The Aaron Sorkin starter guide

The award-winning American writer, producer and director, Aaron Sorkin, turns 60 on Wednesday. From protests against the Vietnam War to an Olympic-class skier turned poker game host, no story has ever been too big or complex for Sorkin to handle. 

He is Hollywood’s answer to Marmite – you either love his writing, or you hate it. Sorkin’s scriptwriting technique has never relented or altered over the years: ultimately, he loves a hero. Whether it is an underdog presidential candidate or a group of activists set to go to prison, he brings the hero to life on screen. 

Turning 60 is a milestone, but Sorkin is no stranger to a celebration. From 2000-2003, he won an Emmy every year for The West Wing and an Oscar for Best Writing in 2011 for The Social Network. As the American Great embarks on the next decade of his life, here is a starter guide to his best work:

A Few Good Men 

Upon hearing the title, A Few Good Men, the mind most likely turns to Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise’s heated courtroom scene, resulting in Nicholson’s character’s famous outburst of “You can’t handle the truth!” But, the American military legal drama started its time on stage, written by Sorkin and first produced on Broadway by David Brown in 1989.

Set in the summer of 1986, the plot follows events after the death of US Marine Private Santiago after a poorly advised extrajudicial punishment called a “Code Red” on the US naval base in Guantánamo Bay. Private Downey and Lance Corporal Dawson are put on trial for the murder of Santiago, and US Navy Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee (played by Tom Cruise) is assigned to defend the two men.

The American President

In a concept that feels somewhat foreign to a contemporary audience, The American President involves the widowed President, Andrew Shepherd’s (Michael Douglas), pursuing a relationship with environmental lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening). All the while trying to pass a crime control bill during a re-election year. Martin Sheen also joins this cast as A.J. MacInerney, White House Chief of Staff.

It is not the last time Sheen and Sorkin will pair up in the Oval Office. Curiously, in a scene where The President enters a meeting, undetected by all but MacInerney, he slightly waves his fingers down, silently instructing him not to say a word. This gesture was then adopted by Sheen when he took on the role of President four years later in The West Wing.  

The West Wing

In 1999, viewers whose appetite had already been whet by The American President and A Few Good Men were about to be treated to seven seasons of Sorkin’s writing. The series follows Democratic President Josiah Barlett (Martin Sheen) and his administration as they attempt to run the country, tackling events from a presidential censure to a challenging re-election campaign and a terrorist attack. The show boasts a star-studded ensemble-style cast with the industry’s brightest stars, including Rob Lowe, Allison Janney and Stockard Channing.

Exquisite screenwriting is in no short supply across the 156 episodes (and a special one-off reunion episode that aired last year to encourage voting). Notable mentions go to the episode Two Cathedrals, where a Catholic President Barlett, grief-stricken by the sudden death of his secretary and life-long friend, tells God to go to hell before putting out a cigarette on the Cathedral floor.

Five series later, in Requiem, characters gather for the funeral of Leo McGarry, played by John Spencer, who passed away in real life – no acting was required. However, claiming first prize is a scene in Christmas special In Excelsis Deo, where a speechwriter uses the President’s name to organise a military funeral for a homeless veteran. The President reprimands him explaining everyone will soon require the same treatment, and the staffer’s response was simple: “We can only hope, Sir.” 

Charlie Wilson’s War

“Why does Congress say one thing and do nothing?” asks socialite Joanne Herring. “Well, it’s tradition mostly,” responds Congressman Charlie Wilson. In 2007, Sorkin returned to the big screen to write Wilson as a nonchalant partying congressman who was doing nothing to change the system he benefited from (until he met Herring, that is). Becoming a fast friend and romantic interest, she persuades him to help the Afghan people and persuades him to visit Pakistani leaders.

In his efforts, he also befriends Gust Avrakotos (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), a maverick CIA operative. For Sorkin, the feature marked a turning point in his writing career; accustomed to bringing stories to life, he now had the added pressure of tackling a plot based on a true story. He used this approach in Molly’s Game and The Social Network.

Moneyball

Moneyball is Sorkin’s cinematic take on Michael Lewis’ book of the same title (read our review of Lewis’ latest book The Premonition). Starring Brad Pitt, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Jonah Hill, the American biographical sports drama focuses on the story of the Oakland Athletics baseball team’s 2002 season and their general manager Billy Beane’s (Brad Pitt) attempts to assemble a competitive team.

Columbia Pictures bought the rights to Lewis’ book in 2004. But it wasn’t until 2009 that last-minute creative differences meant Sorkin was brought in for rewrites. Despite the late entrance, tell-tale signs of Sorkin’s thinking are prominent throughout, including emotive scenes between Beane and his daughter in a guitar shop after he fears he leaves her for life on the road too often.

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Sorkin’s latest project brought to life the story of the Chicago Seven, a group of anti–Vietnam War protesters who were charged with conspiracy and crossing state lines with the intention of inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The first screenplay was written in 2007, with the intent that Steven Speilberg would direct the production. However, when Spielberg dropped out after the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike and budget concerns, Sorkin stepped up.

Sorkin concludes the feature in a courtroom, just as he did in A Few Good Men. The judge tells Tom Hayden (played by Eddie Redmayne) he will look favourably on their sentence if he makes his statement respectful, remorseful and brief. Instead, he decided to read out the list of the victims’ name and ages who have died in the war since the trial took place. Sorkin captures the moment perfectly, and with eight nominations at the 2021 Oscars, clearly, the Academy agreed.