Sorkin' In It
Hosted by Lex Friedman and Brian Warren
You know Aaron Sorkin from his success in television, but he’s written many feature films, too. Join Lex Friedman and Brian Warren as they watch each Sorkin movie, in order, and share their analyses of his films — and his journey as a writer.
2.3 The 112th Congress (The Newsroom S1E3)
Fire up your fax machine, because this episode of The Newsroom offers all the ingredients of a classic Sorkin show, with multiple plot lines, jumping forward and back in time, grandiose speeches, and Sorkinisms like “Can we have the room please?” But, does it hold together? Your pals Lex and Brian decide if it’s time to BLEEP around or just play golf in another episode of Sorkin’ in It.
Previous Episodes
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September 13, 2023
2.2 News Night 2.0 (The Newsroom S1E2)
Lex and Brian were excited to dive into the second episode of The Newsroom, News Night 2.0. Fresh off the high of their successes in Episode 1, now Will’s team drops the ball a few times with some pretty predictable gaffes — but we also get meet a few new interesting characters. Is News Night 2.0 2 much 2 soon? Let Brian and Lex tell you.
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September 6, 2023
2.1 We Just Decided To (The Newsroom S1E1)
We kick off Season 2 with the pilot for The Newsroom, Aaron Sorkin’s series about the inner workings of, well, a newsroom. There are plenty of new characters to meet (with a surprising number of Mac/Mc/Mack names to keep track of), but your ol’ pals Brian and Lex will help try to keep things straight while we discuss what to expect for the season and break down episode one. Step into the control room, don your headset, straighten your papers on the desk, and let’s get Sorkin’ In It!
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August 31, 2023
2.0 Season 2: The Newsroom
Lex and Brian finished reviewing all of Sorkin’s movies. You may find yourself sad, disappointed, and wanting more. Well, turn those frowns upside down, folks! Lex and Brian looked into it, and here’s some breaking news: Aaron Sorkin doesn’t just write movies, but he does TV, too. Season 2 starts soon, and here’s the trailer. We’re diving deep on The Newsroom.
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June 29, 2023
9 The Trial of the Chicago 7
The year is 1968. The setting is Chicago, at the Democratic National Convention. Tensions are high. And Lex and Brian are ready to hold court, with a podcast about Aaron Sorkin’s 9th film, The Trial of Chicago 7.
Sorkin assembles yet another incredible cast, this time with Sasha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Jeremy Strong, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. We won’t spoil our takes on the film until you listen to the show, but we’ll just say this: Some of the cast is guilty… of the best accent work yet in Sorkin’s oeuvre. Bang the gavel — it’s Sorkin time.
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June 22, 2023
8 Molly’s Game
Lex and Brian discuss Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut, Molly’s Game. It’s the classic tale of a former world-class skier turned underground elite poker game runner. Jessica Chastain turns in a command performance, but how does the story hold together when Sorkin as both the writer and director? Find out as Lex and Brian go all in on poker puns with their take on the film: This is the hand you’re dealt; let the chips fall where they may.
One last thing… Listen up, Hollywood. If you write 3 P’s on a whiteboard, don’t erase the whiteboard between shots. You’re not going to write it the same way the next time, and people like Brian and Lex will notice. This is table stakes, folks.
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June 15, 2023
7 Steve Jobs
When a film is called “Steve Jobs,” it can be hard to separate your feelings about the movie from the person it’s based on, but Lex and Brian are willing to try — and they might even thank the Apple II team, while they’re at it. They also reminisce about their first Macs and their own Apple origin stories. Whether it’s Sorkin’s artistic choices or Jobs’s life choices, it’s all on the desktop for Lex & Brian. Turn on Do Not Disturb, because it’s time for another Classic episode of Sorkin’ In It.
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June 8, 2023
6 Moneyball
Batter up: It’s time for another episode of your favorite Aaron Sorkin film podcast, and Lex & Brian hit it out of the park. This time, it’s 2011’s “Moneyball” with Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, and Philip Seymour Hoffman (sadly, no Joshua Malina). Lex throws a curveball: He’s not sure this even IS a Sorkin film. Either way, this is the only Moneyball-focused podcast that mentions Richard Kind’s cat. Grab your peanuts and Cracker Jacks, folks: It’s time for Sorkin’ In It.
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June 2, 2023
5 The Social Network
You know what’s cooler than a million podcasts? Just one podcast, all about The Social Network. Brian and Lex go deep on whether Aaron Sorkin even likes Zuck, whether Justin Timberlake can handle Sorkin dialogue like a pro, and whether this is Andrew Garfield’s best web-related role.
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May 25, 2023
4 Charlie Wilson’s War
Lex and Brian watch Charlie Wilson’s War, the 2007 film starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. It’s a journey of discovery that includes bugged Scotch, truly awful accents, and watching CNN from the hot tub. And that’s just while Lex and Brian were recording this episode.