Considering I am 'old' and a history teacher, this movie isn't exactly geared towards me...

Rating: 7/10 (30 March 2011)

My review is best read and understood in context. I am 46 years-old (and in the Facebook world, that makes me OLD) and an ex-history teacher, so what I liked and disliked about the film is not what the average viewer would think. This isn't meant as an insult--just that I know I am not like the typical demographic for whom the movie was made. I am very computer-savvy for my age--but that still makes me a dinosaur compared to a teenager or 30-something person. The fact that I have never had a Facebook account alone makes me an odd-ball! So, when I see the film I do NOT wax nostalgic about the good 'ol days of 2004 or 2005. Additionally, as a history teacher, I CRAVE accuracy in films and tend to nit-pick them far more than normal. For me, history is like the Bible--you don't embellish it or 'interpret' it--is IS truth. So, a younger person seeing the film with me would find me insufferable, as I would look for the flaws and ignore the bigger picture.
So, I did some research and found that the film makers did NOT intend for a historical account of Facebook but wanted to craft an exciting story that people would love. And, to do so, personalities were changed and facts were omitted or ignored. My biggest problem is that in reading about Facebook's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, while he is no angel, nor does he seem to be (as the movie strongly implies) a sociopath with Asperger's Syndrome (I was also a psyc teacher...trust me on this--this is exactly as the film portrays him). And, although he is exciting to watch in the film, Justin Timberlake's version of the fonder of Napster isn't exactly spot-on, either.
So if you can ignore the artistic license, what are you left with in "The Social Network"? Well, for 46 year-old guys like me, not a huge amount--or at least not as much as I might have hoped based on all the publicity the film received. Yes, I liked it--but didn't love it. I liked some of the acting (again, I'll mention liking Justin Timberlake--something I NEVER thought I'd see myself putting in writing!) and the rest of the cast were good. I also loved the way the twins were magically created using computers and a single actor....cool. But the story didn't engage me that much. Yes, I know they are all rich as can be...but other than that I just didn't get it. And, as a middle-aged fart, I guess I wasn't intended to!