Aaron Sorkin admits to visual gaps after $15 million box office result

Aaron Sorkin told The Hollywood Reporter last week that he fears his weaknesses as a director are innate traits that cannot be trained.

The admission follows the release of The Social Reckoning, a film Sorkin wrote and directed. Sony Pictures released the movie nationwide on Oct. 9. It earned $15 million in global ticket sales. The production cost $40 million to make. Audiences and critics responded with mixed results. The film currently holds a 54 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Sorkin sat for a podcast interview at the Newport Beach Film Festival in early October. He was there to receive the festival’s Maverick Director Award. During the conversation, he discussed why he ended up behind the camera. He stated that he was the second choice to direct the project. His first choice was David Fincher, who directed The Social Network in 2010. Fincher is under an exclusive contract with Netflix. Sony owned the rights to The Social Reckoning, so they could not hire Fincher.

Sorkin has written screenplays for 35 years. His credits include A Few Good Men, The American President, and The Trial of the Chicago 7. He won Academy Awards for his work on The Social Network and Steve Jobs. He also wrote every episode of the first four seasons of NBC’s The West Wing. Over the last ten years, he has directed four projects. These include Molly’s Game, The Trial of the Chicago 7, and Being the Ricardos.

The screenwriter said he feels like he just entered the industry. He compared directing to screenwriting. He noted that while some skills are teachable, others rely on raw talent. He expressed worry that his specific deficits fall into the category of unlearnable talent. He said, "I have no visual sensibility, it turns out."

Sorkin said he was surprised by how little he knew about the mechanics of filmmaking. He emphasized that he has learned from working with top directors. He listed Rob Reiner, Bennett Miller, Mike Nichols, and Danny Boyle as collaborators. He said, "When you work with the lineup of directors that you just read, you’d really have to not be paying attention to not learn anything."

The 65-year-old compared his current standing to a football coach after a loss. He said the elements for success were present but failed to come together. He asked for another opportunity to prove he can execute. He said, "Just give me one more chance, and one of these days I’ll be able to put it all together."

Sorkin also discussed the state of the film industry. He said this is his 11th movie. He suggested that most of his previous works would likely be streaming titles today. He noted that only A Few Good Men might still qualify as a traditional theatrical feature. He is currently rewriting that play for a new Lincoln Center production. He said he is working on it clean and sober after a decade-long struggle with drugs in his youth.