NEW ULM – Before the New Ulm Film Societies adjourns its courtroom drama series, they will host a screening of “The Social Network.”

The screening begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 9 at the New Ulm Public Library. 

“The Social Network” is a 2010 film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin that attempts to tell the story of how Facebook was founded and the legal issues that followed.

“The Social Network” is not told in a strict chronological order. 

It begins with Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg, played by Jesse Eisenberg, being inspired to create an early predecessor to Facebook after his girlfriend dumps him. The film then flashes forward in time to a legal deposition in which Zuckerberg’s former friend Eduardo Saverin, played by Andrew Garfield, is suing him on grounds his shares of Facebook were unfairly diluted. The film also flashes forward to a second deposition involving the Winkelvoss twins, both played by Armie Hammer.  The Winkelvoss twins claim Zuckerberg stole the idea to create Facebook from them. The question is, are either of these claims true?

Throughout its runtime, the film cuts back and forth through time showing how Facebook grew out of a college dorm room to become one of the largest business entities in existence, all the while trying to answer whether the claims against Zuckerberg are true.

“The Social Network,” is not typically considered a legal drama, but its structure is similar to a legal trial. The deposition scene involves characters telling their version of how Facebook was founded. Their testimonies lead into flashbacks of the events discussed. In a way, the film is a trial in which the audience is the jury. “The Social Network” never tells audiences if Zuckerberg is guilty, it is up to the audience to make up their own mind.

“The Social Network” has sometimes been referred to as a Rashomon film. A Rashomon film is a type of story in which characters are given contradictory interpretations of events based on their different perspectives. “The Social Network” offers up multiple perspectives on Zuckerberg. Depending on interpretation, he is a misunderstood angel who gifted the world with Facebook to advance social interactions. From another perspective, he’s an arrogant devil who betrayed his closest friends for fame and fortune.

“The Social Network” was a major success when it was released in 2010, but financially and commercially. Part of the film’s popularity was due to its subject matter. In 2010, most people in the world were familiar with Facebook and even had an account. The story of Facebook’s founding and the legal issues surrounding its creation were relatively recent events and audiences were eager to learn the story. However, “The Social Network” is not a documentary. The film takes some liberties with actual events. The real-life Mark Zuckerberg later said much of the film was exaggerated; saying the film only got his fashion sense correct. In the end nearly every part of “The Social Network” is subjective.

“The Social Network” received significant critical praise. The movie was nominated for eight Academy Awards. It would ultimately win Oscars for  Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score and Best Editing. The film would go on to influence another genre of film: The Business Docudrama.

In the 14 years since “The Social Network” was released, there have been dozens of films and TV shows released about the founding of famous businesses and products. “The Social Network” tapped into a true-story trend that filmmakers continue to follow years later.

The New Ulm Film Society’s screening of “The Social Network” is free to the public. Before and after the film, there will be a discussion about the film’s place in film history and its importance as a legal drama.