Aaron Sorkin Says Visual Instinct Is Missing After The Social Reckoning Earnings

Aaron Sorkin says he lacks the natural visual ability needed to direct films.

The Social Reckoning, a $40 million production about Facebook, opened in theaters on Oct. 9. The film has earned $15 million in worldwide ticket sales since then. Critics have responded with mixed reviews, giving the movie a 54 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. This performance falls short of the acclaim received by Sorkin's earlier script, The Social Network, which David Fincher directed 16 years ago.

Sorkin discussed his experience during an interview at the Newport Beach Film Festival last week. He was there to receive the festival's Maverick Director Award. He noted that Fincher would have been his preferred choice for the director's chair. However, Fincher has an exclusive contract with Netflix, and Sony owned the rights to the new project. This arrangement led Sorkin to take the role himself.

The writer has worked in the industry for 35 years. He wrote scripts for A Few Good Men, The American President, and Moneyball. He also created the first four seasons of The West Wing. Despite this resume, Sorkin admitted he felt unprepared for the technical demands of directing. He compared his situation to a football coach who believes all the necessary pieces for a victory were present but failed to connect during the game. He described the feeling as having the elements for success without the ability to put them together effectively.

Sorkin distinguished between skills that can be taught and those that must be innate. He explained that while parts of screenwriting can be learned, others rely on talent. He expressed concern that his weaknesses in directing fall into the category of traits that cannot be acquired through study. He stated, "I have no visual sensibility, it turns out." This admission follows a decade of directing projects, including Molly's Game and The Trial of the Chicago 7, which received critical criticism for their visual execution.

He emphasized that he is not finished with the medium. Sorkin said he still wants to collaborate with experienced directors. He believes that working with top-tier talent provides a learning opportunity, even if the results are not perfect. He remains optimistic that he will eventually succeed in combining his writing strengths with the visual components of filmmaking.

Sorkin also addressed the changing economics of Hollywood. He observed that most of his recent scripts would not be produced as traditional feature films today. He believes those projects would likely be developed for streaming platforms instead. He also spoke about a new stage revival of A Few Good Men at Lincoln Center. He is rewriting the script for the production, which he is handling while sober. He noted that the original play was written when he was 25 and that he is now working on it without the influence of drugs.