Walt Mossberg Not a Fan of Aaron Sorkin's Steve Jobs Biopic

Advertisement
By Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 22 October 2015 11:02 IST

The Steve Jobs movie - which had a limited release on October 9, with a full release due on Friday - has been getting a lot of attention for its portrayal of the iconic Apple founder. The latest person to speak about the film is journalist Walt Mossberg, who was a columnist for the Wall Street Journal for many years, and later started a new technology website called Re/code. Mossberg was one of the journalists who helped chronicle Apple's resurgence, and frequently met Jobs; so it's no surprise that he has his own perspective on the man, that he wrote about in 2011, when Jobs died.

In an article published on Wednesday, Mossberg writes about the upcoming movie, which was penned by Social Network writer Aaron Sorkin, and filmed by Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle, based on the biography written by Walter Isaacson, and starring Michael Fassbender as Jobs. Mossberg is deeply critical of the Steve Jobs biopic, and writes, "The Steve Jobs I knew isn't in this movie."

Advertisement

"Sorkin chose to cherry-pick and exaggerate some of the worst aspects of Jobs's character, and to focus on a period of his career when he was young and immature," writes Mossberg. "It would be as if you made a movie called 'JFK' almost entirely focused on Kennedy's womanising and political rivalries, and said nothing about civil rights and the Cuban Missile Crisis."

"Jobs's refined taste and dedication to high quality are treated in the movie purely as arrogance," Mossberg adds. "Yet, ironically, I am told by two people who knew him well that his sense of taste made him a huge fan of Sorkin's 'West Wing.'"

Advertisement

It's worth pointing out though, that while Mossberg knew Jobs for about 14 years - a fact that he spends an entire paragraph on, to drive home the point - he also admits that he didn't know Jobs during the early part of his career, and knew very little about Jobs' relationship with his daughter Lisa; which take up most of the movie.

On the other hand, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who did know Jobs - extremely well, particularly during that phase of his life - told Deadline Hollywood, "I feel like I was actually watching him."

Advertisement

Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue spoke out against the film, calling it "an inaccurate and mean spirited view of my friend," and adding, "not a reflection of the Steve I knew." Wozniak is one of the few people who knew Jobs well who seems to be willing to praise the film, and added that while the accuracy of some of the story is debatable, it does a fantastic job of bringing Jobs' personality to the screen. "The Jobs in the movie seems like the real Jobs in many ways."

 

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. OnePlus 16 Key Specifications Leaked Online 
  2. Motorola Edge 70 Neo India Launch Confirmed at IFA 2026
  3. Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra, Galaxy S27 Pro Reportedly Bag 3C Certification
  4. Tecno Camon Slim 5G With 6.59mm Thickness Announced: See Specifications
  5. Ai+ Nova 2 Power India Launch Confirmed; Key Specifications Teased
  6. Oppo Teases Find X10 and Find X10 Pro Max 200-Megapixel Cameras
  7. Xiaomi 18 Fold Launched With 7.58-Inch Main Display, 6,000mAh Battery
  8. WhatsApp Could Soon Allow Non-Users to Join Calls
  9. This OnePlus Smartphone Could Launch in India This Month: Expected Price
  1. Xiaomi 18 Fold Launched With 7.58-Inch Main Display, 200-Megapixel Leica-Backed Camera: Price, Features
  2. Rocket Loses $287,000 in Attack Targeting Dormant Perpetual Market
  3. WhatsApp May Launch a Guest Calls Feature, Allowing People Without an Account to Join Calls
  4. Sony and Guerrilla Games Reportedly Working on a New Killzone Project
  5. Ai+ Nova 2 Power Confirmed to Launch in India Soon; Teased to Feature 7,000mAh Battery, MediaTek Dimensity 7100 SoC
  6. Ripple’s Swell 2026 to Feature Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan at Institutional Summit
  7. iQOO 16 Tipped to Launch in September With Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Chip
  8. iQOO Pad Ultra Tipped to Launch With 8.8-Inch OLED Display, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 SoC, and More
  9. OnePlus 16 Tipped to Feature 9,000mAh Battery and 185Hz Display
  10. Samsung Galaxy A57, Galaxy A37 Prices Reportedly Hiked in India by Up to Rs 6,000: Here's What You Need to Know
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.