Spoiler alert!

Opening Image (1): At a Harvard bar, Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) talks with his
girlfriend, Erica Albright (Rne! Mara): sweet, kind, and whles"e# Mark is talking
abut the $scial clubs% at Harvard and hw the!&re i"'rtant if !u want t advance
!urself in cllege and in life# Mark and Erica start fighting ver this, as Erica thinks
these clubs are stu'id# Mark fires back# Erica gets u'set# Mark desn&t back dwn# Erica
breaks u' with Mark, sa!ing ur the"e stated:
Theme Stated ((): ()&" 'ara'hrasing) $*u knw, ) think !u&re ging t bec"e
successful and wealth!, but !u knw what, !u&re still ging t be an unha''! asshle#%
+his establishes ur the"e: ,hat is the 'rice f friendshi'- )s "ne!, scial status, r
'rivilege "re i"'rtant than a relatinshi'- .r a friendshi'- .r being a gd 'ersn in
anther 'ersn&s life-
Set-Up (1/10):
1 ,e c"e t knw Mark as a sciall! insecure, s"ewhat antiscial 'ersn, wh&s
bsessed with the scial clubs at Harvard and feels like he&ll never fit in unless he is
acce'ted int ne f the"#
1 Mark is a ver! gifted and brilliant c"'uter 'rgra""er#
1 Mark&s best friend is Eduard 2averin (Andrew 3arfield), aka $,ard#%
1 ,ard is als a s"art 'rgra""er and is fre4uentl! hel'ful t Mark#
1 Mark desn&t get the w"en that he wants in schl#
1 Mark lks u' t 'e'le in the scial clubs and thinks all f his 'rble"s will g awa!
if he can bec"e 'art f these e5clusive clubs and, fr nce, be ''ular#
1 Mark, still u'set after being du"'ed b! Erica, fires back when he returns t the dr"s#
Zuckerberg creates 6ace 2"ash / a catal!st fr what will eventuall! bring the birth f
6acebk
Catalyst (17):
1 Mark creates $6ace 2"ash,% a 'rgra" that uses all f the !earbk 'ictures f Harvard
w"en and 'uts tw 'hts side/b!/side and allws the viewer t vte wh is htter,
$right r left#% Mark is clearl! taking ut his frustratins with his relatinshi' with Erica
and dis'lacing the" nt this cruel 'rgra"#
1 Mark als blgs abut Erica&s breast si8e and ther 'ersnal and ffensive things abut
her#
1 ,ard hel's with a lgarith" fr this 6ace 2"ash 'rgra", and thus hel's Mark s'read
it t ever! c"'uter at Harvard#
1 +he whle c"'uter s!ste" at Harvard is hacked and thus crashes#
1 +he c"'uter 9ean finds ut and bec"es alar"ed# +he 9ean traces the hacking back
t Mark#
1 Ever!ne n ca"'us knws that Mark did this#
1 His 6ace 2"ash 'rgra" is alread! s'reading, and catches the attentin f tw 're''!,
rich kids, wh ha''en t be twins ('la!ed b! the sa"e actr, Ar"ie Ha""er): :a"ern
and +!ler ,inklevss#
1 :a"ern and +!ler, reali8ing hw a"a8ing a 'rgra""er Mark is, a''rach hi" with a
new idea t "ake $the facebk,% a wa! f gu!s 'i"'ing ut their $Harvard#edu% e"ail
addresses in rder t "eet ceds fr" ther schls# $2 d !u want in-% the
,inklevsses ask Mark#
Debate (17/7():
+his 'ses the 9E;A+E <=E2+).>: ,ill Mark design the facebk 'age fr the twins-
,ill Mark c"e u' with his wn versin- ,ill Mark tell the brthers he&s ging with
their idea, nl! "aking it better and his wn- ,hat will ha''en t the facebk idea-
,hat will ha''en t Mark- )s this idea Mark&s- .r des it belng t the ,inklevss
twins- ,hat will ha''en t $the facebk% idea and wh is res'nsible fr its creatin-
+his sends us int the 7nd act, read! t g?
