Jobs

Movie Title--  Jobs

Release Year--  2013

Running Time--  2 Hours and 8 Minutes

Director--  Joshua Michael Stern

Cast--  Ashton Kutcher, Josh Gad, Dermot Mulroney, Lukas Haas, Matthew Modine, J.K. Simmons, Brad William Henke

The story of Steve Jobs from when he dropped out of college in 1974 to 1997 when he is named CEO of Apple Computers.

The story begins in 2011 with the unveiling of the Apple IPod, after which is a flashback to 1974, with Steve Jobs (Ashton Kutcher) who has already dropped out of college.  He is allowed to still attend classes because the Dean of the school allows him to. Next it is 1976 and Jobs is working for Atari when he forms a partnership with Steve Wozniak (Josh Gad).  Jobs sees that Woz has build his own personal computer and talks him into taking it to the Homebrew Computer Club.  They come up with the company name Apple Computers and while they are there they enter into a  contract to sell their first computer, the Apple I.  Jobs asks permission from his father to set up a workshop in his garage and when he says yes, Jobs adds four more employees to help make and deliver the Apple I.  Paul Terrell (Brad William Henke) who held the contract for the sell of the Apple I was disappointed and Jobs went else where to find capital to build on.

After unsuccessful attempts to gain capital, Mike Markkula (Dermot Mulroney) offers Jobs the capital he needs and in 1977 they unveil the Apple II at the West Coast Computer Faire.  Apple is a huge success and as he begins to gain fame, he starts distancing himself from his friends and breaks up with his girlfriend when she tells him she is pregnant.  Even after his daugther, Lisa, is born, he denys that she is his and continues to be erratic in his personal and work lives.  He is forced off the Lisa Computer team and put on the Macintosh Group to help design and produce the newest model.  He also brings in high ranking Pepsi excuitive, John Sculley (Matthew Modine).  The Machintosh was introduced in 1984 but it couldn't save Jobs and he was forced out of the company in 1985.

Flashforward to 1996, Jobs has accepted Lisa as his daughter, he is married with 2 children and he is running a new company called NeXT that Apple is in the process of acquiring.  The new CEO of Apple asks Jobs to come back as a consultant and soon, Jobs is replacing him as CEO.  He fires the men that helped to push him out of Apple 11 years earlier and works to reinvent Apple.

I was very reluctant when it came to this film.  Let me just say, for the record, I am not a huge fan of Apple or Steve Jobs.  Do I have an Ipod?  Sure I do, but that is about where the "Apple love" I have ends.  Nothing against an Apple, it just isn't really my cup of tea.  That being said, although I have never been a fan of Steve Jobs, there is no denying that he is a forefather of current technology.  The man truly was brilliant, I just wasn't sure how I felt about Ashton Kutcher playing Steve Jobs.  I mean, when I think of Ashton Kutcher, I think of stoner and silly romantic comedies but I was quite pleased to see him in a serious, adult role.  He did do a very good job of playing this serious role and making you actually believe that you are watching Steve Jobs through his ups and downs.

The acting in the movie is pretty good and over all, this film was portrayed in a way that makes you actually want to sit down and watch a bio topic film.  Steve Jobs' story is one that any young person, looking to make a difference in the world should hear or in the case of the film, should see, because Jobs does have a very inspiring story and it shows how far you can go and what you can accomplish if you never give up.

Overall, I would say that if you are looking for a serious movie about someone real, this is a good film to pick up.  I will warn you by saying, I had a hard time sitting through the first fifteen minutes of the film.  I just didn't like the beginning and it truly almost made me lose interest in the film altogether but if you can make it through that part, it is a pretty decent film.  Check this movie out tonight, inspire yourself to do something world changing and Don't Forget the Popcorn.