Steve Jobs

“Steve Jobs” takes place behind the scenes, minutes before the launch of the Macintosh. We see Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender) passionately debating the importance of the personal computer saying “Hello,” and the somewhat tyrannical whirlwind that ensues when his ex and their daughter (which Jobs denies paternity) are seeking more money for the support of her and the mother. That’s just the opening of act 1.

This film is depicted in three acts, showing what happens minutes up to the launch of the Macintosh, the NeXT cube, and the iMac. The style is perfect for telling the story of one man, summing up the legend that has become Steve Jobs in three simple acts. Brilliant!

Let’s start with the acting. Michael Fassbender is flawless as Steve Jobs. I was blown away, as a fan of Fassbender, but I was concerned, because he didn’t look exactly like Jobs. It didn’t matter. Another truly amazing performance is given by Jeff Daniels as John Sculley. There is a scene between these two actors that is marvelous. Kate Winslet is good as Joanna Hoffman, however her accent is inconsistent. Seth Rogen as Steve Wozniak is forgettable, in comparison.

Like most Hollywood films, it has objectionable content—primarily swearing and blasphemies. The name “Jesus Christ” is misused (3 times), “Jesus” (1), “G*d-damn” (2), “God” (1), “hell” (7), f-words (over 20), s-words (9), SOB (1), “a**” (1), “d*ck” (1). There is a child out of wedlock, and the aftermath of how it affects the daughter.

Now to biblical aspects. At one point, Job is confronted about the demanding way he treats people. His reply: “God sent His son on a suicide mission, but we still love Him because he made trees.” There is another line in the film that stuck out. Jobs (Fassbender) states that God created the universe in seven days. Whether he believed that or not, I found it refreshing. We live in a society where God has been taken out of everything and not given credit for His Creation. Children are taught that life arose by random chance and natural processes with no intelligence behind it. How can we look at things, like computers, and know that they had an intelligent designer, but miss the complexities of the human eye, brain and all the intricate systems within our bodies (that surpass that of any computer) and say that there was no intelligence behind it. In the beginning, God created the heavens and Earth in 6 literal days. He CREATED everything and everyone. To God alone be the glory.

I was not too familiar with Steve Jobs before viewing this film; I watched clips of the iMac launch and skimmed a couple of articles about him. From that I got a the view of an antagonized computer nerd with grand ideas. As that’s is how he is portrayed in the film. However, my perception of him expanded by the film’s end; I felt as if I knew him better—knew him as a very flawed man, who felt rejected since childhood and fought that rejection his entire life—using a way of communication that was harsh and cold due to a longing for eternal peace, which couldn’t be found anywhere, but in Christ. When he died, I immediately wanted to know if he was a Christian. Apparently, he traded the truth of Christ for lies of Buddhism.

As for a recommendation, I would be mindful of the swearing and blasphemous language, but this film has such a dynamic cast and story; it is a movie that may be worth watching for some.

Violence: Minor / Profanity: Extreme / Sex/Nudity: Minor

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