The screenplay for The Trial of the Chicago 7 was originally written by Aaron Sorkin in 2007. Well-renowned movie director Steven Spielberg was set to direct this but the film was halted and then delayed. Both Sorkin and Spielberg were passionate about this topic and throughout the years, efforts were made by both to resurrect the production of the film. During this time, the film went through multiple directors and had issues with budget but Spielberg was able to push through a budget of $35 million from Paramount.1 It was not until 2020 that the film was finally released, with Sorkin directing; it was originally planned to be released in theaters but following the spread of COVID in 2020 and the global-wide shutdowns that occurred as a result, that method was no longer feasible.2It had a limited release in select theaters but was primarily shown and viewed on Netflix where it was met with fairly favorable reviews. The film was nominated for many awards and even won for Best Motion Picture and Best Screenplay at the Golden Globe Awards.3 This was truly a passion project for director Aaron Sorkin and when asked about the struggle in juggling historical facts with creative liberties, he makes a comparison between the differences and similarities between a photograph and a painting. He notes, “people’s lives don’t line up in scenes that form a narrative, so writers have to do that […] you’re not getting journalism from me, it’s a painting. It’s not a photograph.”4 To him, movies should not be a 1:1 recreation of actual events and should be able to take creative liberties in order to actually tell an impactful story.
Being that the film was made more than 50 years after the trial, it can not be considered as being a viable primary source for the events in question. The film serves more as a secondary source, despite minor inconsistencies and inaccuracies as a result of creative licenses being taken, since it offers a dramatized adaptation of the events of the actual trial; Sorkin is himself aware that his rendition of the trial is merely an interpretation. He takes creative liberties that create a narrative that is interesting and engaging for viewers. While, I would suggest researching the topic after watching the film, I still the film is a very relevant and provocative work that only adds to the overall history of the trial. It also serves as a primary source for the period it was made in, 2019-2020, because it highlights events that mirror those that happen around the time of film production (such as the 2016 presidential election and the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement)5. As a result, the film serves as a sort of social commentary on the state of the country.
- “WGFestival 2020: In Conversation with Aaron Sorkin (Writer/Director, The Trial of the Chicago 7).” YouTube. Accessed November 19, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfsCvFQ8Fcc. ↩︎
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- The Trial of the Chicago 7: Fact v. Drama. Anonymous London, England: The Economist, 2021. https://search-alexanderstreet-com.umw.idm.oclc.org/view/work/bibliographic_entity|video_work|5119349. ; Thompson, Anne. “IndieWire.” IndieWire, January 4, 2021. https://www.indiewire.com/awards/industry/aaron-sorkin-the-trial-of-the-chicago-7-1234606716/ ↩︎
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