So far, Aaron Sorkin has had one of the most illustrious and esteemed careers a screenwriter can have. He's developed a number of beloved series and a slew of whip-smart movies that have come to define his career as a fast-talking writer whose characters are always in motion. Now, Sorkin's career has evolved to take him behind the camera with his third directed movie, Being the Ricardos, currently in production.
Over the course of his career, Sorkin has crafted stories out of subjects that might not be inherently cinematic or engaging. He just finds a way into them and makes them work. Three of his movies (Malice, The American President, and Charlie Wilson's War) don't quite crack his top ten, as voted by the users of IMDb. But that's nothing to be ashamed of as the list is top-notch as it is.
10 Steve Jobs: 7.2
There is a case to be made that Steve Jobs should be much higher on the list, but tenth place with a 7.2 rating is not too shabby. The 2015 biopic starring Michael Fassbender, the great Kate Winslet, and Seth Rogen rested in Danny Boyle's hands, but the screenplay is undeniably Sorkin.
There are three or four truly electric moments built on dialogue in the film and a dozen and a half "I wish I thought of that" lines. It's the definitive film on the complicated Apple figurehead and one that should grow favorably over time.
9 Molly's Game: 7.4
2017's Molly's Game, Sorkin's follow-up to Steve Jobs and his directorial debut, cast Jessica Chastain in the role of Molly Bloom, a potential Olympian who became the leader of a sprawling, celebrity-laden game of poker.
There are occasional moments when Sorkin injects his patented pathos into scenes where it might otherwise be unwarranted. All in all, though, Molly's Game is a fun, charming endeavor that proved Sorkin's career could continue to evolve.
8 Moneyball: 7.6
Another screenplay that wasn't his to direct, 2011's Moneyball belonged to Bennett Miller. Starring Brad Pitt, it tells the story of Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland Athletics, and how he revolutionized the sport of baseball.
Moneyball is a case where Sorkin's sentimentality really shines. It also has a sizable argument for being one of the all-time great sports movies, considering it prioritizes the characters and the conflicts ahead of the actual game.
7 A Few Good Men: 7.7
Sorkin's first major foray into a world beyond the page came in 1992 when Rob Reiner brought A Few Good Men to life on the big screen. It's the kind of movie that earns someone a blank check for the rest of their career and Sorkin has cashed it in well.
Obviously, the film is best-known for its climactic confrontation between Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson. But the film goes to great lengths at setting up and earning that explosion, which showed that Sorkin could cover all beats of a film's story.
6 The Social Network: 7.7
It was David Fincher who took to The Social Network, the tale of Mark Zuckerberg and the founding of Facebook. Some have made the argument that it was the best movie of the decade. Either way, it's a true Sorkin classic.
Famously, the screenplay of The Social Network required its stars to talk as fast as possible. But the 2010 Best Picture nominee is about more than the dialogue; it was the story of one man's hubris dismantling everything he thought he ever loved.
5 The Trial Of The Chicago 7: 7.8
Sorkin's most recent release to the world, The Trial of the Chicago 7, is currently anticipating some potential Oscar victories. Until then, it's available to watch on Netflix, where it became an instant classic on the streamer.
That's the power of Sorkin. A movie of his arrives on Netflix and everyone who subscribes realizes how magnetic and rewatchable his stories are. This 2020 release returned him to the courtroom and paired him with stars like Sacha Baron Cohen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. It's a must-see.
4 Sports Night: 8.2
Venturing over into the television medium, the top four highest-rated Sorkin projects on IMDb are all his television shows. Beginning with his first entry, Sports Night, it's often considered an acclaimed series that was canceled too soon.
Paying homage to the 1990s era of SportsCenter with Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick, Sports Night starred Peter Krause, Josh Charles, and Felicity Huffman. Like many Sorkin projects, it tackled fascinating issues ahead of its time and seemed effortlessly cool while doing so.
3 Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip: 8.2
The most short-lived of Sorkin's series was Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Starring Matthew Perry and highly anticipated by NBC, it was considered an unstoppable juggernaut before it even aired.
However, 30 Rock, which began at the same time, wound up being the "behind the scenes of a sketch show" series that lasted. Studio 60, while it clearly has its backers, was the only Sorkin show to be canceled after one arc.
2 The Newsroom: 8.6
Sorkin at his most unleashed can be seen in HBO's The Newsroom. After all, with no network censors or concerns of viewership, he was allowed to create a series that was unabashedly his own, flaws and all.
The Newsroom may not be the most fondly remembered of Sorkin's series, but it clearly has a sterling reputation on IMDb. Plus, it earned Jeff Daniels an Emmy win and gave Dev Patel and Emily Mortimer the regular roles that they deserved.
1 The West Wing: 8.8
Coming in at the top spot on the Sorkin list, though, is The West Wing. Should anyone be surprised? The West Wing is not just a Sorkin staple; it's considered an all-timer in the pantheon of television dramas.
Granted, the 8.8 likely comes more for the years Sorkin was involved with the show, rather than in the later seasons when he had departed the program. But even just the episode, "Two Cathedrals," and the entire character of C.J. Cregg deserve the top position.
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April 22, 2021 at 05:30AM
