News Brief: Sorkin's "Chicago 7" Retcons 1960's Radicals as Boring Liberals in GOTV Thriller

The way Sorkin sort of evaded Bobby seale is so frustrating because Seize the Time is so interesting and his perspective and experience was so deep. His time in jail with Jerry Rubin could have been a better duo than Rubin/Hoffman in my opinion.

Juliet Saxton

The sort of deference to process and the "getting better people in there" sort of mentality reminds me serial season 3 and nice white parents, serial productions new podcast. Both portray incredibly unsettling phenomena with clarity but then at the end they just sort of say "well maybe the people should be nicer"

Thanks guys, now I'm definitely going to watch it! "Bobby, don't go to Chicago - we gotta phonebank for Hubert Humphrey!" There has been a misconception that though the politics of his oeuvre is and has been abominable, nevertheless Sorkin is a good writer. However, he seems to adopt a 'tell, don't show' attitude to writing drama, and as has been pointed out frequently on The West Wing Thing podcast, there is only one character in an Aaron Sorkin work: Aaron Sorkin. He does seem to have a knack for producing compelling dramas, but that's a matter of pacing rather than intricate plotting - that's why it's possible to binge-watch The West Wing and sit right the way through something like Charlie Wilson's War. It's a series of expensive sets, prestigious casts and rat-a-tat-tat dialogue designed to hook you and yet distract you from the ongoing plotholes, dreadful characterisation, authorial grandstanding and, of course, the rampant misogyny/racism. He's the screenwriting equivalent of Tomacco. I suggest checking out a Mitchell and Webb sketch involving a pair of lazy TV writers who produced a legal drama called 'Speedo'. It has all the hallmarks of a Sorkin badass lawyer series!

Ciaran Colley

Love that you guys mention how Sorkin plagiarizes himself. He's not the only writer to do that of course. But he's easily the most egregious offender.

Eli

I found the movie very entertaining and enjoyable. But I am a simpleton. Came here to see why. I don't think the movie deserves hate but absolutely agreed with the assessments and how the movie never said one anti capitalists thing through the whole movie. I still think it can be used as a talking point with friends and even a bridge to leftist views.

Ryan

Very generous reading!

Citations Needed

Just a little “um actually” for ya, I thought Seale was referring to Bobby Hutton, not Kennedy

Is it too much to hope for that you guys will suffer through the West Wing special for our listening pleasure?

Sam Humleker

Thanks for this review. Another awful moment: when Sorkin makes it the Prosecutor’s idea to give Bobby Seale a mistrial.... In reality it was the defense attorney.