Break into Two (7():
1 Mark agrees t design the facebk 'age fr the twins# Hwever, it desn&t take lng
fr Mark t reali8e there&s s"ething bigger and better here#
1 Mark starts designing his wn versin f the facebk idea, secretl!, and desn&t tell
the twins#
B Story (@0):
1Meanwhile, Mark asks ,ard, wh has been invited t 'ledge $+he Aheni5 :lub,% t
be the :6. f his new facebk endeavr# ,ard acce'ts# As best friends this will be
great, n-B
Fun and ames (@0/(():
1 Mark cntinues designing his wn versin f the facebk idea#
1 Mark desn&t tell the ,inklevss twins that he&s designing this# Mark avids their calls#
1 ,ard is bec"ing "re ''ular with $+he Aheni5 :lub#%
1 Mark starts testing this new facebk idea? and befre lng the whle ca"'us starts
liking it#
1 Mark is bec"ing a "inr celebrit! n ca"'us, as is ,ard#
1 Mark and ,ard get girls, $gru'ies,% after class#
1 (+here&s a nice Save the Cat! ""ent here that shws s"e grwth in ur character?
as Mark is leaving a restaurant ne evening with ,ard, he turns and sees Erica Albright,
the girl that he 'reviusl! brke u' with and then blgged abut her breast si8e# ,e knw
that Mark is starting t change as a character and feels hrrible fr what he&s dne# Mark
a''raches the table t a'lgi8e t EricaC hwever, she wn&t hear an!thing f it? and
is still ver! hurt b! his c""ents# ,e are s!"'athetic with Mark, as we knw he didn&t
"ean what he said# And we are s!"'athetic t Erica as well, wh is a strng w"an, and
stands u' fr herself# Mark feels bad, and this feeling, alne, allws ur audience t see
the hu"anit! in hi"#)
1 Mark&s facebk idea is catching n# ,ard sa!s the! need t g bigger#
1 All the while, we are cutting back and frth in ti"e? with the :.=R+R..M scenes#
,e knw earl! 7nd Act, that Mark is being sued b! the ,inkelvsses fr stealing their
idea, and later b! ,ard#
1 ,hat will be the utc"e f these curt cases- +his is a "aDr 4uestin that is driving
ur 7nd actB
1 ;etween ever! se4uence in the 7nd act, the curtr" scenes hel' t intrduce us t a
new idea r a new 'rble" that ur her is dealing with, whether it is 'rfessinal, with
the facebk idea, r 'ersnal, with his friendshi' with ,ard#
1 +he str!, fr" this 'int n, Du"'s back and frth fr" the curt case, back t cllege,
back t the curt case, as we are learning abut the cnce'tin f $facebk#%
1 ,ard sa!s we need t g bigger# ,e need investrs#
1 ,ard and Mark g t >*: t "eet s"e investrs (a"ng the", writerEactr 2rkin)#
1 > investrs see" interested?
!idpoint ((():
,e "eet 2ean Aarker (Justin +i"berlake)# Aarker, the fr"er >a'ster gu!, lves Mark&s
idea and wants in# He&s a rwd!, w"ani8ing, deal wheelin& fellw, and i""ediatel!
