Aaron Sorkin has written screenplays for multiple television shows and films that have had varying amounts of success throughout the years. He has a particular type of dialogue and style in his projects that is consistent, no matter the subject of the show.
The projects Aaron Sorkin is involved with usually deal with real-life stories or fiction that reflects and reckons with reality through its characters and plotlines. There are some Sorkin projects that should be revisited, as the premises and characters have become even more relevant in recent years, but there are also some that should be left in the past.
10 Should: The Newsroom (2012 - 2014)
This Sorkin show followed the staff of a news network who were determined to change the way they presented the news and present factual and smart news to their audiences in an ethical manner.
The show centered on real-life events that had happened years before and they reported on the events as the news should have done when they first happened. The idea that it's difficult to find real and unbiased hard news based only on fact was relevant when the show first aired in 2012, but it has become even more relevant in 2020.
9 Should: The West Wing (1999 - 2006)
This show followed the daily work and personal lives of the staff of the American president and all the problems they had to tackle. The show was a deep dive into how the president and his staff served the American people and many viewed the show as an unreachable ideal for real-life politics.
The characters had human flaws, but most had a moral and ethical center, as they tried their best to navigate their high stakes jobs. Seeing characters like this in 2020 would be welcomed.
8 Shouldn't: The American President (1995)
This 1995 film followed the president (Michael Douglas) as he began a romantic relationship with an environmental lobbyist (Annette Bening) and the issues and scandal that it caused.
The opposition tried to villainize the president for shifting his focus from the American people to his dating life, and it actually worked, as his polling numbers began to drop. Although a fun rom-com, the premise would be unrealistic given the 2020 political landscape.
7 Should: The Social Network (2010)
Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook continue to make headlines in recent years, including in 2020, 10 years after the release of this film based on Zuckerberg's college years and the creation of Facebook.
The film was popular with fans, with a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and seeing that Sorkin was able to successfully pen part of Zuckerberg's story, it should be updated and revisited given the new information from recent years.
6 Shouldn't: Steve Jobs (2015)
Although this 2015 film was successful overall, there has been an abundance of films about Steve Jobs, especially since his passing in 2011.
His biography is well studied and has several film adaptations, so it wouldn't make much sense for Sorkin to revisit the world of Steve Jobs after writing the screenplay for this film.
5 Should: Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip (2006 - 2007)
This short-lived series wasn't as successful as Sorkin's other television creations on this list, but it still had some interesting ideas and plotlines that are still relevant in 2020.
The show followed the cast, crew, and writers of a sketch-comedy show and their problems both within and outside the show. There were also plotlines around race and censorship in the realm of comedy, which could be highlighted further, as these topics are just as relevant now as they were in 2006 when the show aired.
4 Shouldn't: Molly's Game (2017)
This film follows the real-life story of Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) who grew up as an Olympic skier and decided to change her career trajectory after she was done skiing.
She became a successful businesswoman and began running an exclusive and underground poker game that was eventually broken up by the FBI. Although an interesting story and the film was successful, the topic doesn't need to be revisited.
3 Should: Sports Night (1998 - 2000)
This show dealt with serious themes through the lens of sports, including sexual assault and race, which are still relevant in 2020 and should be discussed more, as this show approached them.
Sports continues to be an epicenter for political issues and protests and seeing this late 90s show come back in 2020 would mean it could reflect on and reckon with the reality of the sports landscape.
2 Shouldn't: Moneyball (2011)
This successful film based on the real-life story and the book by the same name followed Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), who has to figure out a new system for drafting baseball players due to a low budget.
Similar to Molly's Game, Moneyball was a stand-alone hit that doesn't necessarily need to be revisited because the initial film does a good job of telling the story, and going back to it seems unnecessary.
1 Should: Charlie Wilson's War (2007)
This film told the real-life story of American intervention in funding Afghan freedom fighters to help defeat the Soviets and quell the Cold War.
The story of Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) is a successful stand-alone movie, but the plot could be revisited or another film could be made about a real-life government official who attempts to finance and control foreign affairs, including wars.
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August 10, 2020 at 05:30AM
