By Emma Nagel
It was no surprise that the Cornell Cinema was packed this past Wednesday night for the Steve Jobs movie screening. The ‘Steve Jobs’ screening drew together hundreds of students waiting anxiously in line for the 9:00 pm showing. The line began to form at least two hours beforehand and snaked through the four flights of stairs leading into the theater (Don’t worry, Willard Strait still offered free popcorn at this hour). And, luckily all the people who had camped out hours before were able to fit in the theater.
But, if you did miss the screening and/or don’t feel like going to the movies to see it, here are the highlights:
The movie detailed the making of Steve Jobs and his successes at Apple. However, in the midst of his successes, the movie also showed the kind of person he was during this time. Behind the genius of Steve Jobs, he struggled to maintain his personal relationships and often alienated those who cared about him. While there was some degree of exaggeration, the movie was able to portray both the true colors of Jobs and the chronicles of his life.
The majority of the movie took place backstage during three iconic Apple product launches. The first was the launch of the Macintosh in 1984, after Apple created its memorable 1984 commercial that was aired during the superbowl. The movie opens with this launch, along with personal issues regarding his daughter Lisa. A daughter that he denies is his.
Before the launch of NeXT, Jobs is fired from Apple. The movie depicts both the feud between Jobs and Sculley, the CEO of Apple at the time, as well as Job’s confidence in Apple’s need for him. As expected, Apple’s sales plummet and their products fall short of public desire. After ten years, Jobs rejoins Apple because what would Apple have been without Steve Jobs?
The movie concludes with the launch of the iMac and Job’s as a revolutionary figure to Apple. The success of this launch is complimented by the last scene in the movie with Lisa. While Jobs definitely struggled socially, alienating those around him, there were some relationships he cared about. Aside from his strong relationship with his assistant Joanna, Jobs loved his daughter and this becomes clear at the end of the movie with a heart wrenching exchange between the two. This conclusion provides a good sense of closure to the film and leaves the audience feeling a sense of compassion for Jobs.
The choice to have the majority of the movie backstage at each launch really helps paint a portrait of Job’s life, both his struggles and his successes. While it is hard to know the line between between authenticity and Hollywood, the performance of the cast and film overall made the movie well worth watching.
This post is sponsored by Universal Pictures/NBC Universal. If you missed out on this screening, make sure to check out the other great screenings Cornell Cinema is offering this semester!