,ard desn&t like hi"# Hwever, Mark hits it ff with the charis"atic 2ean# And ,ard
feels usted#
S e a n Pa rke rc lo s e s in o n M a rk
2ean Aarker clses in n Mark
Bad uys Close In (((/F():
1 6acebk is s'reading#
1 )t&s hitting ca"'uses acrss the natin#
1 )t&s getting read! t g internatinal#
1 2ean cnvinces Mark it&s ti"e t head ut west t 2ilicn Galle! and cntinue
devel'ing the idea#
1 ,ard can&t g because he has an internshi' with a financial c"'an! he&s been
wrking fr in Manhattan#
1 Mark "ves ut west with s"e fellw Harvard 'rgra""ers#
1 Mark Dust s ha''ens t "ve int a huse that is ne5t t where 2ean Aarker is sta!ing
(!es, this is ttal writer&s cnvenience, but h well, it see"s t wrk k)#
1 2ean Aarker kee's 'utting new ideas int Mark&s head#
1 ,ard hears abut these new ideas and gets u'set# ,ard, as a result, 'uts a $free8e% n
the c"'an!&s bank accunt#
1 +ensins grw between Mark and ,ard#
1 (+here&s anther Save the Cat! ""ent, when, in a curtr" scene Mark&s law!er is
tr!ing t take dwn ,ard fr $ani"al abuse% relating t his invlve"ent with a $chicken
during 'ledge seasn at Aheni5#% ,ard bec"es u'set with Mark, thinking that he
turned hi" in and was the ne wh tld the law!ersC hwever, Mark&s law!er sa!s $>, )
was the ne wh discvered this inf# Mark is the 'ersn wh tried t 'rtect !u#%
Again, we see Mark being a nice 'ersn t ,ard, thugh he is caught u' in the situatin
and letting thers get the best f hi"# )t&s a s!"'athetic gesture twards a best friend
fr" an ften abru't, insensitive, aggressive, and anti/scial 'rtagnist# )t Dust shws
that even the "st flawed 'rtagnists can shw s!"'athetic and Save the Cat!
4ualities)#
1 +he ,inklevsses grw increasingl! "ilitant and frustrated with Mark, calling hi" a
thief fr stealing $their idea#%
1 :urt case scenes bec"ing increasingl! tense, as relatinshi's between Mark and
,ard are discussed#
1 Mark tells ,ard he has t c"e ut west#
1 6acebk is grwing even bigger#
1 2ean brings his $ht w"en% ever!where and "akes Mark feel i"'rtant#
1 ,ard shws u' and desn&t like 2ean&s invlve"ent#
1 ;ut Mark cnvinces hi" 2ean is gd fr the c"'an!, right-
"ll Is #ost (F():
1 .n the eve f 6acebk reaching its biggest grwth ever, including an internatinal
'resence?
1 ,ard signs a new cntract 'er his invlve"ent as :6. H withut reading ever!
detail# And ,ard finds ut that 2ean and Mark diluted his wnershi' in the c"'an!
withut letting hi" knw# ,ard has been screwed b! his best friend?
1 ,ard 4uits the c"'an! and threatens t sue# 2ean thrws hi" ut f the building#
1 Mark feels bad but it&s t late# ,ard is gne#
1 2ean sa!s frget hi", let&s celebrate#
1 Mark, sitting alne at his desk, at wrk, thinks abut his friendshi' with ,ard#
Dark $ight o% the Soul (F(/I():
1 2ean Aarker is thrwing the biggest celebratr! 'art! ever# ,"en# ;8e# 9rugs#
1 +he c's bust the 'art!#
1 ,e fear that Mark "ight be at the 'art! as wellC hwever, we cut back t the ffice and
see that Mark sta!ed there the entire ti"e#
Break into Three (I():
1 2ean gets arrested at the 'art! (drugs with "inrs)#
1 ;ecause he wuld be a liabilit! t the c"'an!, 2ean is bught ut and n lnger
invlved with devel'"ent#
1 (>te: in the scri't, we&re led t believe that Mark called the c's n 2ean and thus set
hi" u'C hwever, in the "vie, it 'la!s "re a"biguusl!)#
1 > "atter, 2ean&s invlve"ent with 6acebk c"es t an end#
Fin a ls h o wd o wn b e tw e e n M a rk a n d th e la w y e rs
