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Aaron Sorkin tells Conan O’Brien he understands why Tim Cook called his movie “opportunistic” [Videos]

Interviewed on ConanSteve Jobs screenplay writer Aaron Sorkin said that he understood why Tim Cook had described movies about Jobs as “opportunistic.” Sorkin had previously responded angrily, then later apologized.

Tim Cook and Steve Jobs were very close friends, and I absolutely understand the man protecting the memory and the legacy of his friend.

He did, however, make a slight dig at criticizing movies without seeing them … 

Tim Cook […] said that he hasn’t seen the movie, but– Anytime you start a sentence that way, it isn’t going to end well

Sorkin said that the spat was all over as far as he was concerned, but joked that there might be a building full of people in Cupertino wanting to hack into his computer (he writes on a Mac).

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBbZ2KcA8B8]

Sorkin said that while he hadn’t met Steve Jobs, he had spoken on the phone with him three times, including the time he helped Jobs with his Stanford commencement speech, which Sorkin described in modest terms.

It’s a great speech. I have nothing to do with its greatness, I fixed some typos …

He said that he got a good sense of the man through numerous interviews with people who knew Jobs well.

I got a sense of who he was by talking to dozens and dozens of people who knew him very well and loved him very well, from Woz to his eldest daughter Lisa

Sorkin also told a story about Jobs washing his feet in a toilet, something he was known to do but had not been in the script until Michael Fassbender decided to add it.

A number of those close to Jobs have weighed-in on the movie, among them Steve Wozniak, Andy Hertzfeld and John Sculley, with the consensus being that what the film depicts isn’t factually accurate but does reflect something of the man himself.

The movie begins its general release today on east and west coasts, gradually rolling out nationwide between then and 23rd October, with a new clip released yesterday.

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Comments

  1. applewatch20152015 - 9 years ago

    Um…issues with eye contact there, Aaron? Geez that was hard to watch. With his lack of eye contact, it makes me think that his apology was forced to gain some damage control over his words since I’m sure he massively pissed off a great company. A company that seems to be a friend to Hollywood in many ways. The lack of eye contact suggests that he was forcing the explanation to Conan and it wasn’t from the heart.

  2. PhilBoogie - 9 years ago

    What an… awkward person, this Sorkin fellow. Not going to see the movie. Purely based on the reactions from people… who haven’t seen the movie. For his sake I hope it’s a blockbuster.

  3. Howie Isaacks - 9 years ago

    Sorkin should STFU about this. He’s likely pissing off people who may have gone to see his movie. I definitely won’t. I wasn’t really interested anyway because I don’t like the approach the uses, and from the previews I’ve seen, they all focus on Jobs being an asshole more than anything. Nope. Not interested.

  4. AeronPeryton - 9 years ago

    Is he still on about this? Tim Cook moved on with his life the minute he made his original passing comment.

  5. stenar - 9 years ago

    I’d like to see him get the Sorkin-treatment.

Author

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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