Charlie Wilson’s War isn’t winning any battles at the box office (just under $10m its opening weekend), but it still makes it as one of my favorite films of the year. As a longtime fan of its writer Aaron Sorkin, I thought this might be the perfect opportunity to discuss his incredible career with a short “best of” compilation. Here’s a list of the must-see material written by one of the best writers in the business:

A Few Good Men

Contrary to popular belief, we were all able to handle the truth. And if you don’t know what that means, run, don’t walk, to your nearest video store to rent this now-classic military drama that features Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, and Demi Moore. What do you need, an engraved invitation?

The American President

What began as a really great Rob Reiner film became the pilot for Sorkin’s brilliant TV show, The West Wing. This is the story of a widowed liberal bookworm serving as President while under constant fire from the right wing because a lobbyist has become his girlfriend. One of the great political what-ifs, this film defined Sorkin’s wholesome, patriotic, idealistic (almost Capra-esque) style.

Sports Night

Sorkin’s first of two major failed television shows, this is often credited for being ahead of its time. For all intents and purposes this was a sitcom, but it was also one of the first to manage to get away with no laugh track. Without a laugh track audiences of the time were confused as to what to make of the show. In retrospect, many audiences have discovered it for its sharp wit and wonderful themes. But the failure of this led to…

The West Wing

Sorkin’s masterpiece. He served as primary writer and the showrunner for the first four (and easily best) seasons. The popularity of the show with critics kept it alive, even at times when the ratings flagged, which was mostly due to the show’s fairness in tackling every issue. Sorkin was able to write his personal arguments while allowing the opposite equal time. And he made those arguments ring with sharp writing and wry humor. Some of the best hours of programming television has seen since MASH. For further proof check out these episodes: “20 hours in America (Season Four premiere),” “The Two Cathedrals (Season Two finale),” and my personal favorite, “The Stackhouse Filibuster (Season Two, episode 17).”

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

As one of its few diehard fans, I absolutely loved this series. But even my devoted following couldn’t save this ultimately doomed series. Some complained of its constant “Hollywood liberalism vs. Midwestern religion” themes, while others claimed that a television show about writing a television show that was supposed to be Saturday Night Live but never, ever had funny skits, just wasn’t entertaining. Personally, I think Aaron Sorkin was so pleased with my being his fan, he made a TV show just for me. If you never got to give this a chance, it is out on DVD now and you should give it a look. Maybe he wrote it for you too.

C. Robert Cargill – - – Email Me