Andrew Garfield offers his thoughts on whatThe Social Networkis really about. The 2010 David Fincher movie tells the story of Mark Zuckerberg and the founding of Facebook, which became a massive social media empire.Garfield played Eduardo Saverin, who is known for being a co-founder of Facebook with Zuckerberg. In addition to Garfield,The Social Networkfeatures a leading castof Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, Rooney Mara, Bryan Barter, Dustin Fitzsimons, and Joseph Mazzello.
In an interview withGQ, Garfield explained what he thoughtThe Social Networkwas really about. In a lengthy explanation, Garfieldbroke down the relationship between Eduardo and Mark in the film, describing it as a “one-sided love, brotherhood relationship.” He felt the relationship portrayed a phenomenon experienced by “the majority of human beings.” In addition to the Eduardo and Mark portion ofThe Social Network, he also discussed the film’s themes of holding multiple truths at once when displaying different perspectives. Check out the full quote from Garfield below:
I didn’t realize it was going to be so heartbreaking. You know, because on the page you could think ‘Oh well this is just a guy that’s been f-cked out of a bunch of money.’ But I think what makes it meaningful and impactful is that it’s a one-sided love, brotherhood relationship. It’s a guy that’s holding space for his friend to show up in the way he believes he can. He was just deluded all along, it turns out, and I think the majority of human beings have been in that situation, where they believe in someone’s capacity and ‘I see beauty in you and I know that you are in there. And other people just can’t see it but I’m going to hang in there and tease it out of you.’
And then you realize ‘Oh wait a minute, I’ve wasted so much energy and time because this person was always going to be exactly as they are. That’s on me.’ Like, that’s like, there’s really no betrayal really. Like the signs were there. And I don’t think Jesse plays him as a sociopath, I think Jesse plays him as someone actually full of longing, someone full of insecurity, someone full of fallibility and ego. A young egotistical guy who is driven by things that are self-serving ultimately. And I think what I love about Aaron and his writing is that he wanted to make a film in the vein of Kurosawa’s Rashomon, which is one event from four different perspectives. And every single one of them is true.
So I think the Winklevoss twins have a true narrative, Eduardo has a true narrative, Mark has a true narrative, his first girlfriend has a true narrative. Everyone’s narrative is real and true. And that’s kind of the terrible thing about being a human being, whose more right than the other? And there’s no such thing as more right than the other, unless you’re talking about objective, factual things.
What This Means For The Social Network
The Social Network Has Deep Themes
Garfield brings up a lot of key themes in his statement aboutThe Social Network. TheRashomon-esque nature is one particularly compelling element in that it reveals a lot about screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s sensibilities for the film. Penning multiple Oscar-nominated screenplays, includingMoneyballandMolly’s Game,Sorkin is known for the quality of his dialogueand the depth of his writing. So, whileThe Social Networkmay seem like a movie about Zuckerberg facing a lawsuit and the foundation of Facebook, there ismuch deeper storytelling about friendship and betrayal.
What Happened To Eduardo Saverin After The Social Network
Eduardo Saverin is known best for co-founding Facebook, but he became a successful businessman even after being ousted from the company.
The actor also provides deep insights into his own character inThe Social Network. A casual viewer might easily view Mark’s actions towards Eduardo as a betrayal. According to the actor’s interpretation, however,Eduardo’s narrative is more about the consequencesof what happens when one friend puts too much faith in someone who does not deserve that level of respect. This kind of analysis of Eduardo’s character further showcases the depth of Sorkin’s script.
Andrew Garfield’s Quote Helps Contextualize The Social Network’s Legacy
The Social NetworkIs Still Well-Regarded Today
Even today,The Social Networkhas a reputation for being one of the best films of its era. Its Rotten Tomatoes score holds up with an 87% Popcornmeter among audiences. I think Garfield’s quote is a great display of whyThe Social Networkhas held up so well after so many years. It is not just the Facebook movie, but a well-thought-out meditation on the human experience and the fallibility of relationships. Thus,The Social Networkstill holds up today, and Garfield’s statement indicates that there is a lot to be interpreted from the film.
The Social Network
Cast
The Social Network is a film released in 2010, chronicling Harvard undergrad Mark Zuckerberg’s development of Facebook. Set against the backdrop of personal and legal challenges, the story follows Zuckerberg’s journey from creating a social network to becoming one of the youngest billionaires, amidst contentious lawsuits.
