Sorkin admits directing limits after 'Social Reckoning' flop

Aaron Sorkin believes his natural talent may not extend to the director's chair, a conclusion he reached after watching 'The Social Reckoning' fail to connect with audiences. The 65 year old screenwriter, best known for 'The Social Network' and 'The West Wing,' made the assessment while accepting the Maverick Director Award at the Newport Beach Film Festival last week.

The film, which Sony released in theaters on October 9, is a drama centered on Facebook's internal awareness of its harmful societal effects. It stars Mikey Madison as a whistleblower and Jeremy Allen White as a journalist, with Jeremy Strong playing Mark Zuckerberg. The project marks a return to the world Sorkin wrote for David Fincher in 2010, though this time Sorkin stood behind the camera himself.

The reception has been mixed. 'The Social Reckoning' currently holds a 54 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes and has grossed $15 million worldwide. Those numbers fall short of the expectations set by its $40 million production budget and the reputation of its writer.

Sorkin noted that he was the second choice to direct the film. He explained that he would have preferred David Fincher, who holds an exclusive deal with Netflix, but the project was owned by Sony. This led to Sorkin taking on the role despite his primary identity as a writer.

During the interview, Sorkin expressed concern about the skills that can be taught versus those that must be innate. He compared screenwriting and directing, stating that while parts of writing can be learned, the core of talent cannot. He said he is worried that the specific aspects of directing where he struggles are the ones that cannot be taught.

"I'm very worried that the parts of directing that I'm not good at are those parts that you can't learn," Sorkin said. He admitted to being surprised by how little of the technical science of filmmaking he had absorbed over his career. He described himself as lacking a visual sensibility, a gap he feels was more pronounced than he anticipated.

Sorkin acknowledged that his previous directing efforts, including 'Molly's Game' and 'The Trial of the Chicago 7,' received critical pushback. He compared his current state to a football coach after a loss, arguing that the winning elements are present but have not yet aligned. He remains eager to collaborate with established directors, citing Rob Reiner and Danny Boyle as influences, but accepts that the learning curve is steeper than expected.

Beyond the new film, Sorkin discussed the changing landscape of Hollywood. He suggested that most of his previous works, excluding 'A Few Good Men,' would likely be streaming series today rather than theatrical features. He also revealed that he is rewriting his 1992 play 'A Few Good Men' for a new Lincoln Center production, describing the process as a return to the work after a long period of personal struggle and sobriety.