Aaron Sorkin Apologizes for Blasting Tim Cook's 'Opportunistic' Comment

[techwarrior]

Sorkin realizes he can't have a successful movie if Apple fans are pissed at him for irresponsible comments. So, he apologizes, sincerely perhaps, in hopes of salvaging his movie.

Tim Cook speaks from the heart, and probably rightly identifies the collection of books and movies about Steve to be opportunistic (would they even be having this discussion if Steve were alive). Is he wrong? Do his products success in the market hinge on anything Sorkin says, does, thinks?

Who exactly does Sorkin think he is demanding an apology? I say, let him beg for forgiveness when his beloved movie hits Netflix on week 2 due to empty theaters.

 

[Andres Cantu]

Of course he couldn't. Apple is a company with enough fans to bury his movie with hate. Also, Apple fans make up 40-60% of the people who would watch his movie.

I agree, he should have used his common sense. Too bad some people act before they think.

 

[Rogifan]

So Cook never mentioned Sorkin's movie by name yet Sorkin's assumed Cook was referring to his move. Why would Sorkin assume that?

 

[jm001]

The film is based on Walter Isaacson's best-selling biography, which Cook has said does a "tremendous disservice" to the Steve Jobs that he knew. The movie follows Jobs during three product launches, providing a behind-the-scenes look at how Jobs interacted with friends, colleagues and family.

Wait how can Tim Cook say that the book did a "tremendous disservice" to the Jobs he knew when it was the book that Jobs wanted written? Jobs hired Isaacson and told him to interview all who intimately and professionally knew him. Jobs encouraged all those interviewed to speak truthfully and hold nothing back. There is nothing for Cook to defend and he should encourage the reading of this book. Seeing that the movie is based on the book, Cook should further encourage the film to be seen and celebrate the complicated man that was Steve Jobs.

 

[Lolito]

You've got to be kidding.....

Not kidding at all, you may belive their expensive marketing, but selling 700$ phones that will be replaced in 2 years, computers with no upgradable ram, propietary drive interfaces, no reparability.

For god sake, take a look at ifixit.com if you wdon't belive me. Solar panels means nothing if planned obsolescence is in place.

 

[Lolito]

Why don't you think it's possible that in the heat of the moment Sorkin said some childish things (whether you like Apple or not you have to admit that Sorkin's tone and facts sound like a bad forum comment on Engadget) and has now had a change of heart. What possible implications could there be for his career and this movie? He fired the first shot so the publicity had already begun. If anything, it's more likely that his first comments were lies and meant to stir up something.

Regardless, I think his statements came from a place of emotion and not intellect which is similar to Cook's comments too. The only difference is that Cook isn't being interviewed all month long to promote a movie. Otherwise maybe Cook would clarify and say that he hasn't seen Sorkin's movie and was limping them all together with things he heard from other movies.

I think lawyers from either Apple or the Films studio pushed Srokin to retract. And I think your thoughts seem to be as those from someone living in Alice in Wonderland world. But hey, kudos to you, and flower power too for such a happy mentality, although in my view, a few light years disconnected from this world of corporate bullies.

 

[NissanGuy23]

I think its cool that he apologized

 

[brendu]

Who exactly does Sorkin think he is demanding an apology? I say, let him beg for forgiveness when his beloved movie hits Netflix on week 2 due to empty theaters.

Who does he think he is indeed. Tim Cook has arguably done more to help people around the world live better lives in the 4 years he has been the leader of Apple than Sorkin has done for others in his entire life. The guy seems like a typical Hollywood entitled schmuck.

 

[xmichaelp]

He's just giving himself another reason to be attached to Cook thus be in the headlines.

Cook was not wrong in saying making movies about people who died is being opportunistic.

 

[deno]

Who does he think he is indeed. Tom Cook has arguably done more to help people around the world live better lives in the 4 years he has been the leader of Apple than Sorkin has done for others in his entire life. The guy seems like a typical Hollywood entitled schmuck.

Go Tom!

 

[Daws001]

I like that Sorkin just blurted out what he was thinking. It provides insight into the type of guy he is. This apology was no doubt a result of some "nudging" from lawyers and/or studio execs. I bet he's a joy to work with

 

[Michael Goff]

And when Cook called the film opportunistic without even seeing it? Isn't it prejudice?

And by the way a monkey knows that you aren't going to make money out of this. Not that kind of film.

Apple is not God and Cook is not pure as driven snow. Fanboys are real though. That's sad.

He called the idea opportunistic. He didn't have to see the movie to think the idea of so many SJ movies being opportunistic. And, once again, none of this excuses him lying. You can throw around fanboy all you want, but he threw out a lie.

I agree, he should have used his common sense. Too bad some people act before they think.

Thinking is something rare these days.

 

[doelcm82]

So Cook never mentioned Sorkin's movie by name yet Sorkin's assumed Cook was referring to his move. Why would Sorkin assume that?

It's a total mystery why Sorkin would think that.

And why The Verge would assume that:
And while Cook hasn't seen Man in the Machine or Sony's Steve Jobs, he doesn't seem pleased with the trend. "I think that a lot of people are trying to be opportunistic, and I hate this; it’s not a great part of our world."

