How true is this new film on the growth and demἰse of the revolutionary smartphone maker Blackberry? Canadian authors Jim Balsillie and Jacquie McNish formerly of Research in Motion penned the insider’s account Losing the Signal.
When Palm Inc. CEO Carl Yankowski proposed a plan in which BlackBerry would sell shares to Palm Inc., Jim assured him that he would be willing to accept what Carl dubbed a hostile takeover. Jim then plotted behind Carl’s back to have Research in Motion’s stock surge so that the company wouldn’t be acquired.
Carl pressured BlackBerry staff to add another 500,000 phones to an already overburdened network and recruited top engineers from companies like Google to work on data compression for BlackBerry.
What was Jim Balsillie’s Opinion of the Film Blackberry?
Jim Balsillie is experiencing his 15 minutes of fame. The Waterloo, Ontario, businessman’s portrayal in a film about the rise of the BlackBerry smartphone around the world seemed nearly inevitable.
When it comes to the executive suite, the new Canadian dark comedy “BlackBerry” spares no one, but it’s especially harsh on Balsillie. Star of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” Glenn Howerton portrays him as a hothead who in his pursuit of fame and fortune is prone to vἰolent outbμrsts and f0ul-moμthed rἀnts.
Balsillie acknowledged:
“When I first saw it, I was confused for about five minutes and then I thought ok we’re being roasted here. This is a satire. I was like ok. They’re taking an element of truth, who I am and they’re playing with it, I’m aggressive. I’m competitive. I’m ambitious. I own that.”
The question that remains unanswered is whether or not audiences will have the same quick. Those who only have a passing familiarity with the history of the corporation may have trouble distinguishing fact from fiction when “BlackBerry” hits theaters on May 12.
They may also be skeptical that Howerton’s exaggerated portrayal of Balsillie is entirely fictional. The hidden truths in the “BlackBerry” film have captivated some of the former workers at Research In Motion, which rebranded itself as BlackBerry after the success of its smartphone.
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The Art of Historical Remix: Unrevealing the Story of BlackBerry
Former employee and current YouTube star Matthias Wandel spent 18 minutes taking down the trailer for the film, explaining what is and isn’t true. More than 45,000 people have watched his video in less than two weeks.
Director Matt Johnson and the other creators of “BlackBerry” didn’t care about being historically accurate when they set out to craft their own highly improbable story. But it’s fair that there could be some confusion given that the film is based on truth and takes place in a version of Waterloo that is still fresh in people’s memory.
Balsillie is being b0mbarded with demands for interviews on the film. So, the 62-year-old has been fumbling around Hollywood without a map for the past few weeks, keeping a low profile and being mindful not to infringe on the artistic independence of the creators.
Recently establishing the non-profit Centre for Digital Rights, Balsillie saw “BlackBerry” as a chance to laugh at himself despite the crἰticism. His companions enjoy the opportunity to p0ke fun at him. Two of his IT industry business associates had given him a red and orange cap that read superstar earlier in the day.
They joked about needing his signature which is something he usually reserves for official paperwork. Some of the other major BlackBerry players in the film have been less than cooperative. Balsillie is happy to participate, but he would appreciate it if some misconceptions regarding his time as co-CEO of RIM were cleared up.
In particular, he objects to the way in which Balsillie becomes involved in stock fraud on the big screen. He emphasized that this had never occurred. Balsillie said:
“If you think growing a $20-billion company is designing illegἀl tax scἀms and rἀging f-bombs there’s nothing I can do to help you.”
In addition, “BlackBerry” depicts Balsillie’s frantic efforts to acquire a hockey franchise. This coincides with a significant network outage at his organization. The scenes are dramatizations of Balsillie’s failed attempt to bring an NHL club to Hamilton with the implication that Balsillie’s personal priorities contributed to the company’s demἰse.
That’s what the naysayers said back then. After more than a decade has passed, Balsillie still has no regrets about pursuing the NHL. He only attended two meetings in three years which isn’t too bad compared to his other extracurricular activities.
He had a few complaints including that the filmmakers should have done a better job of reproducing his office. There was no wall covered in tribal masks like in the film, but he did decorate the ceiling with a flying wooden frog.
Balsillie takes the wooden frog he has kept in a canvas bag and reassembles its wings to show his audience how much he values the memory. However, nobody from the production ever approached him about the prop. “They could have grilled me from sea to shining sea on that frog,” he complained.
Although seemingly insignificant, such information is important to Balsillie who is maniacal for facts. When it comes to his movie reviews, he’s not as sure of himself. He wants readers to suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride presented in his made-up BlackBerry story.
It’s always possible that a later revision will result in a more reliable historical account. One Canadian and one British documentary filmmaker appear to be well on their way in that direction. They reached out to Balsillie not too long ago with the goal of getting him to talk about his past experiences.
He claimed he hasn’t made up his mind yet. Others may investigate BlackBerry’s history if “BlackBerry” piques enough curiosity about its beginnings. Balsillie is content to let this fantastical interpretation run its course for the time being.
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