Andrew Garfield’s ‘The Social Network’ Performance Came for Everything

The big picture

• Garfield's performance a
  The Social Network
  he humanizes Eduardo Saverin, bringing a sense of innocence and humanity to the character.
• The chemistry between Garfield and Eisenberg elevates the film, showing the complex dynamic between Eduardo and Mark Zuckerberg.
• Garfield shines in Eduardo's cathartic scene, delivering iconic lines with power and intensity, cementing his performance as one of the best of his career.

Andrew Garfield has come a long way since then The Amazing Spider-Man. Over the years, he has become a beloved and critically acclaimed actor in film, television and theater, earning two Oscar nominations along the way. However, one of her best performances remains her breakout role The Social Network. Garfield brought Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin to the big screen in 2010 when David Fincher partnered with the legendary screenwriter Aaron Sorkin in an account of the creation of the technological conglomerate, Facebook, now known as Meta. while Jesse Eisenberg was deservedly nominated for an Oscar for his thrilling performance as CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Garfield's role remains one of the film's greatest strengths 15 years later.

His now-iconic “Sorry my Prada's at the cleaners,” which even has its own Genius page, is the high point of the film, but there's a lot more to Garfield's performance than this scene .. Although The Social NetworkNot entirely accurate to actual events, Garfield's Eduardo gives viewers someone to sympathize with and sympathize with. The little details he brings to the role, how his performance complements Eisenberg's (and vice versa) and his shining moment in this scene make Garfield's performance one of the best in the world. The Social Network and his career.

Andrew Garfield's “Social Network” performance is all about the little details

In his portrayal of Eduardo, Garfield brings a sense of humanity, and even innocence, to his character, due in part to the minute details he brings to the role, such as his physique. Compared to the stiff and serious Mark, Eduardo is more playful and down-to-earth, best illustrated by the awkward little dance he does in Caribbean Night. The way Eduardo adjusts his body language and speech to Mark's mood, which he picks up easily, is an important part of their relationship. The little details, like Eduardo's celebratory turn when he receives a second letter from the Phoenix and the way he not-so-subtly puts his arm around Christy (Brenda Song) when Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) asks him what he wants to drink, so that Eduardo feels more human and more relatable.

Just before Eduardo learns of the cease and desist letter, there is a throwaway moment where he grabs two beers from the fridge, one for himself and one for Mark. He opens them and as he starts to pass one to Mark, he finds Mark opening the fridge himself, seemingly not expecting the gesture. Just for a second, Eduardo looks a little disappointed and even offended that Mark assumed he wouldn't get him a beer. Eduardo interprets it and the scene continues, but this brief moment shows how these small details from Garfield contribute not only to Eduardo's character but also to the driving force of the film: Mark and Eduardo's relationship.

Andrew Garfield and Jesse Eisenberg make a great duo

The Social Network follows a small set of characters who participated in the creation of Facebook, such as Sean Parker, Divya Narendra (Max Minghella), and the Winklevoss twins (Armie Hammer), so Eduardo doesn't get much solo screen time. We get to know Eduardo mainly through his interactions with Mark; and for that reason, much of Garfield's performance depends on his chemistry with Eisenberg. Garfield and Eisenberg's performances complement each other perfectly, and the complex dynamic between Eduardo and Mark is at the heart of The Social Network. The story of Facebook's beginnings is framed by Mark's two deposition hearings as he faces two lawsuits: one from Divya and the Winklevoss twins alleging that Mark stole their idea, and one from Eduardo for having- removed from the company. When the movie focuses on Eduardo's lawsuit, we really see how the bond between him and Mark was broken for good when he betrayed Eduardo by diluting his shares.

In the fall of 2003, Mark and Eduardo are best friends, although their relationship is clearly one-sided. The unbalanced nature of their friendship only worsens as they launch and expand Facebook, resulting in a betrayal of Shakespearean proportions when Sean successfully comes between them. Eduardo always considered Facebook a joint venture with Mark, while Mark had unspoken reservations about sharing credit with his best friend. When Mark and Eduardo are alone together, it becomes clear how much Eduardo knows him and how his brain works, even picking up small changes in Mark's body language when something bothers him or distracts him. When Mark is rejected by the Phoenix, one of Harvard's coveted final clubs, we see Eduardo find a way to soften the blow when he suggests that his own acceptance was “probably a diversity thing,” to which Mark is agreement After Eduardo makes the second cut, Mark feigns support with a backhand comment that Eduardo quickly brushes off, indicating that he is used to Mark's often insensitive teasing.

Garfield and Eisenberg work symbiotically to flesh out Eduardo and Mark's friendship, and the deposition scenes offer even more insight into their dysfunctional relationship. During bowel movements, Eduardo is cold and tired, while Mark is bitterness personified. Even though Eduardo is suing him for hundreds of millions of dollars, Mark can't help but nod as Eduardo succinctly tells parts of the story that he would have struggled to do himself. Mark can't (or won't) hide his disdain for the whole deposition process, interjecting snide comments and pompously flexing his immense wealth and power. The statement also allows Mark and Eduardo to say things to each other, through their lawyers, that they would otherwise never have shared, but it is too late for reconciliation. Garfield (who was almost cast as Mark) and Eisenberg are a flawless duo, and their standout performances are tied together, though Garfield gets one particular moment to shine on his own.

Andrew Garfield steals the show with this scene

Eduardo was Mark's best friend, right hand man and emotional punching bag. The tensions between Eduardo and Mark, and especially between Eduardo and Sean, put a strain on their relationship, and when Eduardo finally breaks, it will be slow. We've seen Eduardo get angry, angry, and even angry, but when he finds out that his Facebook shares have been diluted to 0.03%, he's in pure rage. After spending so much time adjusting to Mark and trying to find advertisers for the site, he is unceremoniously kicked out of the company, pushing him to his breaking point. Garfield commands the screen in Eduardo's big moment of catharsis as he walks over to Mark's desk and smashes his computer.

As dramatic as this pivotal scene is, Garfield also gets to deliver two of the most iconic lines from Sorkin's Oscar-winning screenplay, “Sorry, my Prada is in the cleaners along with my hoodie and my flip flops, you pretentious idiot.” Eduardo shouts this colorful insult for everyone in the office to hear, but when he warns Mark, “Better than the lawyer in the pendejo, because I'm not coming back for 30%, I'm coming back for everything,” he does it in a threatening whisper. According to Garfield, she chose to whisper that line for a reason, sharing with BuzzfeedCeleb in 2021, “I wanted that line to hurt more than if I just shouted it. I wanted it to stay in her fucking soul.” After watching their legal teams argue behind conference tables throughout the film, Eduardo's rage-fueled showdown feels like the moment we've all been waiting for. Even though he just walked out of a company he co-founded, he still leaves the building feeling vindicated.

After his prominent role in The Social NetworkGarfield had a career full of stellar performances, most recently in Tick, Tick… Boom! i Under the banner of heaven. with The Social Network newly available on Max, there's no time like the present to revisit one of Garfield's best performances to date.

The Social Network is available to stream on Max in the US.

LOOK AT MAX