And why MacRumors would make the same mistake:
On the topic of recent movies about Steve Jobs, including the upcoming "Steve Jobs" film by Aaron Sorkin and the just-released "Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine" documentary by Alex Gibney, Cook noted he hasn't seen the films but that he objects to some of the negative portrayals of Jobs.

I mean, the question Colbert asked was, "How do you feel about those movies coming out about the guy you worked with for so many years?" Where on earth would anyone get the idea that Tim Cook's answer would pertain to the highest profile Steve Jobs movie coming out? Cook could easily have been taking about every upcoming Steve Jobs movie except the one titled "Steve Jobs". It just stands to reason that he didn't mean that movie, and everyone jumped to the wrong conclusion.

Come to think of it, how do we know Sorkin was even talking about his own movie? He only calls it "this movie" and "the movie". He doesn't mention the movie by name, or even say "my movie". He could have been defending some other movie from Cook's criticism. Why do we assume he's talking about the movie he made? There's no reason to jump wildly to that conclusion.

 

[Andres Cantu]

Thinking is something rare these days.

Unfortunately you might be right...

 

[brendu]

Go Tom!

Lol whoops

 

[dannys1]

I agree, he really went out of his way to paint everything as negative so he could had a big redemption in the end. It was the classic film arc. Person finds early success, success goes to their head and they alienate everyone, do the walk of shame alone with the self introspection, and come back with a big splash and it turns out they were good all along, you just didn't know it. It really read like a typical Hollywood movie. Probably why it fit a film so well.

Yeah now you say it, you're right. I generally enjoyed it, but I just found it made him sound like an idiot from more or less just after they started Apple in the garage until he returned - it kept saying how every decision he made was wrong, everything was a mistake, every product was a failure and i'm sat there thinking - but Apple went from being a garage project to a multi-million pound company in this time, so they must have got something right!

 

[Solomani]

Heh. Cook and Sorkin calling the other an opportunist.

It's like Rush Limbaugh and Donald Trump accusing each other of being racist.

 

[scottsjack]

Slow news day? Sorkin & Cook. I care more about the wind blowing through the shrub outside my office window.

 

[whatthewhereis]

Given the context of Cook's original comments, I'm pretty sure he was referring mostly to the "other" Steve Jobs movie (Steve Jobs: Man in the Machine). Colbert kind of asked him about both, but I think Tim was using his stock answer that may not apply quite as much to Sorkin's movie.

That's what I thought as well...then Sorkin loses it.

 

[HiRez]

He wasn't commenting on Sorkin's film. Watch the clip.

It was in the context of talking about the new film, which he lumps into his "opportunistic" comments with the other Jobs movies. He's definitely painting the new movie with the same brush. It's a fairly minor thing though, I understand the sensitivity about it because he's right that there is opportunism around Jobs' death.

 

[PJL500]

yeuch... watching corporate wags make up... .

 

[samcraig]

Looks like someone is actually being mature about it. I don't fault Sorkin for getting upset at Tim's comment. He has every right to defend his product as much as Tim has to defend his. Why some people here want to condemn Sorkin (only) on this and/or mock his apology coming from a dis-genuine place is less mature (in my opinion) than Sorkin's comment.

 

[MysteriousStain]

It's a shame that a man making amends is vilified by some. It takes balls to admit you were wrong.

 

[dec.]

the "17 cent child labor"-thingy doesn't seem to spoil the fun he is having with Apple products according to his apology anyway and Tim Cook never addressed Sorkin or his movie specifically either. So who knows what was really meant in first place...

 

[gijoeinla]

Absolutely! He must've referring to that scathing documentary by Gibney that's in theatres now and the Ashton Kucher movie that started shooting before the body was cold. What's crazy is that Sorkin GOES OFF about how Cook shouldn't judge until he sees the movie, but I'm guessing that Sorkin himself never even saw the Colbert clip! The roided-up way he responded makes me think a friend of his probably told him about the interview the next day: "Tim Cook went on The Late Show and trashed your film for being opportunistic!" If he'd actually seen the clip he'd know that Cook's mellow response was more like mild disappointment from a Sunday school teacher than any kind of definitive personal attack.

Lastly, if the movie's not even out yet, and it's the only Jobs film to get such glowing advanced press (hell, WOZ loved it!) then there's a decent chance Cook might actually like it too! He just doesn't strike me as the kind of reactionary, knee jerk yahoo who'd trash something before he saw it.

Aaron Sorkin just alienated a huge number of Apple/Cook fans with what, ironically, seems like a rather Jobsian outburst.

What cracks me up is Sorkin went APESH*T over a completely undirected remark by Cook.

Then Sorkin speaks for Cook in his "apology" saying "we" both went overboard.

Um no...

Sorkin went nuts. His Hollywood attitude ran way over anything Cook said. (I live and work in this industry - Earth to Sorkin -- This industry is made up of nothing but opportunists L O L! You would NEVER have made this film if it hadn't presented a GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY to make a film about Steve Jobs. Dude your remarks were reminiscent of a creative guy having a hissy fit and totally overreacting to the sum of NOTHINGNESS.

Grow up and be a man and keep your apology singular! Speak only of yourself.