The unrecognizable Steve Jobs film

By John Callaham
last updated

Universal's Steve Jobs movie is currently playing in limited release but will open in over 2,000 theaters this Friday. Ahead of the wider release, long-time tech journalist Walt Mossberg has published a column that slams the Aaron Sorkin penned project, saying "The Steve Jobs I knew isn't in this movie." From The Verge column:

Sorkin chose to cherry-pick and exaggerate some of the worst aspects of Jobs' character, and to focus on a period of his career when he was young and immature. His film chooses to place enormous emphasis on perhaps the most shameful episode in Jobs' personal life, the period when he denied paternity to an out-of-wedlock daughter.

Mossberg, who was the tech columnist for The Wall Street Journal for many years before becoming an Executive Editor at The Verge stated he knew Jobs for 14 years and spent "scores of hours in private conversations with him."

It would be as if you made a movie called JFK almost entirely focused on Kennedy's womanizing and political rivalries, and said nothing about civil rights and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Sorkin opts to end his story just as Jobs is poised to both reel off an unprecedented string of world-changing products and to mature into a much broader, kinder manager and person.

While Mossberg does say that while Jobs was not perfect, he feels the film version didn't do Jobs justice, adding, "The best of the real Steve Jobs begins to unfold just as Steve Jobs ends.

John Callaham
John Callaham

I have been writing professionally about technology and gaming news for 14 years.

4 Comments
  • This is echo'd by many who knew Steve. Sorkin keeps 'saying' it's intended s a fictional writing, but many won't ever hear that .. and Sorkin intentionally puts the 'The events and actions written and acted are fictional." at the very end of the movie AFTER the credits.. Basically where no one will ever read it.. That line should have been in the very first clip.. like Law and Order does before each show. heh. Character assassination at it's finest. But hey, he can say it he said it's fictional, while never truly intending anyone to know in up front.
  • He admits that Steve was like that in real life. Many do. It is not up for dispute. People are allowed to dislike it based on what portion of his life it revolves around. I get that. But he could be a real A-hole at that time. And many other times in his life. This movie isn't about celebrating him as this bigger than life character like so much of the world does. It Brings him down to some of the worst parts of his life. Everyone knows what happens after. The Steve Jobs love affair. This shows that he was far from perfect. That he was human and irrational. We have plenty of films and books and the like, praising him to no end. He was pivotal in the way we use tech now. But I don't get the gushing over him and defending of a man who had a temper and ego larger than life. You gotta look at the whole package and I don't think people do. Sent from the iMore App
  • Humorous since for months this site seemed overly excited about this movie. Like we needed another Jobs movie. Like we needed a Jobs movie at all. But regardless then all the fawning over the movie dried up. Well at least the silver lining is i have to hear less about it since it doesn't seem to be Jobs circle jerk. Not that i'm not a fan of Jobs. The Issacson book was great and all I needed.
  • www.jobsinpakistan.work: He admits that Steve was like that in real life. Many do. It is not up for dispute. People are allowed to dislike it based on what portion of his life it revolves around. I get that. But he could be a real A-hole at that time. And many other times in his life. This movie isn't about celebrating him as this bigger than life character like so much of the world does. It Brings him down to some of the worst parts of his life. Everyone knows what happens after. The Steve Jobs love affair. This shows that he was far from perfect. That he was human and irrational. We have plenty of films and books and the like, praising him to no end. He was pivotal in the way we use tech now. But I don't get the gushing over him and defending of a man who had a temper and ego larger than life. You gotta look at the whole package and I don't think people do.
    Humorous since for months this site seemed overly excited about this movie. Like we needed another Jobs movie. Like we needed a Jobs movie at all. But regardless then all the fawning over the movie dried up. Well at least the silver lining is i have to hear less about it since it doesn't seem to be Jobs circle jerk. Not that i'm not a fan of Jobs. The Issacson book was great and all I needed.