche that made him wealthy beyond belief.