6inal shwdwn between Mark and the law!ers
Finale (I(/110):
1 :urt case reslutins 'rceed#
1 ,ard&s na"e returns as :6. f the c"'an!, as it re"ains tda!#
1 ,ard is als 'aid a bunch f "ne! that he&s wed#
1 +he ,inkelvsses settle fr big "ne!, thugh it&s cnsidered chu"' change fr Mark#
1 Mark cntinues t devel' 6acebk t its current ''ularit!#
1 Mark bec"es the !ungest billinaire ever#
1 )n the final curt scene, law!er Maril!n 9el'! (Rashida Jnes) talks with Mark# Mark
asks Maril!n if she thinks he&s an asshle (again, re"e"ber ur the"e stated and hw
this has stuck with ur character the entire ti"e)# Maril!n tells Mark that he&s nt an
asshle, he Dust tries t be ne# +he real Mark is nt an asshle#
Final Image (110):
1 Mark&s at his c"'uter# He 'ens u' 6acebk and adds a new friend, $Erica Albright,%
his e5/girlfriend wh du"'ed hi" in the beginning f the "vie# Mark waits, waits,
waits? refreshing his c"'uter screen again and again and again t see if Erica will be
his friend#
1 (A great clsing i"age and the e5act ''site f ur 'ening i"age# Mark lses a
friendshi' in the beginning fr being a Derk and, nw, after all f this transfr"atin, he
reali8es this girl was right fr hi", and that he&s srr! fr his behavir, and wants her
back?)
,hat ) lved abut this scri't and "vie:
1) " %lawed hero: ) lve the fact that Mark Zuckerberg is 'rtra!ed as nt the nicest
'ersn ut there# He&s flawed# He has insecurities# He&s scared# He&s brilliant# +hese are
all hu"an 4ualities, and chances are the reader r viewer will be able t relate t these
feelings#
7) " big story told in a &hara&ter-dri'en way( *es, it&s a str! abut the !ungest
billinaire ever, but "re i"'rtantl!, it&s abut friendshi's, lst and gained# +he heart f
the "vie c"es fr" ,ard and Mark&s relatinshi' and "akes us wnder what is the
'rice f fa"e, status, "ne!, etc#- ,hat is "re i"'rtant, friendshi' r these ther gals
alng the wa!-
@) Stru&turally sound using the &ourtroom s&enes: )f !u haven&t alread!, read
2rkin&s scri't# He is ne s"art dude, and writes incredibl! structural "vies# +he use f
the curtr" scenes is a structural device that allws us t Du"' back and frth in ti"e,
while kee'ing the stakes high, and als intrducing new se4uences# Here&s an e5a"'le:
Jate secnd act, we knw ,ard and Mark are having 'rble"s in their relatinshi'#
.ka!, s nw we need t understand where these 'rble"s are c"ing fr" and hw
the! started# ,hat des 2rkin d- He 'uts us in the curtr" scene and has the law!ers
ask 4uestins# +he answers t these 4uestins are shwn thrugh flashing back t
Harvard, where we start a whle new se4uence abut ,ard and Mark&s relatinshi' and
all f the stresses alng the wa!# +he curtr" scenes intrduce new ideas and
relatinshi'sC then we cut back t scenes with Mark and ,ard, and watch their
relatinshi' devel'#
K) Sorkin)s e*pository dialogue: He&s ne f the best at giving the audience s "uch
infr"atin and "aking it feel fun, energetic, whi'/s"art, and se5! t# 6r instance,
when we first "eet 2ean Aarker, he&s Dust sle't with the $Ht 3irl% wh desn&t knw
he&s the >a'ster gu!# And in ne fun scene, as the Ht 3irl c"es t reali8e wh 2ean
Aarker is, s des ur audience# )t&s ver! clever# ,e get s "uch backstr! abut Aarker
in this ne sceneC we feel like we i""ediatel! knw wh he is# And nne f it feels
frced at all# )t&s unbelievabl! ecn"ic and clever writing#
+$,+( Rites f Aassage: Jife Arble", ,rng ,a!, Acce'tance
>e5t week: guest blg fr" authr Maril!n ;rant