Sorkin: Directing gaps are hardest to fix

Aaron Sorkin admitted on Monday that he is uncertain whether he can improve at directing. The 65-year-old screenwriter stated that the specific skills he lacks in filmmaking are the ones that cannot be taught. He compared his current standing to a football coach who has all the right tools but cannot make them work together on the field.

Sorkin made these remarks during an interview at the Newport Beach Film Festival. He received the Maverick Director Award for The Social Reckoning, a film he wrote and directed. The movie centers on Facebook and the whistleblower who exposed the company's knowledge of its societal harm. It is the second feature Sorkin has helmed since moving behind the camera a decade ago.

The film had a difficult release. Sony opened the picture in theaters on Oct. 9. Critics have been largely unkind, with the film holding a 54 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. Box office numbers reflect that reception. The movie has grossed $15 million worldwide against a $40 million production budget. This stands in contrast to The Social Network, which Sorkin wrote 16 years ago and David Fincher directed to massive acclaim.

Sorkin explained that Fincher was his first choice to direct The Social Reckoning. He noted that Fincher has an exclusive deal with Netflix, while Sony owned the rights to this project. Sorkin has written for many directors over his 35-year career, including Rob Reiner, Mike Nichols, and Danny Boyle. He said he learned from working with them, but the technical aspects of camera work remained elusive.

"I was surprised by how little of the science of filmmaking I’d managed to absorb," Sorkin said. He added that he has no visual sensibility. He contrasted this with screenwriting, where he believes parts of the craft can be taught. He expressed worry that his directing weaknesses lie in the area he defines as talent.

Sorkin also discussed his other recent projects. He is rewriting A Few Good Men for a new production at Lincoln Center. He described the current version as different from his original 1992 play. He noted that he is working on the rewrite while sober and clean, a shift from the decade of his life he lost to drugs when he first wrote the piece. He also commented on the state of the mid-range film, suggesting his recent scripts would now likely be streaming projects rather than theatrical releases.

The writer expressed a desire to revive The West Wing. He said he misses the cast and the show, particularly in the current media climate. However, he noted the challenge of finding a new story that justifies the characters' return. The cast has aged since the series ended, a factor he did not anticipate when he wrote the original episodes.